Why are suicide attempts, depression, and low self-esteem so commonly heard today? I believe these unhealthy ways to minimize experiencing life difficulties may be rising due to a lack of strong mental health care support. Although there are rising cases in mental health conditions, there are ways to reserve them. One unique contribution I would give to the world to make mental health care affordable and accessible to anyone who needs support would simply be a telling of some of my life experiences, words of encouragement, and opportunities for art by providing a way to relieve the tension to those who face mental health challenges. I believe providing art, such as paper, paint, or other coloring utensils, will enable individuals to experience a smooth transition from negative to positive thoughts. With a holistic approach to mental health support, individuals could have the opportunity to strengthen their creative mind and see the bright future ahead of them, whether it is valuing employment, pursuing a post-secondary degree, or making other valuable life plans, such as a daily health regimen. Overall, there are many ways to strengthen mental health among communities, such as established or out-of-the-box methods. I believe a society with a creative mind combined with traditional knowledge of healthy mental health coping mechanisms can curb the risk of thoughts of ending life by providing an open door for the people at risk of ending life by seeing the bright lives ahead of these individuals, which greatly define them than their difficulties.

To introduce myself, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. Currently, I continue to have the goal to become a dental hygienist to contribute in expanding oral health access reach. For me, being a first-generation student consists of having the heart, courage, and open-mindedness to serve communities through learning, volunteerism, and a passion for the profession, while coming from parents who have worked for most of their lives and did not have open opportunities to continue educational studies. Mainly, my struggles have been finding a post-secondary education institution and feeling comfortable in the college environment. Before graduating high school, I applied to a university, but later realized the financial constraints within the family, impeding me from attending there. I thought I was not going to attend a post-secondary education institution due to the situation, despite having the thought of continuing education. After graduating high school, the mission was to find a different post-secondary education institution, preferably one that had a dental hygiene program. After days of researching, I found out Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus had the program and decided to apply there, where I was accepted. When I began attending Tarrant County College, I did not know the students, and I had difficulty knowing them. I felt I was at an unfamiliar environment since I am not from that area of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. As I began to interact with some students, I began to feel more comfortable because of many students exhibiting open-mindedness in future societal contributions, even though their career pathways and identities are different than that of mine. The motivation to attend a post-secondary education institution and feeling of a sense of belonging has been a factor in overcoming the obstacles of a fixed mindset in not being able to continue education. The Bick First Generation Scholarship can help me move closer to goals by continuing the determination to learn and serve the community aside from furthering education studies my parents did not have the opportunity to receive. I have realized helping the community, such as volunteering, creates small steps toward a healthy society. Aside from dental hygiene, I hold another activity of interest, which is writing and illustrating books. Since I was little, I had the thought that there had to be more stories for the future generation to stimulate the ever-evolving social situations. I have had a preference to write realistic fiction books because I have loved the idea of creating characters living in real-life cities. For creating books and pursuing dental hygiene, I have the motivation to improve literacy and oral health among communities, especially the underrepresented. Overall, being a first-generation student is more than fulfilling an opportunity parents could not obtain. It is the determination to become a positive contributor in shaping society’s future through a professional occupation under a career sector. I hope I can fulfill the goals to become one of the many future change-makers.

To introduce myself, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I plan to study dental hygiene at the college to one day work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental care. I hope to receive an Associate's degree at the community college. Like Sloane, who has exemplified perseverance in tennis and actively strengthening communities through diffusing education and sports for the people, I hope to become a community change agent because I understand some communities do not have adequate resources, such as food, water, clothing, supplemental education opportunities, or shelter. Although I volunteered in high school at local events, such as citywide marathons or football games from other high schools from the same city, I hope to continue my commitment to strengthen communities. Various experiences have shaped my identity over time. I am part of the Hispanic community. As with many other Hispanic post-secondary education students, my parents are immigrants, who have worked arduously throughout their life in the country. My mom continues to be my main human encouragement source by motivating me continue the post-secondary education journey to embrace the opportunities she could not embrace due to various obstacles to obtain an education. I have followed her advice, and I am at a post-secondary institution continuing education. Although the college is in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, I grew up and live in Irving, but attend there due to the availability of studying and gaining real-world skills experience in dental hygiene that would lead me to create positive societal impacts through oral health expansion, especially in underrepresented areas. My interest in the dental realm sparked when I was little because I developed a motivation to aid individuals experiencing oral conditions and diseases. My main motivation came from my mom having a molar problem and thinking I could provide oral care as dental professionals. The memorable experience lead me to be part of the dental program in high school. I took classes related to dentistry and learned about the everyday life of dental professionals, tooth names, tooth numbers, patient-dental team interactions, and ethics within the profession. In addition, during my senior year of high school, I had an internship at a dental clinic, where I cleaned treatment rooms, took patient vital signs, sterilized dental instruments, occasionally assist with dental cleanings, and enhance patient visit experiences by explaining the dental routine to individuals in Spanish. My knowledge of the Spanish language will help me aid individuals visiting dental clinics by explaining procedures and treatment options in the language they would better understand, fostering deep connections between dental professionals and patients. Although the interest for dentistry continues, I have strengthened another passion I have had since I was little, which has been writing and illustrating books. The motivation to do this is to increase literacy among communities since there are individuals who experience limits to connect their lives with the content of a book. I plan on writing diversity-oriented realistic fiction books to contribute in increasing community knowledge on stimulated real-life situations through books. Overall, Sloane Stephens inspires aspiring tennis players and social change-makers by showing determination to promote inclusion of youth and the future professionals in professional sports and careers. I believe many individuals have the capacity to positively contribute to society, regardless of cultural background. I hope to maintain her example throughout my lifetime when trying to help society through my careers, philanthropy, and life experiences. My background and academic experiences are a few life aspects shaping the identity I hold today.

Before entering high school, I envisioned myself pursuing continuing education to study dentistry, which has been the career I have wanted to study ever since I was little. My goals have altered since then because I have more dreams than I did in the past. I took the path to attend community college to complete courses to obtain an associate's degree in dental hygiene. The Bright Lights Scholarship will enable me to see beyond my personal and others' identities. To add, an open door to dental hygiene studies at the same college will enable me to learn the complexities of the field and have more effective strategies to tackle the ongoing oral health challenges contemporary society encounters. Although I continue my passion for becoming a dental hygienist by taking courses that will prepare me for the workforce, I have strengthened an interest I had since I was little, which was one day writing and illustrating books to increase literacy among communities since there are communities facing scarcity in literacy opportunities. The books I plan to write are realistic fiction since I have liked the idea of creating made-up characters, although I usually try to put the characters in real-life settings, such as the characters living in real U.S. cities or seeing real-life vehicles. Currently, I am working on books based on acceptance of differences in individuals and religious stories to enhance diversity appreciation and understanding, although unpublished, while staying motivated to contribute to community oral health. With my work in dental hygiene, I will see the profession is more about taking care of oral health for society. The other aspects include creating relationships with people, educating individuals on oral hygiene, and taking action to advance dental science for societal well-being, including individuals living in remote areas who lack access to quality dental care. Taking initiatives to reduce barriers to quality oral health care and literacy will influence acceptance and equality among individuals from all genders and cultural backgrounds. In addition, oral health cases, such as gingivitis, caries, or oral cancer, can diminish if there are opportunities to learn about the consequences of the diseases and conditions for society and how to educate individuals on how they can achieve better oral health. The goals seem like a dream and something impossible. However, the actions can come true if I have the resources to receive anything related to dental hygiene by being able to dive deeper into the real-life relevance, allowing me to focus on other pursuits. Other plans include investing time in philanthropic work and spreading empathy with others outside of professional work. Receiving the scholarship means seeing the bright side of my capabilities and gaining knowledge on dental hygiene to execute impactful acts for improved oral health for existing and rising communities through spreading the value of healthy oral care. To conclude, many students have various valuable skills as equipment to succeed in life but lack the necessary elements to do so. Many of them demonstrate their talents through community service or involvement in an academic organization. By receiving the scholarship, I hope to open doors to pathways to continuing education to learn about the various parts of dentistry. Also, I hope to assist others to succeed in obtaining opportunities for higher education by emphasizing that positive affirmations transform lives instead of worrying about obstacles that hinder someone from showing their true identity to others and use the brilliant minds to make positive societal impacts because each student has the capability to do so, even though they may not know their strengths yet, but will eventually understand as time progresses.

In early life, I did not have an idea what community service was like. Although I heard stories about what community service might be, I did not imagine doing the act myself one day due to not having much awareness at the time. While in high school, specifically in 10th grade, I began to understand community service and its importance, not merely to do the acts for a special recognition during graduation. I began volunteering in setting up school-wide events and then volunteered at other local places to set up for city-wide events, such as marathons or football games from other high schools since the high school I went to did not have a dedicated athletics division. Community service is a lifelong act of demonstrating dedication to assist the community since there are members in need of tangible and intangible resources, such as water, food, shelter, healthcare essentials, hygiene essentials, and education, to be able to thrive in life. In high school, I also volunteered at an ALS Walk at a nearby community college through providing water to the people since hydration was paramount. At Tarrant County College, I assisted community members in obtaining nutritious foods through the food bank year. The volunteering acts would continue this year. Earlier this year, specifically in March, I volunteered to read to children at Kinkeade Early Childhood School in Irving, Texas, which was the preschool I attended. I volunteered through United Way, a community-oriented organization helping individuals receive the necessary resources for survival, such as food or education. I was assigned to books and certain rooms to read books to the students. I recall one of the books was in both English and Spanish, which suited to most of the student demographic since most of them were from Hispanic families. That book, in particular, was one of those books I felt captured the interest of students in reading books because the content connected to the culture of many of those students. I believe reading the book better motivated students to experience the value of literacy because it is a lifelong skill with many applications besides having to continue to read texts throughout the forthcoming education years. Volunteering to read at the preschool was a significant moment for me, not only because I returned to a school I attended almost sixteen years ago, but also because I could see the next generation of students who would one day contribute to society and have an interest in literacy throughout their lives. In addition, increasing access to literacy among children is important for personal development, such as cognition, writing, and being able to perform the skill in real-life situations, such as reading letters from the mail. In June, I decided to contribute to a non-profit organization called Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange, known as GRACE, from a different city, specifically Grapevine, by donating drinks and snacks to their pantry to assist community members in staying hydrated and overall healthy throughout the scorching heat. This occasion enabled me to see how the hydration insecurity among some communities still needs to continue to be reduced to minimize the risks of conditions, such as dehydration. Overall, helping throughout the community is essential in reducing disparities among societal members. Based on the places I volunteered, I envision putting myself in the audience member’s shoes by thinking what would happen if food, water, or learning resources were not received. As I continue the post-secondary education and life journey, I hope to continue to contribute to the community by assisting the audience of these opportunities in obtaining the intangible and tangible needs.

Kalia D. Davis demonstrates an exemplary leader by embodying work ethic, tenacity, and perseverance, which are essential characteristics future professionals should embody throughout life to become an example of an influential person in society. I can relate to her by practicing and improving the qualities throughout life. To introduce myself, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am pursuing the dental hygiene pathway. One day, I hope to increase access to quality dental care in underrepresented areas to strengthen oral health reach. The Kalia D. Davis Scholarship will not only aid in college expenses, but the scholarship will also provide the opportunity for me to see how her life connects to other future professionals through perseverance in reaching goals and showing compassion for others. My parents are immigrants from El Salvador, and my mom has persuaded me to continue my education. I understand the hardships my parents have faced throughout their lives, similar to other college students and their parents coming from immigrant backgrounds. I perceive my mom as my human role model because of her motivation for me to pursue a professional career. Since I was little, I have had a passion for dentistry, which I continue to maintain, because of my growing awareness on how abnormalities within tooth structures affect overall health, going beyond a superficial observation of a damage to the gingiva or enamel. I maintain my passion for studying the intricate aspects of dentistry to have more knowledge on effectively advocating and providing oral care through education and resources. I am attending community college instead of a university due to financial constraints. Although I attend community college, I have learned to value courses and make connections to my proposed careers each day. In addition, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a food bank last year, which I reflect on because of the importance of reducing hunger in communities, including areas where there are people experiencing a lack of survival resources. I also have a passion for volunteering, which I began in high school and hope to continue throughout my lifetime, because I like developing empathy with communities, even though I do not live in those communities. Although providing food for communities is vital, I also wish to volunteer in other community outreach centers to promote societal growth within different communities. Overall, the doors to opportunities for the dental professional would be open if I could receive the necessary teaching to learn the dynamics of dental hygiene. In addition, as Kalia was influential throughout her life, I hope to strengthen my work ethic in my professional and personal life. I also wish to be an example for future generations and other college students who envision contributing to society through innovation, leadership, and determination, as Kalia would have loved to continue performing throughout communities. In other words, positively contribute to society through serving the country. Thank you for the opportunity of enabling me to share some background information about myself for this scholarship.

For the Mad Genius Scholarship, I decided to write a story titled: "The Dark Individual Behind the Operations.” Once upon a time, there was a graduated high school student named David. While in high school, David was known for his volunteerism and his position as historian for the student council at his school. Since David faced financial constraints in attending college after high school graduation, despite applying for scholarships, he has shifted his focus in continuing to volunteer for community organizations to contribute to social progress. David began volunteering at school events around ninth grade. He assisted in the setup for the school's annual homecoming event, tutored students in math and reading, assisted in the annual walk to fight a disease hosted by the school's healthcare-oriented organization, and assisted in the toy drive the student council held each year. When he got elected historian for the student council in 12th grade, he took a step further when volunteering for the student council toy drive when he decided to donate toys used by his siblings and himself during early life. In addition to his contribution in donating toys from his household, he was nicknamed: "The Moment Framer," because he not only took pictures of schoolwide events as his main duty, but he also served as a mentor for students transitioning to the post-secondary education journey by taking pieces from his older sister's advice in life transitions, even though he was not going to walk the path himself. Some background information from David outside of school, he has one older sister named Eva, one younger sister named Naomi, and one younger brother named Matthew. The older sister no longer lives at home since she got married. David lives with the younger siblings and both of his parents. Eva attended the same school as David did, where she received a Volunteer Champion Award due to her efforts in helping the community within and outside school. Years later, David would receive the same award during twelfth grade. Around the beginning of June, specifically on a Monday morning, David decided to volunteer at a local food pantry in helping the community receive personal essentials, such as hygiene items, food, and water since the outside temperature was rising. Before he went to the place, he assembled a kit he nicknamed: "The Essentials Kit," because the box contained packaged healthy snacks, such as nuts, trail mix, or fruit and nut mix, water bottles, an oral care set, shampoo, deodorant, razors, feminine pads, and a first aid kit. David liked the idea of also packing fruits, but the food pantry already had fresh fruits in stock. These boxes were big since these items were meant for low-resource families. After having breakfast on that morning, David loaded 10 boxes of "The Essentials Kit" to the back of the GMC Sierra he drove that his dad passed on to him. He drove to the center. When he arrived to the food pantry, he unloaded the boxes, left them under a table where there were various vegetables on top, and assisted in bagging vegetables for the people visiting the center. While David performed the task, he noticed something. What he noticed was the water bottles that were meant to distribute to the people were missing. After the vegetables on the table were given to the people, he asked one of the volunteer coordinators, "I have noticed I have only been bagging vegetables but not bagging any water bottles. Where could the bottles be?" The volunteer coordinator responded, "Good question, David. I have not seen the water bottles since the last water bottle given to a community member a week ago." David suggested, "Maybe I should conduct a mystery." The volunteer coordinator said, "Good idea, David. I will tell another volunteer to fill your spot while you conduct the mystery." David said, "Sounds good." David searched around the tables and the storage room, which took approximately 2 hours, but did not find anything. He decided not to give up his search by going outside of the place. While outside, he noticed someone familiar sitting under a tree writing on a sketchpad. He believed she was a classmate from the math class David took in twelfth grade. He went up to her, and both exchanged greetings. After that, he said, "I have been volunteering here, but there is something I am trying to find, which are the water bottles that are meant to give to the people, but I cannot find them." She said, "I did not know you volunteered here. I have been trying to find the place to sign-up to help, but I cannot find the entrance." At the moment David was about to respond, he saw a big tent and a man came out of the tent. He thought if the water bottles may be there. The man spoke to David's former classmate asking, "Oye, Citlaly, puedes hacer el anuncio por el micrófono que vengan todas las personas aquí en este momento?" It is Spanish for, "Hey, Citlaly. Can you make an announcement over the microphone for the people to come here right now." Citlaly answered, "No sé, papá." It is Spanish for, "I do not know, dad." David interrupted, "Puedo hacer el anuncio, señor." It is Spanish for, "I can do the announcement, sir." The man responded, “Esta bién.” It is Spanish for, “Okay.” At this moment, David recalled the female classmate's name was Citlaly, and the man was her dad. At the same time, he made the announcement. The people outside and inside the food pantry building arrived close to the tent. David’s announcement was about something being behind the tent and revealing what was behind. The people cheered because what was behind a tent was a banquet for the people, something David would not have imagined seeing. In addition, there were cases of bottled water. The volunteer coordinator came up to David and said, “David, great job in solving the mystery. I believe the water bottles were found.” David said, “You are welcome. Mystery solved.” Citlaly whispered to David in the ear, “David, I did not want to give the announcement because I fear public speaking. I believe you recall the time when we were at school where I rarely spoke.” David said, “I understand that, Citlaly. By the way, great job in setting this with your dad.” Citlaly whispered, “You are welcome.” After that conversation, Citlaly showed David her sketchbook, which detailed the numbers of supplies being donated to the center and the goal for these supplies to arrive for at least one hundred low-income families each day. David said, “Great planning on helping the community. I guess you did not have to come inside the building.” The volunteer coordinator also came to see the sketchbook, admiring the writing by saying, “Great philanthropical work you perform and plan.” Citlaly said softly, “Thank you.” The volunteer coordinator said, “You are welcome.” At the banquet, Citlaly’s dad was serving plates of food to the low-income individuals while providing them with water. Many of these plates had multicultural cuisines in them, most notably the plate with enchiladas, falafel wrap, tomato and cucumber salad, French fries, fried okra, bell peppers, fruits, honey glazed carrots, Greek yogurt, and egg rolls. Many people admired the food, gave thanks to the deity they believed in since most of the underserved community members were religious, and also gave thanks to the dad who worked hard in creating these plates. In addition, the volunteers gave reusable cups and two water gallons for each low-income family. In addition, the people were given a year’s supply of hygiene items. After the banquet ended, the remaining cases of water bottles were carried to the building for future distribution. Although David did not expect to see Citlaly ever again, he recognized she was the individual behind the operations in continuing community service within the food pantry center. In addition, her dad contributed in supplying the place with the necessary materials to ensure a healthy community. After leaving the food pantry grounds and while driving to where he lived, David reflected on why community service is important. He reflected how the act should not be seen as something to claim superiority over other people or fulfilling hours just to be honored during high school graduation. He saw the opportunities as volunteers becoming bright lights that shine over the community through providing necessities to survive to reduce living condition disparities. He also thought on those students from his graduating class attending college having the doors open for contributions for the future, such as positively contributing to society through the profession they studied for, whether it is finding advanced ways to diagnose and treat diseases, developing a new technological empire, working in the government through voting for laws that would be fair for citizens, entering the entertainment industry and become figures of inspiration for the future generation through their work, or combining professions to experiment a synchrony in providing services to communities.

From early life, I have seen many innovations that could occur in society for its benefit with the creative mind of one person. I am not referring exclusively myself, but to all the future professionals who are still attending an education institution to become what they hope to become because the pathway they take will benefit society in some way. Personally, I have found that something I want to create comes from outside the academic building. In other words, from a college or university. Something I plan to build in the future are books detailing real-life situations as a fictional story. In other words, writing fiction books with real-life topics that may inspire readers to feel they are valued in such adversity. I hope to build books for the community to increase literacy, especially for the underserved communities, to acquire a bigger lens on issues some people may stereotype about. Currently, there is a book I have submitted to a local publisher, but not published yet. The proposed book is titled: Compassion Hunters, which is about students being assigned to a project on a psychological condition for their psychology class. In the process, they get a first-hand experience in interacting with someone with the condition they are doing their project on, which is avoidant personality disorder. From reading the book, readers could see new perspectives on those suffering from mental health conditions, connecting to the fact there needs to be more awareness on these conditions through positive encouragement to see the positive side to life. In addition, I plan the book to be in English and Spanish to draw an audience who would have more motivation to read and serve as a literacy resource. Currently, I am working on another book, based on the same universe as the aforementioned book titled: "El Arte de Pasar Un Día Planeando la Creatividad," which is based on a high school graduate who cannot attend college, but finds their creative side by creating art for a citywide competition. I plan the book to be written in Spanish. By using the skill of writing, the content in books can make a positive impact on the community through the reach of many audiences by people connecting to the plot with a situation they previously experienced throughout their lifetime, regardless of cultural background. Overall, although I plan to study dental hygiene to positively contribute in stable oral health among community members, I continue to hold the aspiration to write fiction stories due to my affinity for stimulating real-life situations with made-up characters. Although I have not continued the goal in a straight path due to class commitments, each piece done over time to reach the goal enables me to see what I can improve on. Building something beneficial for society takes time, but taking the time to value the steps enables the greater understanding of the purpose of such innovation for the spread of knowledge toward humanity. Thank you for your time in reading the scholarship application.

Limited education opportunities, limited job opportunities, and limited lighthearted childhood experiences. Being alive during wartime as children and alive today. My mom and dad's stories, who came to the United States of America from El Salvador before 2000 and settled in Irving, Texas, where one day, the applicant writing the essay for the Carlos F. Garcia Muentes Scholarship would be born. As Carlos F. Garcia Muentes searched for better life opportunities, as my parents did, he remains an influential figure to immigrants and individuals born in the United States of America to persevere and practice virtues throughout their lives wherever they are. Based on my parent's background, their story has shaped my personal beliefs by learning, understanding, and valuing diverse individual experiences. My mom's support has influenced me to continue the journey of positive social contributions. God has given me and future professionals wisdom to conquer the education journey and grow to become professionals of heart, faith, courage, and determination. In biological humans, my mom has encouraged me to pursue further education and value it. Since I was little, I thought of pursuing the dental field because of my motivation to aid the community in achieving good oral health. From the moment I had the goal in mind, my mom supported my decision because she did not want to see me work as individuals with low education work at, such as cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes, restaurants, or warehouses. I understand immigrants like my parents have gone through these jobs. However, the value of taking these jobs is having the mindset to aid their children in receiving a good education and professional employment to support society. She envisioned me in healthcare. As I got older, I recognized the importance of trusting God to navigate life's challenges and successes, which applies to other people as well because the achievements are not given in an individual's hands without some form of effort. God brought us to the Earth for various reasons, such as to love one another, connect with others, and find our vocation in life. In addition, in high school, I began to realize many students share similar visions of contributing to community and professional diversity because of the common understanding of increasing services to individuals, especially the underrepresented populations. Although cultures are different, the unification of these cultures in various professional fields have contributed to new innovations beneficial for humanity. First, I credit God for illuminating my mind to see everyone has feelings, thoughts, and a purpose to live. Second, I credit my mom for showing me the importance of valuing love, respect, and compassion for others. Now, I recall my parents' lives before and after coming to the United States of America. I recognize many minority students have parents who have experienced paths of stumbling and rising up after each fall, referring to difficulties in the parents providing time and resources to develop the next generation of professionals through motivation to continue the education journey for their children to become something in life. Through the obstacles, God guides people and enables growth to the perseverant. Many college students carry their heritage and stories to continue their motivation to aid society by striving for equality, whether through working in healthcare, STEM, law, or the business/finance fields. Simultaneously, they empower future generations, including minorities, to diversify the fields through education and serving as mentors for these students to continue persevering amid challenges that may tempt them to give up a beneficial goal. Through trust in God, heart, faith, courage, and determination, individuals, including myself, can contribute to making beneficial differences throughout communities.

I continue to hold a passion for reading since preschool. Seeing the images, either real-life or illustrated, have helped me comprehend the depiction of the setting of the stories or how objects and people could possibly look like in real life. From what I have learned from the books I have read throughout my lifetime, I realized the stories are vital in understanding how to see the world and strengthen skills beneficial for education, workforce, and life. The books I have read have shaped my goals by understanding ways to contribute to the good in adverse social situations and the importance of striving to achieve career goals. When I started school, I read books, most notably "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, where I learned the order and the letters of the English alphabet. This learning would be beneficial when I went to other grades, college, and eventually to the workforce, where knowing how to write is crucial. As I got older and went to higher grades throughout my school education, I read longer books, such as "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio, where I became aware of seeing others, even if they do not look like ordinary people, as capable people, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, where I learned about the time where more people were going to rely on mindless media, such as watching unbeneficial content through technology, which the author predicted to be the present time, and Animal Farm, where I gained more insight on how Communism was in Russia in the early 20th Century, despite farm animals portraying important figures in Communist Russia. In addition, some books taught me to explore different cultures and challenges when immigrating from one country to another for a better life, such as "Ask Me No Questions," by Marina Budhos. Currently, I read a Roman Catholic book on rediscovering the Roman Catholic Church. Even though I had background information on the Roman Catholic Church before diving into this book, I have gained more knowledge on the doctrine. From what I have read so far, I have made connections between what I have read in the Catholic Bible and other books. In addition, I have paid attention to how contemporary society functions and how an individual can change negative habits into better habits to improve their connection with God and the people around the community. A significant thing I learned from this book was the many philosophies surrounding the community that many people are unaware of, such as minimalism, hedonism, and individualism, and why it is crucial to draw away from these philosophies that do not positively impact our everyday lives, even though some believe that it is okay to live everyday life by abiding by these principles. Even though I aspire to become a dental hygienist, I hope to adopt more perspectives and meet the needs of the rest of the dental team and the community to achieve a successful career. One way goals can come true is through reading books. Many books I have read throughout my lifetime have provided me various lessons, such as accepting others for who they are, recognizing the importance of history, learning about interaction methods, or learning about spiritual growth. Even though I have read books at various levels throughout time, I see the connection among all the book genres because of the various interpretations of life, whether through a fictional character or a graduate's narration of a real-life event. I hope to continue reading books to succeed in life and possibly write to inspire the next generation to love reading books.

For me, the story who changed mine was that of my parents because of them being guided by God, just as the rest of humanity is, whether they recognize it or not. I have learned about how they had to work when they were little, meaning there were no traditional shopping or scenery trips. When they came here, they had to continue work with more than one job to make the living here and form a family in the future, which occurred. Sadly, I have not been able to spend much time with my dad compared to my mom because he has actively worked hard to earn money for living expenses, just as my mom has done, but with the opportunity to spend more time with her. This story is not something I have learned about, but similar stories from many students who have learned the true value of having a good work ethic and pursue post-secondary education to work in a job positively impacting humanity. From this lesson, I also learned the importance of perseverance and effort in reaching goals, meaning the goals are not given in the hand without work. A problem in the community, especially around the area I live in, is that most people walk past are the ones needing personal resources to survive, such as food or hygiene items, because of the common assumption by many people that everyone has the necessary resources to survive due to working almost everyday. Sadly, the statement is not entirely true because there are some who have lost jobs and have limited resources to secure food or hygiene items for survival. What I would do to solve this issue if I had the resources would be to donate some unexpired food, water, or hygiene supplies to a local food bank to work together with other volunteers in distributing these items to community members who may come to the place to receive the items. In addition, an alternative would be sending the items myself, if I actually knew the people, to receive these survival items faster. Overall, I hope I could contribute to the community in the way I described in the future to enhance health among communities. In addition, I hope the effort could serve as inspiration for the future generation to do the same to leave their marks of positive contributions among communities.

When I began volunteering in high school, I realized the value of serving the community by putting others ahead of oneself. I learned to apply volunteering skills to the classroom and at home. Michael Rudometkin demonstrates selflessness' manifestation throughout everyday life, and his example can influence people to perform acts with heart and meet the needs of others. I embody selflessness by visualizing myself being in the circumstances another individual faces. Although I have demonstrated selflessness throughout my life, one significant moment I embodied altruism was during 10th grade, I tutored students preparing for the Algebra I STAAR Exam, the statewide Algebra I exam in Texas, through the usage of previous Algebra I STAAR Exam questions to get an idea on how the test may be structured, concepts tested on, and effective methods to solve problems. The opportunity taught me that a student needs guidance in understanding the content and skills to pass an Algebra I exam. If I know the elements to succeed in something, such as the test, I could use them to help students better understand the content and pass the exam. The same applies to other academic subjects or other skills outside the classroom. By patiently explaining the methods and content to comprehend an exam, a student can be well prepared for an exam in any subject. In addition, sharing knowledge and experiences can assist in the studying process. Another noteworthy instance I demonstrated selflessness was last year when I volunteered at a food bank at Tarrant County College- Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Although I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, I saw the opportunity as a way to help communities I do not know of because an individual does not have a certain mile radius to perform compassionate acts. On that day, I assisted in creating boxes with nutritious foods, such as cucumbers or rice, for individuals who needed access to the foods to have nourished bodies. The opportunity taught me that individuals can also face food scarcity in urban cities, such as Fort Worth, besides remote areas. In addition, I gained inspiration to continue the acts in the future to assist people in accessing elemental life resources, such as food. I realized the versatility of selflessness in individual and community life. A third noteworthy instance where I contributed to the community was when I decided to donate one liter water bottles, sports drinks, cookies, candies, and even the bags where the products came from to the Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange in Grapevine, Texas, otherwise known as GRACE last Monday. When I went to the place, I saw more people obtaining the goods they needed to survive. Although I did not actively volunteer there on that day, I felt that it was better to give up something someone had to give the item to someone in need, such as the one liter water bottles for those trying to combat the ongoing heat in the region to prevent dehydration symptoms. Although I have excelled in demonstrating selflessness through volunteerism, I visualize possessing the trait during my personal and professional life. As I continue embarking on the education journey through postsecondary education, I can acquire more skills that enable me to become considerate of others' needs because many people in the world need that to live a healthy life. In addition, I hope to uplift future generations to perform their actions with faith, heart, determination, and selflessness in anything they do to visualize if they were in the circumstance of the other person and develop beneficial life skills.

To introduce myself, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a student attending Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, with the intention of studying dental hygiene to become one of many dental professionals committed to serving the community through effective oral hygiene education and treatment. As I have seen in a somewhat low-income community I am surrounded by, I see the need of people having access to these services to achieve stable oral health to minimize the risk of getting other diseases since poor oral health is linked to increased risk of other body health problems. I deserve the scholarship, not because of good grades or mere financial advantage over other students, but because of the motivation to continue studies at the college to achieve the goal of increasing oral health awareness in those communities needing them, since I live in a different county and costs are higher for out-of-county students compared to in-county students. Overall, I believe I could one day work with other dental professionals to link ideas in spreading effective oral hygiene self-care strategies and healthy smiles to brighten a community’s day.

In early life and today, I have been considered and recognize I have habits not seen in most people, such as being able to stay silent for long, knowing streets from various cities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, or noticing small details. If I were to describe my "awkward" thing or something a little different about me that makes me stand out, it would be the tendency to notice things individuals forget or do not see to avoid something negative from happening. Maybe some individuals may believe this tendency means I practice unwanted vigilance of people when passing by at a place, whether at a store, restaurant, college, or other public places. Since I was little, I have enjoyed looking at things around the environment I am in because of the diverse components that build such a vibrant atmosphere, such as individuals walking around, green spaces, roads, interesting buildings, and other artifacts. Although it seems as if that is the action I take and enjoy doing, it is not the case because I visualize I were that person and left a place leaving something behind. In that case, I would feel nervousness because the thing could be something difficult to get a replacement or may be needed for an important occasion, such as a formal event. In addition, I felt this tendency has enabled me to improve my detail-oriented skills, which would be beneficial to professional life. In my case, I plan to pursue dental hygiene because I have been passionate in spreading oral health awareness to the community, especially to those members who need to learn about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene. The career is where detail-oriented skills come into play by carefully looking at teeth. Overlooking an "awkward" thing, such as my tendency to scan the environment for abnormalities, such as someone forgetting an item, hinders the openness to the reality of a person, which is why it is vital to challenge stereotypes. To conclude, although I have things that make me different from many people and may be seen as offensive to some people, I believe these things comprise individual identity by seeing the unexpected strengths of that person. In other words, learning about someone deeper than superficial level. I believe individual special abilities are advantageous in everyday life tasks, despite the perception of being awkward by most societal members. That is why recognizing these extraordinary abilities is important in being elemental to skills, such as problem-solving.

As a first-generation student attending college, there have been many things I have had to experience myself, such as experiencing the college environment. Although I have faced challenges in navigating this environment, such as attending a post-secondary education institution outside the county where I was born, grew up, and continue to live, after graduating high school, I have tried to see the positive side beyond most of these challenges. For me, going to college means learning new experiences, which can be applicable to the real world. Currently, I attend Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am finishing my sophomore year of college, although I will continue taking classes in the summer and fall semesters to fulfill class requirements, such as taking specific science courses or other courses I have begun to see some connection to real life situations, to be able to study something I have wanted to study. What I am trying to accomplish is to study dental hygiene in that college, which is the main reason I decided to apply there. I aspire a career in dental hygiene because I have been passionate in raising awareness on oral health because there are communities where individuals long for an understanding on how healthy oral habits impact the rest of the human health since there is an interconnection among many body systems. In the future, I hope to contribute to better dental health in some way. To conclude, college is more than a place to study for a profession to earn more money compared to professions not requiring a college education. College represents a lifetime milestone of analyzing the interconnectedness among courses with real world situations, learning new perspectives from other college students, and increasing commitment to volunteering, either in campus or outside campus. As a student continuing the education path at Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus, there are many things I will recall while there and see the application of these things in real life, such as helping the community through volunteering at a campus food bank, learning the open-mindedness of various students I have interacted with, or taking courses with Phi Theta Kappa to strengthen professional development, including in the dental setting. I believe these experiences will be beneficial for dental hygiene by being collaborative with other dental employees or dedicating time serving the community, most likely when not in work.

1. My main inspiration for writing was based on the books I read in elementary school. While in elementary school, I recall reading books and found the plots interesting that there should have been more details. In addition, I had the curiosity about the role of religion or other cultural aspects from the main character's background in shaping the events of such story, which I had not been able to find in the many stories I have read. These thoughts prompted me to begin working on a book when I was around 9 years old, which I wrote in Spanish because of the first language I learned. I wrote and illustrated the book on pieces of lined paper. The intention was to connect family, school, and religious life among made-up Hispanic characters who lived on the northern part of Irving, the city where I live in. Around 9th grade, I decided to scratch out the story because I felt there was not much purpose of the plot and events portrayed in the story. To add, there was not much elaboration on an academic or religious topic for children to learn a new concept when reading if it were published. During that grade, I recall completing an assigned project for biology class about any topic discussed in class. For the project, I decided to write a story about the ecological pyramid because I felt it could relate to the experiences of real-life students and learning about the topic by the characters, also made-up, experiencing the concept themselves through a field trip. Another unpublished story, I found more value in writing it due to better portrayal of an academic topic, although without religious elements. After 9th grade, I was inspired by the characters I created in the story I decided to write stories involving some of the characters, which are in progress of creation and unpublished. The difference is that I would be able to meet the goal, which is combining elaboration of an academic concept and religion influencing the character's identity or plot of the stories. Another difference is that the story I wrote was in English and these intended stories in Spanish because of the main characters speaking the language as their first language, with some English, Lithuanian, Latin, and Arabic in certain segments, to reflect the diverse characters and its value in contemporary society, which I have done something similar with the story I will provide a manuscript for. I want to write stories for children because of the motivation to introduce children to everyday situations to have a representation of their life experiences in the past, present, and future. I like the combination of made-up characters and real-life events because of the creativity someone can use to raise awareness and value certain societal aspects. 2. The title of the story I am submitting, as a manuscript, is titled: What I Know: A Story on Community Diversity. The story highlights aspects not seen in children's books by offering some insights to some cultural features, such as some language words, including the main character's and older sister's cultural background, which reflect my experiences on being from parents from a different country and interacting with students culturally different from me. The book is told from a 7 year old child, but with experiences from his older sister, who is 21 years old, another difference from other stories. 3. I believe it is important to have diverse stories in this space because it allows children to have various perspectives on solving a problem, which can be beneficial throughout their academic, professional, and personal life. In addition, having diverse stories allows children to erase negative stereotypes they may have toward a culture due to their family's or media's portrayal of that specific culture. I believe diverse stories can eliminate the incidents related to discrimination among other classmates based on cultural background. Also, the diverse stories will allow children to transmit them to future generations, meaning the stories can be told from generation from generation, much like the existing stories. What I hope children will take away from reading the manuscript is to expand their knowledge of virtues, ethics, and equality among human beings.

Although I plan to pursue a career in dental hygiene because I would like to contribute in helping communities achieve excellent oral health, I have found a passion for watercolor painting. Even though some individuals might see art and other professional careers having nothing to do with each other, I believe watercolor painting is a valuable activity to do because it can be another way for me to relax to reset mental health. In other words, watercolor painting has become something I like to do, despite practicing in improving painting style. In addition, pertaining to the desired career path I plan to take, dentistry and art go hand in hand by art being beneficial to provide visuals of tooth structures or promoting a relaxed environment. The inspiration to create the first watercolor sample was after researching a former popular coastal city in Cyprus that has been abandoned for over fifty years. Specifically, the part called Varosha in Famagusta, Cyprus. This was something I learned outside of school, meaning I was not taught about the events of the Turkish invasion of this place in the 1970s which caused the abandonment still in place to this day when attending grade school. The depiction of a red wall's destruction in the process symbolizes the removal of the barrier preventing tourists and other city dwellers to visit the place while the color is being replaced with green to signal the public safety of that part of the city. The drawings depicting a sand castle, bucket, making love, a ball, seaweed, and a book symbolize the possible activities or sights people can experience at the coast, if the place ever opens again to the public. The inspiration to create the second watercolor sample was when I began to recall some things I learned while in grade school. Specifically, the ways individuals persevere to achieve goals and the importance of not giving up throughout the process, no matter the difficulty of the obstacles in the path to success. The desert represents progress in action while the green area depicts success. Overall, although I do not intend to study for a specific art career, I hope to spread the passion of watercolor painting to others to unleash the creative minds of many people who wish to paint but do not have the resources to do so. I will upload the samples I explained about throughout the essay.

Faith is a valuable tool when going through adverse and favorable circumstances, whether the circumstances occur within personal, professional, or academic life. Faith has played a vital role in my life by serving as a reliable source for achieving goals and making decisions based on values. Someone in my life who has inspired me to pursue further education has been my mom because she did not want to see me work at typical jobs immigrants work at, such as restaurants, hotels, or factories, usually as a custodian, dishwasher, or kitchen cook. Although I comprehend many students from minority groups attend postsecondary education, the parents of these students have had to find perceived inferior jobs to help students go to a postsecondary education institution and become influential professionals in life. In addition, the students contribute to diversity in various career fields, such as business/finance, healthcare, STEM, or law, through finding their lifelong vocation within their educational and early life journey. I took my mom's advice and decided to go on a long educational journey. Since I was little, I have wanted to pursue a career in dentistry because I have been passionate in repairing oral health problems individuals may be experiencing, such as decaying teeth or gingivitis, which is the inflammation of the gingiva, or more commonly known by society as the gum line. My mom supported my career decision because she preferably wanted me to pursue a healthcare career. In 12th grade, I developed another passion for another professional field, mental health. My inspiration stemmed from guest speakers who came to school to talk about trending mental health issues, such as the prevalence of mental health disorders and fentanyl usage/deaths, especially in the youth population. From the guest speakers discussing these adverse mental health topics, I felt there was a necessity to help communities struggling with mental health. Although I became interested in mental health, I continue to maintain my other passion. I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, and am on the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. I have found more and more connections between some of the required courses and both professions. Although the education path has been arduous as many students would experience, relying on God has helped me relieve some stress throughout my education journey. Today, I comprehend God provides directions to students, including myself, to achieve academic and future goals by an individual putting on their part to exercise their faith. In addition, I appreciate my mom's advice in pursuing further education because of the increased opportunities and potential to create positive societal contributions through college education. To conclude, I hope to maintain faith throughout my lifetime to see the bright side of adverse and favorable circumstances. I look forward to continuing my education after obtaining an Associate's Degree to be more equipped in positively impacting society through education advancement. Learning continues throughout one's lifetime. By strengthening my relationship with God, I can reach postsecondary and life milestones.

During high school, I realized an individual's potential to create positive impacts when helping the community, whether through performing small or large-scale acts. I understood the exercise of various life's virtues when performing these acts. As a college student now, I have continued this valuable act, but there is a time I have volunteered for something that I would consider meaningful. The meaningful experience I will discuss about is when I volunteered to read a book for children at the preschool I attended. Today, I volunteered at the preschool I attended, which is called Kinkeade Early Childhood School. The school is in Irving, Texas, the city I live in, but around an area where I used to live in instead of the area of the city I currently live in. I decided to volunteer there because I saw the opportunity online and thought that it would be a great opportunity to read to the children there to increase their enthusiasm for reading books, which simultaneously was the inspiration to volunteer there. While at the school, I thought the other volunteers, which I assumed were older than me, had the same mission of preparing the children for the future through literacy awareness. I was assigned to two classrooms and a book to read, which was titled, "Sana Sana Colita de Rana," by Citlali Reyes, along with another volunteer. The book was bilingual, and I felt it was suitable for the majority of the students in these assigned classrooms to relate to their culture and the lifelong skills they are developing at the preschool. The experience shaped my understanding of leadership by recognizing the importance of taking initiative in developing literacy skills among the children to succeed the future ahead of them because they are in the initial phase of the lifelong education journey. The experience shaped my understanding of faith by knowing God could give me the strength, virtues, and knowledge to serve the students who were going to hear the story effectively. Although I returned to the community where I lived for most of my early childhood before moving to where I live now, I realized these acts, no matter the event background and duties, are universal, no matter the community someone serves. Having love, faith, heart, and compassion for others is beneficial in demonstrating community commitment. I hope to continue volunteerism and teach future generations about life's many valuable opportunities. My volunteer experience at Kinkeade Early Childhood School in Irving, Texas, helped me comprehend education outside and inside of the school is beneficial for children to learn about applying reading skills to the real world besides reading a story on or above grade level. By volunteering in reading a book to an audience consisting of children, the teacher, and the teacher's assistant, the support network strengthens by individuals being able to listen to stories, including myself who did not have the opportunity to read stories like "Sana Sana Colita de Rana," since it was published years after attending preschool. The opportunity also connects to dental hygiene and psychology, my intended career pathways, by applying knowledge from both fields to expand into communities needing these opportunities to socially thrive in the social environment.

While attending high school, I considered ways in helping the community someday. When I performed community service, I realized the importance of serving the community and contributing to making it a better place, inspiring me to perform the act throughout my lifetime. I plan to positively impact the world by pursuing further education, volunteering in various communities, and being aware of societal issues to find solutions. While attending high school, I volunteered by preparing for school events, football games, and community marathons. I usually assisted in preparing decorations for schoolwide events and organizing a classroom. In football games, I assisted in providing concessions for individuals watching football players from other high schools play on the field. Although my high school does not have athletics, I enjoyed helping supporters have an enjoyable experience, along with the other volunteers. As a college student now, I reflect individual efforts can strengthen teamwork because everyone works together to keep individuals feeling content in any real-life setting. In addition, I have done similar actions while volunteering for other organizations because preparing for a community event took time. By maintaining a positive attitude and being determined to prepare before the event's commencement, I also strengthened my teamwork skills by alleviating some tasks other volunteers had to perform. After I finished volunteering for high school, I learned to give up some things, such as not staying at home for most Saturdays or holidays, volunteering in the early morning, or volunteering during a dark night. Although I initially felt petrified when commencing volunteerism, I found the actions worth the time because instead of staying at home and not being an active contributor to the community by going to a place needing volunteers for that event, I took opportunities to assist individuals. The opportunities were not merely because of school recommendations to volunteer to be recognized with a cord during high school graduation but also because of my passion for serving others who need lifelong resources to grow physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Before concluding high school, I learned various community or schoolwide events would not occur without assistance in preparation. Dedication to helping others is elementary in creating everlasting impacts. I hope to continue volunteerism throughout my lifetime because I can link to community circumstances. In addition, I hope individuals recognize their potential for volunteering and creating impact, even when working in a professional career sector, because we all have a lifelong mission, regardless of cultural background. Even though I want to continue volunteering throughout my lifetime, I also hope to create an impact by establishing a pro-life organization because many individuals are unaware of abortion's dangers and why every life is valuable. By providing effective education on the topic, especially for North Texas, the region I live in, individuals will learn why we exist and the missions future generations will fulfill, influencing more pro-life events throughout the area and possibly within the country or worldwide someday. I am passionate about the cause and hope I can spread knowledge on the dignity of each human life. By increasing access to vital resources in urban, suburban, rural, and remote areas, individuals will obtain equal access to resources, such as food, water, or literacy improvement among children. All individuals deserve an education, healthcare, faith knowledge, food, clothing, or shelter to thrive within communities. Although everyone begins community involvement by performing small tasks, each step increases because of the determination to alleviate community hardships, increasing favorable outcomes from the actions each time.

1.) The literacy work has made a difference in the community by increasing engagement among children. Today, I volunteered at the preschool I attended by going to the assigned classrooms to read to the children with another volunteer. In addition, I had an assigned book to read from Citlali Reyes titled, "Sana Sana Colita De Rana," which is titled after a nursery rhyme from Latin America, although the rhyme is not a big part of my family culture. The book is bilingual, and I read the Spanish part while the other volunteer read the English part. From this activity, I noticed the engagement the students had while their teacher was supporting them in being engaged with the events of the story and relating to something from their culture, such as the rhyme. The difference this opportunity made among the students was a motivation to continue reading throughout their lifetime and learning that they have a bright future ahead by societal or financial barriers to further education not being able to stop them from achieving their dreams. Although this was a volunteer opportunity, I am finding ways on how to enhance literacy among children, including preschoolers. Currently, I am writing some realistic fiction stories, which are in progress. To add, there is another story on diversity, which is also in progress and may include images of this work in another essay from this website, taking some inspiration from the book I read to the children today. I believe the effort of being involved in the community and the attempts to write stories will serve for future generations to better understand social dynamics and improved future life preparation. 2.) One obstacle I have encountered on the literacy journey was finding a place to do it. Since it is not an activity I have done in the past because of unawareness that these opportunities existed, I have been able to find and participate in an opportunity to read to children in select schools throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. As I previously mentioned, I had the opportunity to read at the preschool I attended by going to the assigned classrooms and read to the children there today. This was how I could respond to the challenge of finding a place to read to children because sitting there and not doing anything would not make a difference. I had to become active if I wanted to contribute in improving literacy across communities, especially the community I used to live in where the preschool is since I live in a different part of the city. What I learned was that although someone can experience difficulty in having the opportunity to demonstrate a passion of promoting literacy among children in communities, one perseveres to find an opportunity where someone can encourage children to value books and learning about the importance of reading throughout their academic, professional, and personal life. 3.) Receiving the #AllKidsNeedBooks Scholarship will help me further my mission to promote literacy through storytelling by being able to increase knowledge of a book's content when explaining the meaning of the book, inspiration, or a particular concept presented. I believe the scholarship's meaning is beyond monetary amount to continue post-secondary education. It is one of those opportunities that could open doors to further learning to help further explain a concept through books. Despite pursuing dental hygiene and mental health, I hope a story I could tell could capture most of the aspects of a particular concept relating to a professional career or be able to make connections between the content of a book with real life events.

In today's world, there are various ways to communicate, including through technology. Now with websites, such as Google Meet and Zoom, people can better connect with each other, even though they are far apart in the region they are communicating from. In the past, more people communicated face to face, but it is also seen today. Communication, in any way, is vital to get to know others. Human connection is meaningful by being able to learn and exchange perspectives and become more supportive to each other. For the essay, I will choose to explain the future of human connection because I believe we are in that future with technological advancements, and I believe authentic human connection can still occur for generations to come. In a world increasingly driven by technology, I believe we can preserve, strengthen, or reimagine authentic human connection by taking the time to set a time to be with someone they want to talk to in person. In the case with college students, college students can communicate with their peers in person when both do not have class about something they have learned in class or share career aspirations. In the case with parents, both parents or sons and daughters could set aside time to communicate with each other face to face because parents can offer suggestions or support when their son or daughter in a difficulty they face, such as the transition from high school to college, plans to form a family in the future, or reaching goals, such as studying for a profession to make positive impact in society, not merely for financial advantage. In the case with family members who may live far away, a time could be set aside to travel to visit them or the other way around to feel valued in the family. Sadly, in today's world, there is less and less interaction, creating a barrier between one person and another, due to fear of feeling judged from others or excess attachment to a device, such as a smartphone, which takes away time from having a listening ear in front of them. Some noteworthy examples would be son or daughter with parent or student with instructor. Although these are trends seen, these can be repaired by taking the time to experience an in-person interaction to see body language and the motivation of both people to increase compassion and understanding among each other. Even if there are communication barriers, it is possible to break them. Overall, non-verbal and verbal communication continue to be prevalent in the contemporary world, not just a skill beneficial for the workplace or in an academic setting, but also with family members, in other public settings, or other known individuals. I hope more people can value communication, both non-verbal and verbal, and be able to do so with more people to assist them in challenges, motivate them to continue their journey in reaching their goals, or recognize their success in overcoming a difficult achievement. Words of kindness can strengthen an individual to value life and spread acts of kindness within society.

To begin, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a student motivated to pursue both dental hygiene and psychology to make positive changes toward community oral and mental health. I am a college sophomore student attending Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I plan to make a positive social impact through these careers in serving individuals with special needs by working with other professionals in creating some form of a support system to make individuals with special needs feel valued. I have experienced the special needs environment throughout my life. I recall I was put into a special needs classroom when I began kindergarten. The thing is I was in that class only for the first day of school and then put into a classroom with more neurotypical students. As I recall this moment, I recognize that although these classroom environments differ, such as class sizes or teaching styles, the teachers have the goal to assist students in succeeding in learning class concepts and the journey ahead of them. However, I have recognized special needs students may have more inequalities in opportunities, although this has been improving over time. Beyond being seen as not normal, I believe there is injustice among special needs students because they are human beings with the ability to exhibit characteristics that may be beneficial in life aspects in unexpected manifestations, such as high observance to detail or an increased expertise in a topic, as a method to help others understand the holistic composition of that topic. That is why I hope to wane these perceptions through a career in psychology to support these individuals undergoing difficult circumstances because I have gone through some things they have gone through. In addition, some strategies I hope to implement, including with other professionals, if possible, would be establishing environments with a small amount of people can assist in making these individuals with bright minds shine to ease on their journey for development skills improvement. I hope to increase awareness on the value of neurodiversity through the list of examples I provided. Overall, learning about individuals with special needs takes time, but they are unique by being intelligent or creative, just to mention some qualities. I hope to continue the mission to bring understanding to individuals with special needs that they have the capabilities to make positive changes as neurotypical individuals have through careers in both psychology and dental hygiene. In other words, increasing the open-mindedness among individuals, either neurodivergent or neurotypical, that they can achieve great things in life.

To begin, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a student attending Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. Currently, I am in my sophomore year of college. I have a passion to study dental hygiene and mental health. I identify as a member of the Hispanic community. It is not only in the name but also in cultural background and physical appearance. Being Hispanic will have an impact on my educational, personal, and professional life by diversifying professional sectors and helping community members, especially Hispanics. Although I have witnessed myself that there are more Hispanics entering the dental field, I have had a motivation to contribute to the field by making progress in the goal to make oral healthcare accessible to more people, especially those living in underrepresented communities. For mental health, specifically psychology, my sources of motivation have been guest speakers who came to my high school advocating for fentanyl and suicide awareness and the need for more psychologists from minority backgrounds, especially Hispanics, to help individuals who may struggle speaking English. The mental health issues prevalent at the time I attended high school were matters of thought because I was aware these victims could find a support network helpful, and I thought I could one day be part of the many mental health professionals who aspire for communities to achieve better mental health and suggest positive coping mechanisms when in a challenging circumstance. Although I plan to pursue both dental hygiene and psychology, I believe I can inspire others to look beyond the limits and diffuse oral and mental health care knowledge and services throughout communities. Another activity I believe can have an impact during the life path is writing books because I believe it can reflect the similarities between different cultural backgrounds, including aspects of various Hispanic cultures. Since I was in elementary school, I began having the motivation to write books. Although the original one I intended to be published in the future is no longer at work due to other knowledge I have acquired through further years of education and uninspiring to connect with readers, I have not given up writing books because I still have the opportunity to apply the knowledge I have learned about diversity and introduce characters that are not all from the same ethnicity, although all are currently unpublished. I believe these books could inspire future generations to value acceptance and believe they can become positive agents of change, regardless of cultural background. Something I understand since I attended grade school is that there are youth from minority groups, especially Hispanics, who drop school or do not graduate, even though they wish to have the opportunity to extend their education. As I got older, I wondered about why there are barriers for individuals from minority backgrounds and born in another country because they have experienced struggles firsthand and hope to extend their empathy and compassion for communities through pursuing post-secondary education to become a professional in any career sector. To conclude, being Hispanic means more than speaking Spanish or having parents who came to the United States of America for better employment and lifestyle opportunities. It means being able to unite with the different backgrounds, including those belonging to the BIPOC races, through the use of critical-thinking skills to make positive impacts in society by analyzing the problem, using first-hand knowledge of an event, if any, and working together with others to enhance community health. I hope I can achieve these goals through a professional career and other activities I may do throughout my life, such as philanthropy work.

Increased suicide rates, increased fentanyl-related deaths, increased depression cases, and other increased mental health issues, especially among the youth population, were some of the notable mental health trends I heard about during high school. In 12th grade, I developed a passion of pursuing a career in the mental health field, despite being interested in dentistry for many years. Although I maintain a passion for studying dentistry, I also want to study mental health to contribute to providing innovative solutions to reverse the trends affecting contemporary society. I received most of my inspiration to pursue a career in mental health through guest speakers who advocated for increased mental health awareness. The people came to school, presented a pressing, trending mental health issue, and advised on how to reduce or prevent these adversities. Since that moment, I believed I could do something similar for the community, eventually taking two career pathways when attending community college. Later, I began to wonder, question, and learn about the roots of these disorders. Some questions I have asked myself were: Why is there so much sexual assault among individuals, especially females? Why are there so many cases of depression? Why are there so many suicide cases? Why is there so much fentanyl or illegal drug usage? Why are there so many shootings, especially at schools? I realized most of the roots originate from the victim's lack of a support network, genetics, environment, or education on the consequences of these disorders. When mentioning school shootings, not all of them stem from the perpetrator's mental state. Sometimes, it could be from other factors, such as held stereotypes on specific cultural backgrounds, or breaking a record for the most people shot by one person. Overall, on all the other aforementioned disorders, it could be from a lack of an open space to share their adverse circumstance and how to find better coping mechanisms to overcome their challenge. As an aspiring mental health professional, specifically in psychology, I want to support individuals going through negative thoughts or unstable mental health conditions to adopt a good perspective on their potential to make positive societal contributions and life's features, and share the empathy/happiness they have not been able to find/receive. I understand some individuals need access to mental health resources and are not within their reach because of the lack of these networks in some communities, especially services in native languages. I hope to change that by increasing the presence of mental health resources within communities during my professional life. Currently, I attend community college and am on both the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. After I graduate with an Associate's Degree, I hope to transfer to a university to explore the intricate aspects of psychology, eventually obtaining a PhD in psychology to utilize the necessary elements to support communities struggling with mental health disorders and empower future generations, especially those from minority groups, to do the same. Another goal I have is to spread mental health facilities and awareness to communities that need them, because there are many places without suitable mental health facilities. Overall, although I continue to have a passion for dentistry, specifically dental hygiene, and psychology because of the many lives I can advise on mental health wellness among communities. By increasing the presence of mental health services and awareness among communities, especially the communities that have not seen access to mental health care, there would be improved mental health, simultaneously with stories to tell about going through mental health disorders to spread awareness among future generations, especially the successors of the mental health sector.

Not talking. Avoiding social circles and interactions while at school. Experiencing the challenges with verbal communication with individuals who are not part of the biological family. Someone who does not talk much has been one of the traits that could define me because it is something I have not tended to do during early life. I have felt more comfortable speaking to my parents because I am with them more than individuals who are not part of the biological family. Although I have not been diagnosed with selective mutism, the traits associated with the disorder defined me throughout most of early life by speaking at certain times. Maybe I have not been formally diagnosed with selective mutism, but traits associated may have been evident in the perspective of some people. Throughout my time in grade school, I usually went through the school day without speaking to anyone. Although I had more difficulty to verbally communicate with people around preschool, I gained more confidence in speaking to my parents during elementary, middle, and high school. I recall I had some speech impediments in early life, especially when speaking English. I recall I had to take speech therapy in my earlier years of elementary school while the other students from class were in the classroom. From class, I was the only one pulled out to go to the speech therapy room. This was one of the main reasons I felt I could not speak while at school because I spoke Spanish with my parents, which Spanish continues to be the language I feel more confident speaking than English to this day. Many students who have known me throughout the schools I have attended may have understood my tendency to not have lots of classmates as friends, avoid social circles, or avoiding to speak in class discussions, although some may have recognized my potential in understanding academic concepts. As I got older, I started to communicate more at school, especially with teachers, although I continue the struggle at times. Pursuing higher education is vital to me because I could help society by raising awareness of an issue. As a student interested in pursuing dental hygiene and psychology to assist communities in increasing oral and mental health awareness in the respective professional careers, I believe I could interconnect both fields through academic learning and see how various factors can influence someone to be the way they are. In addition, I believe I can strengthen empathy toward individuals, especially the ones with selective mutism, by being a source of support as they persevere to overcome the disorder because I have gone through similar situations as they have. Overall, selective mutism is not completely a condition that should make someone feel inferior to other people. It is one of those conditions that can make someone unique by speaking when felt the need to speak. I hope I can through a career in psychology and use my experiences to make the neurodivergent feel equal to neurotypical individuals.

Education is a valuable artifact an individual can obtain during their lifetime because of the many daily life activities that require some form of it. Some examples would be knowing numbers and decimals to know the price of a product in a store, cell structure to understand its role in bodily functions, or words to understand what something is called. Sadly, many individuals face challenges when furthering education due to financial constraints, but the financial constraints should not limit their potential to see a better community through a career they desire to pursue and diversify that professional career. Education has shaped my goals by adopting new perspectives on professional careers and recognizing as a significant milestone into reducing a problem in a community, despite setbacks throughout the way. Education has provided me a sense of direction by interconnecting class concepts with everyday life, such as math when understanding gallons to refill the water tank of the patient's chair in a dental clinic or the chemistry involved in nervous system functions. From early life, I have seen the value of books by portraying desired or similar real-life events. As I got older, I have seen how parts of the plots from these books can manifest in daily life, such as struggles with belonging at school or family situations. As a student who aspires to become a dental hygienist and psychologist, I believe education is a major step in understanding aspects of the job because of the elements being helpful in engaging minds in creative thinking or strengthening critical-thinking skills. The reason I hope to study dental hygiene is the motivation to improve oral health in communities. The reason I hope to study psychology is to assist in reversing negative mental health trends plaguing modern society, especially the future generations who would one day take over various professions. A challenge I have overcome has been attending a post-secondary education. While I attended high school, I had a vision of attending university after high school graduation because I had the idea of furthering education. The problem was I found out about the financial situation among my parents after high school graduation, where I began to develop thoughts about having to stay out of a post-secondary education institution for a period of time. I thought I was not going to be able to further education studies as I desired. Fortunately, I began researching other post-secondary education institutions within the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, including community colleges, and I found out one of them had the dental hygiene program. That college is Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, which I continue to attend. At first, I felt challenging adapting to the college environment because I did not know the majority of the students, but as several weeks passed by, I got to know them better in the way they have goals to shape the future of society through the desired professions they want to pursue. Despite being able to overcome the challenge of attending a post-secondary institution, I later developed a confident feeling of transferring to a university in the future to study psychology. I found out community college was another alternative path to continue studies, something which I did not think of in the past due to negative things I heard about these types of post-secondary education institutions. Another challenge I have demonstrated effort in overcoming, but not fully, is verbal communication. Since early life, I have struggled at times communicating verbally with individuals, especially in English, since my parents speak Spanish to me at home. Something I would say is I am more confident speaking Spanish than English. As I began talking to some students and professors, especially during my time at college, I have felt an improvement in verbal communication in English by being understanding on what other people say and clarifying something I meant to say, fostering effective communication, which would be effective when I enter the workforce in the future. I hope to use education to create a better future for myself by not merely being the first among my parents to graduate university, but to be an example of someone committed to improving community conditions through working in dental hygiene and psychology, respectively. Simultaneously, I hope to maintain a moral compass to make fair decisions in professional life. I hope to use education to create a better future for others by being a source of inspiration for others who need to understand the value of education and how they can contribute to societal well-being through working in a professional sector, especially for the ones considered to be part of minority backgrounds. To conclude, education is one of those valuable opportunities individuals should have in life because it opens the door to a vast array of knowledge and encourages critical-thinking skills when trying to solve a persistent societal problem through their career, whether it falls into the fields of healthcare, environmental science, law, business/finance, or STEM. I hope to use aspects of education throughout my professional career to enable individuals to understand the impact an issue has on communities. In my case, it would be the impact of oral and mental health issues. In addition, I hope to use education to inspire other individuals to do the same by valuing education and studying for a profession they want to work in the future to assist in the advancement of human civilization.

I have known about Christianity since early life, but have engaged in deep thought until recently. I do believe faith in God is paramount to anything someone will do because He is the way. I believe faith can assist me with my desired career paths by making fair decisions that would benefit others and myself. Throughout life, I have felt God has helped me navigate various situations I have come across with. Some examples have been completing grade school and landing on a post-secondary education institution to continue academic studies. I am interested in pursuing dental hygiene and mental health. A reason I hope to pursue dental hygiene is the motivation to assist individuals who are facing challenges with oral health and improve these conditions. A reason I hope to pursue psychology is the need to address prevalent mental health issues to the community and support the individuals who face difficulties overcoming their condition. Completing education is challenging for many students, but with faith in God and effort as an individual, I believe I can contribute to societal well-being through working in these professions, even if there are unexpected events throughout the journey. One thing should be certain, which is performing tasks in a fair manner. In reality, God can remove these adverse oral and mental health conditions from people. In high school, I led a Bible Study organization at my high school. While leading, I tried making ethical decisions based on the opinions from members on doing something, such as fundraising ideas. Simultaneously, I had the opportunity to spread God's word by reading a Biblical passage, asking questions, answering questions from other club members, and listening to the perspectives of a reading from members. From this experience, I had faith in God I could lead a club and share Christian knowledge with other members who wanted to learn aspects deeply. As I was in my final years of high school, I began to discover Christianity from a new perspective. I began to read the Bible more, attend mass on other occasions besides Sundays, and watching Christian-related television programs. In addition, I began to find connection to my faith with other religions, such as Islam, through the belief of one God and purpose in life to serve others. I believe some of the learning can be helpful throughout my professional journey by keeping in mind the things I do with others with respect to dental hygiene and psychology by supporting individuals through their challenges. To conclude, God is omniscient, omnipresent, and ubiquitous, even if we may not be deeply thinking about God's love for humanity at the moment. There are some things I will recall, and some things people could live by. One is a passage from Philippians 4:13, which states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Another is a part of Saint Francis of Assisi's prayer, "Make me an instrument of your peace." I hope to spread God's word to individuals who need to know His love for all, no matter physical appearance.

Sometimes, individuals have goals to achieve better health, but the strategies need to be evaluated to determine their effectiveness on the individual. I agree health improvements are mostly seen if they are done in small steps. I see myself using education and passion to continue Dr. Steve Aldana's mission, which consisted of spreading health awareness within communities while embodying virtues, by breaking down knowledge and creating the big picture over time. Currently, I pursue dental hygiene and mental health, specifically psychology. For dental hygiene, I hope to take small steps in raising awareness on the importance of maintaining good oral health, including before and during the time being in the profession. For psychology, I believe I could collaborate with workplaces to establish a healthy environment for employment sites, such as wellness studios or exercise rooms to relieve burnout feelings from tasks. Also, I could contribute in explaining the benefits of biking for individual and public health, such as reduction in greenhouse gases in urban areas since bicycles do not have the amount of emissions found in vehicles, especially in vehicles with internal combustion engines. Although envisioning work commutes through biking would be difficult to see in complete action, the small steps in practicing a good form of exercise could also demonstrate improvements in mental health among employees, such as better concentration. In both careers, I hope to demonstrate empathy in the work to improve oral and mental health, although patience and perseverance are keys to succeed in the mission to revolutionize these fields within society, especially the individuals who need these services the most. Although I continue to attend college, I believe I could use the concepts I have learned in my classes over time by connecting the concepts, visualizing the big picture, and breaking the big picture into smaller pieces to make it complete over time through taking small steps to healthy lifestyles. For example, when learning about nutrition in my classes, I have come to know healthy eating and exercising, such as the idea of integrating healthy foods or doing a few of a type of exercise, say starting with 10 squats a day, can influence healthy habits over time by increasing the number of that habit. Overall, Dr. Steve Aldana left a mark that should continue as human civilization advances. With new discoveries on human health, I hope to provide advice on healthy habits for individuals to incorporate in their everyday lives through psychology. I hope to make positive impacts on communities by opening the door to healthy lifestyles, no matter the scale. To add, I envision the knowledge to diffuse to underrepresented communities to break the opportunity barrier to healthy living.

To begin, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a student attending Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. As a first-generation student, I have realized the importance of compassion not only limited to family members, but also individuals within the college. I will use my unique talents and skills to build a more empathetic and understanding global community by being able to listen to others' needs. Within college, I hope to learn how the courses connect to everyday society. Although learning aspects of psychology and sociology have been fundamental in understanding the diverse society we live in, I believe I can continue studying these subjects deeply to be able to better understand society. I believe the material could be tools to assist individuals who need to know they are worthy or may be seen as deviant by some society members. Specifically, I am discussing what I envision if I work in psychology one day. Apart from psychology, I believe I can use skills to build a more empathetic and understanding world through dental hygiene by using some dental knowledge when explaining patients about oral conditions and the possible treatments available. I believe these talks can help me connect with patients as if I were in a similar situation and envision the positive outcomes when proper oral care resources are available since availability of oral hygiene care items and education may be scarce in some communities. When I was in high school, I began volunteering, and I have continued doing that in college. Volunteering is one of the other skills I could use to build a more empathetic and understanding global community by providing resources the people need to survive. For instance, when I have volunteered in food banks during college, I recognized the value of giving food to the people who came through bagging vegetables and other nutritious foods individuals need to improve health and other everyday life functions, such as concentration. I understood there are individuals who need something on their plate for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack time, and demonstrating willingness to assist has been part in making a positive contribution to community improvement, especially for the underrepresented populations. By starting the effort from high school, I will continue to take volunteerism step by step by ultimately serving more communities in the future. There would be positive impacts by the risk of diseases or hunger cases decreasing over time due to the increased availability of resources to achieve good health. Some things I have attempted to do have been literary works and illustrations. I believe doing these things can contribute to establishing a more empathetic and understanding global community by sharing the meanings behind them and how the concepts connect to the purpose college students or outsiders have in this world. Overall, although empathy is vital to incorporate in the dental and mental health fields, the virtue is also vital throughout personal life. Through the determination to continuing volunteerism, I would grow mentally in understanding individuals come from various circumstances and their needs need to be met in various ways. Most importantly, raising awareness and connecting personal experiences to issues would enable healthier communities by the consensus we are human beings created equally, equal recipients of opportunities and resources. Thank you for taking the time to read the essay.

An individual feeling stressed or inferior. An individual willing to help. What can this result? This can result in an interaction where there can be strong mental support. I believe this is an effective way to assist individuals who may not have someone to speak to because of the space to explain the thoughts revolving around the mind. One way I have been helping others with their mental health is by being understandable of someone else's situation. Sometimes, I have attempted to support individuals by saying phrases that may seem positive. Approximately two weeks ago, I was interacting with a student in college, who I had been in an Anatomy and Physiology II lecture class with and some Anatomy and Physiology II lab classes where she came when she could not come on the assigned day. We were talking about reviewing class material, and she talked about another class she had to review for, indicating some level of stress, but I pictured myself in her situation and stating my understanding of her situation. Maybe the "I understand" may not seem to be a fully effective phrase in all situations, but with specificity, I could comprehend the situation and lessen her stressful feelings. A few days ago, I communicated with another student, someone I know but also have not had a class with. Sadly, she believed she may have shown negative feelings toward me because she was talking with some her classmates and did not get the opportunity to interact with me because of what happened. Instead, I tried supporting her by not making her feel defined by the traits she thought I perceived and answered questions she wanted to ask me. In addition, I recognized the importance of boundaries and accepting the time interacting with her classmates. One of the careers I plan to pursue is psychology because I would like to help individuals facing mental health challenges by listening to their situation and offering coping strategies. The goals are some of the ways I could emotionally support others by adopting an open mindset and being relaxed with questions. Overall, supporting others in their mental health circumstances has increased my motivation to pursue a career in psychology because of the thought many people need to be understood. I hope to use virtues and psychological knowledge to assist individuals who need support during their mental health circumstances, whether negative or positive.

To begin, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. Currently, I finished the Fall Semester of the sophomore year attending the college and would begin the Spring Semester in less than one month. I aspire to become a dental hygienist and a psychologist. For me, being a first-generation student consists of having the heart, courage, and open-mindedness to serve communities through learning, volunteerism, and a passion for the profession. Coming from parents who have worked for most of their lives and did not have the opportunity to continue educational studies, Mainly, my struggles have been finding a post-secondary education institution and feeling comfortable in the college environment. Before graduating high school, I applied to a university, but later realized the financial constraints within the family, impeding me from attending there. I thought I was not going to attend a post-secondary education institution due to the situation, despite having the thought of continuing education. After graduating high school, the mission was to find a different post-secondary education institution, preferably one that had a dental hygiene program. After days of researching, I found out Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus had the program and decided to apply there, where I was accepted. When I began attending Tarrant County College, I did not know the students, and I had difficulty knowing them. I felt I was at an unfamiliar environment since I am not from that area of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. As I began to interact with some students, I have felt more comfortable because of the adopted perception students have similarities in future societal contributions, even though they are different from me. The motivation to attend a post-secondary education institution and feel a sense of belonging has been a factor in overcoming the obstacles of a fixed mindset in not being able to continue education. The Bick First Generation Scholarship can help me move closer to goals by continuing the determination to learn and serve the community aside from receiving an education my parents did not have the opportunity to receive. I have realized helping the community, such as volunteering, creates small steps for a healthy society. The motivation to pursue psychology is to help individuals struggling in their mental distress and reduce life-threatening behaviors in these people. In addition, I have realized there are not many individuals from minority groups, especially Hispanics, working in psychology, which contributes to language barriers for individuals who may need to access and understand mental health services in the language they know. For dental hygiene, it is because I have the motivation to improve oral health among communities, especially the underrepresented. Overall, being a first-generation student is more than fulfilling an opportunity parents could not obtain. It is the determination to be a positive contributor to the modern society to shape the future of the society. I hope I can fulfill the goals mentioned to be one of the many future change-makers.

Lieba's story captivates many people in society, even myself. The power of advocacy to stand up for the underrepresented and the recognition of the human being's purpose in the world. The acceptance of diversity. I believe these are characteristics beneficial for psychology, one of the careers I hope to pursue, to enable this awareness to enhance community understanding of differences among other community members, especially children. My career goals would foster the social-emotional well being and meet the intellectual needs of gifted children by being open-minded to their experiences and having a mindset as if seeing myself in their situation. Gifted children are also equal to other neurotypical humans because the common traits are the individual equal worth. From what I have gone through, I would say I can relate to these children by being observant on surroundings, feeling better alone by using creativity to create some form of work, or engage in activities that could help me increase knowledge on something, such as writing or drawing. I have experienced the perception of being deviant compared to peers in the way of having more preference for these activities instead of merely socializing, but I feel I could have more opportunities to try something new. I believe this is something most societal members should ponder about when seeing neurodivergent children because the traits from these children can be the tools to societal innovation in the future, such as technological or medical improvements for society. Although not all gifted children are alike in the way they may learn or utilize their creativity, I would like to explore the different approaches to make children feel comfortable when performing an everyday activity and advise them in finding the strengths in their uniqueness instead of feeling inferior to other societal members due to their intellect. In the future, I hope to raise and create stable environments for children to learn and play, especially within educational settings, to increase confidence levels in being in a healthy community. The open-mindedness and personal experiences, as detailed above, would help me better understand ways I could assist in making gifted children feel valued by their peers or other community members through a career in psychology. Overall, Lieba's determination to stand up for individuals is so . In this tumultuous society, it is vital to raise awareness on individuals being created equal because they have thoughts and feelings. I hope to embody Lieba's values as I embark on the journey to work in psychology one day to assist individuals who need to be understood. Thank you for your consideration.

A lifelong element an individual should maintain to see the light through adversity and place trust in God in other life aspects. What can that be? It is faith. Faith is a force helping an individual recognize not everything is done individually. Performing activities and making good decisions are possible through God. From an early age, I did not have a clear understanding of faith being paramount to many everyday actions and activities until recently. I realized various everyday activities and actions connect to religion, and these experiences allow individuals to grow spiritually. The Jim Maxwell Memorial Scholarship is a meaningful opportunity because I can express the role of faith in everyday life, a topic difficult to explain in other scholarships that may ask different prompts not fully involving spirituality. In addition, many individuals, including myself, have Jim Maxwell's goal of inspiring others to realize their life potential while at the same time discovering the important role spirituality plays in everyday lives. Although I have endured adverse and favorable situations, I have recognized God performing good works. I have recognized some situations where I should thank God. At a significant moment, I felt hopeless for a good opportunity. The opportunity was the pursuit of postsecondary education. I applied to a local university during my senior year of high school. However, after high school graduation, my parents said there was insufficient money for attendance. Although I received scholarships to go there, they could not fully cover expenses. The situation meant I may have to stay out of a postsecondary education institution for a while. Fortunately, I felt God illuminated my mind to not give up on education and had faith I would attend a postsecondary education during the fall semester. Before most universities and colleges began classes, I applied to a community college. Although the community college is far from home, I could break some barriers in pursuing further education, although not completely, because I still hope to attend a university to further studies. Since God's plan is perfect, and things will come at a certain time, I realized the power of faith in everyday situations, such as this one. I plan to use my faith to reach greater heights by continuing to have faith in the Lord because I know all things are possible through Christ. I understand some individuals have influenced others to walk on the wrong path, believing there will be favorable outcomes if someone walks that path, especially the youth, leading to dangerous and life-threatening decisions. I hope to use my knowledge and experiences to connect adverse situations individuals face and realize there is hope in various life aspects. I hope to spread God's word to others needing to learn about God because it is a crucial duty for an individual to fulfill. As Matthew 28:19 states, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..." I hope to inspire others in finding the right path and be transmitters of God's love and word. Overall, God is the one who helps us throughout our lifetime. We all live to fulfill a mission in life, and God helps us every step of the way to achieve milestones. With God all, with God nothing would be something many people should live with because we cannot do everything ourselves. By placing our trust in the Lord, we can do things to benefit society and personal spiritual growth. As a part of Saint Francis of Assisi's prayer states, "Make me an instrument of your peace."

Some instances I have demonstrated caring and compassion is when interacting with some students at college because I have been able to understand differing perspectives from the ways I see the world. For instance, some of them have told me some details about their post-secondary education plans, careers they desire to pursue, or college organization aspects. In addition, I usually get the opportunity to give advice, such as some examples of study methods to remember something from a class, the value of volunteering, supporting and elaborating on their decision to pursue a specific professional career, or applying for scholarships because I understand many students have the motivation to study for a professional career, but may not have enough funds to continue post-secondary education. Most of the advice comes from my experiences, such as when I had a challenge in landing on a post-secondary education institution after high school graduation due to financial constraints, and I believe spreading my experiences can help other students become more successful in their post-secondary education journey. Learning from other student's perspectives has enabled me to accept the people they are and comprehend they may have gone through similar things as I have. In other words, I develop the mentality of being in the student's situation on something. Something bringing me joy is reading books, including the Bible, because I can learn about many historical events and becoming a better person than I am by reading the importance of exercising a virtue, such as patience. Another activity bringing me joy is writing, usually when writing for creative purposes, because I could relieve my mind from stress. Although I usually do not have time for this due to college classwork and other college responsibilities, I feel it is an opportunity to write something, either create a story about faith transmission or academic life, to unleash creative skills. In the future, I hope to transfer to a university to study psychology, possibly obtaining a PhD to work in the field. Currently, I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I have over a year attending the campus. My motivation to study psychology is because I desire to help individuals going through difficult situations, especially if they are suffering from mental distress. I hope to help individuals from many areas, especially low-income areas, to enable those communities to experience a form of mental health care. In addition, I hope to become a dental hygienist to teach individuals about effective oral care practices, be able to comprehend their oral health situation through effective listening and communication skills, and work with other dental professionals to provide the most effective treatment. Some aspects of dental hygiene goals are similar to psychology goals in the way to assist individuals in many areas. Receiving the scholarship would help me live out the values of Ed and Aline Patane by strengthening caring, compassion, generosity, and kindness toward other people in academic, personal, and professional life. To add, the sharing of faith with others who wish to know it to diminish feelings of hopelessness and increase joy in these people. Letter to the children and family of Ed and Aline Patane: Dear children and family of Ed and Aline Patane, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade. Currently, I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas with hopes of working in the dental hygiene and psychology fields respectively. I have read the story of your parents, and I believe they were the inspiration for future generations, including you, to be positive agents in social change through having faith in God and embodying virtuous qualities in everyday life. I believe exercising compassion, generosity, kindness, and faith is something that needs to be seen more today, although there are many individuals around my age range who are putting effort in being exemplary community leaders as your parents were. I hope you can be influential figures through spreading faith and generosity to various communities. God bless all of you. Sincerely, Edwin Martinez

My name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. An experience that has shaped me as a person and made me passionate about human health and wellness was an internship at a dental clinic, although I have maintained the passion before entering high school. Before high school, I believed I could take care of the community through oral health improvement. In high school, I took dental-related courses to enhance my understanding of the profession, where I practiced handling a syringe or learning tooth names and numbers. At the internship, I noticed the importance of aiding individuals, including the ones who may face language barriers, to let them understand dental procedures and treatment plans to continue their efforts in effective oral hygiene, further increasing my passion of pursuing the profession. For me, empathy means the ability to connect with other people's experiences because it is good to learn about similarities and differences among diverse perspectives. It is crucial to possess this quality because of patients going through difficult situations, specifically the condition or disease they experience. In the case for dental hygiene, empathy will enable me to make their visit to the dental clinic soothing because they would feel less anxious when explaining a specific dental procedure or treatment and the positive effect on their oral health. In addition, taking the time to listen to their experience with a certain oral condition or disease would make them feel understood because of them knowing they would receive quality treatment from dental professionals. Having empathy equipped in the professional identity would allow the establishment of long-term relationships among patients and other dental professionals due to the strong foundation of trustworthiness and responsibility of providing adequate care for patients and being able to effectively communicate with other dental professionals in any task needed to be completed within the dental clinic. In the case of psychology, possessing the knowledge and showing an empathetic personality would help me effectively connect to the person facing mental distress by the different experiences influencing treatment options. To add, I would be able to create an environment with trust and dignity by the person feeling worthy through counseling and listening to their perspective with a certain mental health condition or disease, further reducing negative assumptions about someone with a mental health condition or disease. The methods illustrated for both dental hygiene and psychology in ensuring empathy demonstration through a human-centered lens would be points in recognizing the exercising the quality through the enhancement of a comfortable environment for dental clients, mental health clients, dental employees, and mental health professionals. In both professions and any other profession, empathy can allow the strengthening of relationships between employees and clients.

Maybe mental health was not on the career path in early life due to my interest in dentistry. Although I continue to have an interest in dentistry, I also hope to contribute to mental well-being by pursuing a career in psychology to listen to individuals who have gone through adverse experiences and offer advice. My lived experiences have shaped my decision to pursue a career in mental health by looking up to other people for inspiration. In 12th grade, some guest speakers came to school advocating for fentanyl and suicide awareness, prevalent issues at the time. From that moment, I believed I could attend a university in the future to study psychology to become an advocate for these issues to deter individuals from these destructive behaviours. Although I have not faced significant mental health challenges, I think individuals have experienced difficulties performing daily activities or disrespected due to their condition. I believe I can maintain the advocates as role models for performing community work through giving context and methods to avoid these life-threatening situations. If I could make one significant change to today's mental healthcare system to create greater access, equity, and inclusion, it would be to offer mental health services in languages individuals could understand because there are people who do not understand English and would be able to understand mental health if there were services in their language. For example, in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, the area I live in, there are people who know Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Nepali, and other languages I may not know are prevalent in the area. I believe if there were services in these languages, the barriers to access mental health services would diminish because individuals will feel a sense of connection with the professional by the professional being an open-minded individual who is motivated to learn about different cultures and perspectives to provide a comprehensive approach to care. The growing diversity will be more respective through an equitable approach to support individuals going through adverse circumstances and adopt healthy methods to overcome the challenges. What I see as the greatest benefit of teletherapy is that the mental health services could reach to people who are struggling from achieving a calm mental state, especially for individuals who may live in suburban or urban areas, but cannot reach a mental health facility. The benefit may most likely increase during cold weather when individuals may have difficulties from leaving home to visit these centers due to the convenience of receiving the service and using the recommended coping strategies with resources they have at home, although it will be beneficial throughout other times of the year. One challenge of teletherapy is reaching areas where there is a lack of technological access, such as in low-income or remote areas, but teletherapy can still be possible by improving technological infrastructure and services in the language of the people in these areas individuals need mental health services to live healthy lives. Although teletherapy presents both drawbacks and advantages, with the correct infrastructure, this source of therapy can reach many people by receiving personalized or group advice on improving mental well-being. To conclude, although mental health was not a field I thought of studying, I believe it is a profession worth pursuing to achieve mental health stability in many societies. Many people need these services, but lack access to them due to a weak network of mental health services in some communities. I hope to contribute to the diversity of the field and be understanding to people to provide the services that best suit them.

Math connects individuals in everyday life. Whether it is adding the price of purchased items at a grocery store, calculating car payments, calculating the distance from one city to another and back, calculating the square feet of a piece of land, gathering information on a person's weight and height in pounds, making vehicles more aerodynamic, building bridges, roads, and highways, or gathering data on the prevalence of all diseases, math communicates to all people by being aware of making correct choices on what is best to do. From the time I was a toddler to today, I have exposed myself to math in many different ways. From cartoon shows for entertainment and educational purposes to everyday life activities. Now that I am in college, I am comprehending why all types of math, from simple to complex, are essential in many elements existing in the world. I love math because I like doing calculations with my head and can do so much, from the simplest to the most challenging things in life. In grade school, I did not only use math to complete homework or classwork from my math classes. I also used it, and continue to do so today, by comparing product prices from one store to another, dividing gasoline price by car gallons to determine fuel price per gallon, calculating the time it took me to do something, and many other daily activities. Now that I am in college, aspiring for a career in dental hygiene and possibly mental health, I am figuring out why these careers do not use simple math but also complex branches, such as algebra and statistics. Over time, I realized that if math did not exist, it would be difficult for people to function daily. As a first-year college student, I learned that many careers require math, such as finance, psychology, engineering, and other fields. That is why colleges require students to take math courses to understand how they use algebra, calculus, geometry, or trigonometry in their daily careers and personal lives. Even though I aspire to either a dental hygiene and/or a mental health career, I will utilize mathematics in some way, such as in classes or when I enter the workforce. Math is not only a school subject or a college prerequisite for any career. It is around us, and we should know when to use it properly at the right time.

Children deserve to experience the world through learning and playing, not abuse. Although I did not experience an event most people would associate with a traumatic experience, I have learned many individuals have faced traumatic experiences, meaning they had a challenging childhood. During my senior year of high school, I developed an interest of pursuing psychology, to assist individuals who have had life-threatening experiences. I live in Irving, Texas, meaning I am in a state that has the death penalty for various types of offenses, such as abuse. I have made research on cases and sadly, the state is the leader in death penalties. In addition, I have realized many individuals have been victims of many forms of abuse, such as sexual or physical abuse, usually from direct family members. Most of the time, their adverse experiences have led them to do the same actions to other people, such as children, young adults, or females, as they got older, ending up at what is known as Death Row. However, I believe the individuals need to be understood, as other victims of abuse who have not been incarcerated need, because they are individuals who have the potential to form good relationships with others over time, meaning the negative parts of their identity do not truly define them. Receiving severe punishment for an action hinders equality since they are also human beings. In addition, the victims struggling to move in life can have a bright future. In high school, I developed an interest in mental health through guest speakers who came to school to talk about fentanyl and suicide, which were prevalent issues during the time I was in high school. Since I was little, I had the passion to work in dentistry, which I continue to have to this day, because of the motivation to help individuals with achieving good oral health, but then saw the mental health field as another way to contribute to a healthy society. Reflecting back to the guest speakers sharing information about habits detrimental to mental health, I have made the connection to childhood trauma because there can be a possible link of these behaviors, such as fentanyl overdose or suicidal thoughts at a young age, usually from the lack of a support network. The negative mental health trends prompted me to study this field while at college to one day assist individuals going through these problems. As I think, the misunderstood by some people in society need to be understood in order to value the purpose of living and potential at excelling skills outside of the mental health despair universe. Although I am planning to study both dentistry, specifically dental hygiene, and mental health, specifically psychology, I hope to have the necessary tools to connect individuals who have experienced trauma and how to see their self-worth in life to positively contribute to society one day. Overall, although I do not have personal stories to tell a traumatic experience I have personally gone through, I hope I can be a source of help within my career by making people feel understood when treating them from mental health disorders. I hope to build trust and compassion for these people, especially children, to counsel on healthy habits to adopt in their daily lives. In addition, I could positively contribute to the development of healthy family relationships, whether future or existing, by taking the time to listen to various perspectives regarding traumatic experiences. I envision more individuals overcoming the trauma and using their stories as sources of inspiration for better advocacy, such as ending domestic violence, within communities.

My name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. My first language is Spanish. Like many Hispanic students throughout the United States of America, they learn Spanish first before learning English because most of their parents come from Latin American countries, and the language they speak is Spanish. When Hispanic students begin school or at home with cartoons, books, or other English media, they learn English as a second language. My parents are immigrants, and I learned Spanish through them. Although I exposed myself to English books before beginning my education, I began to learn English in preschool. Although I did not fully understand English in preschool, I gained a better understanding of the language in kindergarten. As I continued my elementary, middle, and high school education, I learned more English words, which became beneficial in course essays or projects. Outside of school, being bilingual has helped me interpret information between languages. I have mainly interpreted an oral statement or letter from English to Spanish for my parents. I recall one instance where I did not help my parents with interpretation but a customer who only spoke Spanish at a store with a bleach product. The store did not have Spanish-speaking cashiers or other employees. I was with my grandma, and she told me to help. I heard the English words the employee told the customer, and I interpreted them in Spanish for the customer. After the day, I thought about the importance of knowing other languages to aid individuals in understanding goods and services. Having language representatives influences inclusion within society. In addition to learning English and Spanish, I also know French and Latin. Although I am not fluent in the languages, I have been intrigued to understand them. Since I was little, I noticed products having descriptions in another language and wondered about the language name. Later, I discovered the words were in French. I learned that "jaune" is yellow and "mains" is hands in French. I learned a few Latin words through the Roman Catholic Church during my early teenage years, such as "Ave Maria," meaning hail Mary. I hope to learn more French and Latin words. I hope to learn other languages, such as Vietnamese, Persian, or Hindi, minority languages mainly spoken and with multiple barriers in North Texas territory. Although Spanish is more inclusive than the other languages, I hope Vietnamese, Persian, and Hindi have representation, especially in upscale communities. Learning Spanish through my parents aided me in communicating with them and also in understanding their culture. I realized where my family came from and appreciated their culture and efforts in entering the United States of America. Learning multiple languages takes time, but with motivation, an individual can have the tools to help others understand the goods and services they receive. In addition, an individual can enrich their understanding of the culture behind the languages. I feel glad to be bilingual/multilingual and interpret information for others. Interpreting is more than translating for someone to understand what someone else is saying. It also comprises building community, showing compassion for others, and diffusing languages within a public setting. Although there are language barriers today, one can challenge oneself to understand the language and the individuals speaking the language to increase inclusivity within communities.

In early life, I envisioned myself attending university after graduating high school because I heard about high school students began the post-secondary education chapter at a university. I had a limited understanding of community college at the time. Sadly, I held negative notions about community college due to what I heard say, such as community college being for students who did not perform well academically. Now, I hold the notions untrue because of my experience attending community college. One significant life experience that influenced my decision to pursue education at community college was when I could not find a post-secondary education institution after graduating high school due to cost concerns. In my senior year of high school, I held the belief I would secure a spot at a university to continue my post-secondary education studies. I had applied to a university and attended orientation. After graduating high school, I realized my parent's financial difficulties, something I did not fully consider in the past, to afford the university, prompting me to alter my post-secondary education pathway. From the moment I realized the financial circumstances, I thought my post-secondary education opportunities were gone due to costs. Although I felt discouraged at the moment, my mom suggested to research other post-secondary education institutions to not be left out of education for at least a year. I followed the suggestion, and I researched a community college, which is Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, that had the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. By the way, dentistry has been the career field I have been the most interested since I was little because of my motivation to create positive community impacts through providing good oral care. I became interested in mental health (psychology) during my senior year of high school when guest speakers came to school advocating for mental health awareness in response to fentanyl overdoses and suicidal incidents. Now, I attend community college. My future educational goals are to graduate with an Associate's Degree from the community college and transfer to a university to further my studies in psychology, meaning one of my biggest goals is to obtain a PhD in psychology to be better equipped to assist individuals with their mental health and increasing mental health services in communities, especially the underrepresented ones. Overall, although I did not have the goal of attending community college after graduating high school, I now see more similarities and differences between community college and university beyond the major difference of the cost to attend compared to universities. I appreciate the educational challenges from the past, present, and future to help me realize my limitations and strengths. However, I continue to hope to transfer to a university in the future to further my understanding of psychology. In addition, I hope to utilize my personal example of my education journey to future generations as a way for future college students to not feel discouraged in continuing studies amidst financial challenges within their family.

I will start by introducing myself. To begin, my name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to receive an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. Like Sloane who is perseverant in tennis and strengthening communities, I hope to become a community change agent because I understand some communities do not have adequate resources, such as food, water, clothing, supplemental education opportunities, or shelter. Although I volunteered in high school at local events, such as citywide marathons or football games, I hope to continue my commitment to strengthen communities. Various experiences have shaped my identity over time. I am part of the Hispanic community. As with many other Hispanic post-secondary education students, my parents are immigrants, who have worked arduously throughout their life in the country. My mom has been my main encouragement source by motivating me to pursue post-secondary education to embrace the opportunities she could not embrace. I have followed her advice, and I am at a post-secondary institution studying dental hygiene and mental health. Although the college is in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, I grew up and live in Irving, but attend there due to the availability of studying for these careers that would lead me to create positive societal impacts through oral and mental health expansion, especially in underrepresented areas. My interest in dentistry sparked when I was little because I developed a motivation to aid individuals experiencing oral conditions and diseases. My main motivation came from my mom having a molar problem and thinking I could provide oral care as dental professionals. The memorable experience lead me to be part of the dental program in high school. I took classes related to dentistry and learned about the everyday life of dental professionals, tooth names, tooth numbers, patient-dental team interactions, and ethics within the profession. In addition, during my senior year of high school, I had an internship at a dental clinic, where I cleaned treatment rooms, took patient vital signs, sterilized dental instruments, occasionally assist with dental cleanings, and enhance patient visit experiences by explaining the dental routine to individuals in Spanish. My knowledge of the Spanish language will help me aid individuals either visiting dental or mental health clinics by explaining procedures and treatment options in the language they would better understand. My interest in mental health, specifically psychology, sparked during my senior year of high school when guest speakers came to school discussing about heartbreaking topics, such as fentanyl overdoses and suicide rates. When I heard the statistics, I was shocked to hear how the incidents had skyrocketed, leading me to pursue a mental health career to assist individuals who may take on life-threatening risks. I understand many individuals lack access to mental health facilities, which I hope to contribute in increasing throughout life. Overall, Sloane Stephens has been an influence to aspiring tennis players and social change-makers by showing determination to promote inclusion of youth, the future professionals, in professional sports and careers. I believe many individuals have the capacity to positively contribute to society, regardless of cultural background. I hope to maintain her example throughout my lifetime when trying to help society through my careers, philanthropy, and life experiences. My background and academic experiences are a few life aspects shaping the identity I hold today.

God creates each human being for a reason. All human beings have a mission to fulfill in life. Sometimes, society allows immoral actions, such as abortion, to empower women to have reproductive rights. However, many women later regret aborting their unborn child, leading to mental health diseases. According to a 2016 study by Add Health, abortion exposure increases probability of experiencing mental disorders by 23%. Why not receive anti-abortion education before becoming pregnant? Why impede a future impact maker's birth? Why not recognize the dignity of all lives? Why not reflect that God does not create anyone by accident? Why not show love for each other, including the unborn? Abortion is assassination. I have strengthened my pro-life position by realizing we are all humans, equal in the eyes of God. Everyone deserves to experience life's challenges and wonders, love each other, respect others, create friendships, and create a family later in life. Although I grew up without being unaware of abortion or the pro-life movement, I gained awareness after listening to a Roman Catholic priest talk about how a mom will always be the mom of the unborn, even after seeking an abortion. I think of the statement as like it or not because many women who abort their unborn baby do not recognize their motherhood. In addition, I have heard many Roman Catholic individuals talk about how forming a family is vital in educating children about the Roman Catholic faith. If a woman aborts an unborn child, how will she spread her knowledge of faith and life values? Although the statements apply to the Roman Catholic church, there is a connection to other individuals worldwide by developing exemplary families, regardless of religious affiliation or not practicing a religion. By digesting the information, I brainstormed ideas on diffusing knowledge about the prevalent societal issue to individuals. One step I was taking to spread awareness of pro-life, but have put the project and website into a hiatus due to need of further support, was laying the foundations of a future organization. I proposed it to be called the North Texas Light to Life League to serve North Texans since abortion is illegal in Texas. I hope the organization diffuses to other parts of the United States of America or the world. In addition, I recently went to a church group meeting helping youth, especially females, to consider life in the Roman Catholic perspective if they one day plan to become pregnant. I hope the group and proposed organization attracts individuals to share ideas on pro-life events in Roman Catholic churches within the Dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth, the two largest dioceses in the region, or within communities because there are not many pro-life events throughout the year in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, including Irving, the city I live in, compared to other places in the United States of America. I hope to continue the work to educate future generations about valuing life from conception to natural death, no matter their cultural background. Even though I did not know anything about pro-life as a child, I continue to gain more perspectives on the side each day. I hope my future efforts shine a light on educating individuals about abortion's dangers and influencing individuals to create more positive changes to the cause.

I will begin the scholarship application by introducing myself. To begin, my name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to receive an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. Applying to a scholarship to my creative pursuits is beyond the literal meaning of financial assistance to continue my post-secondary education studies. The scholarship gives me a small break from writing traditional essays and enables me to showcase my creativity through producing an original product. To date, I have received many academic recognitions, but I will not list them all. I will describe some of the academic awards I have received. In high school, I received outstanding achievement awards in English I Honors and Biology Honors in 9th grade, outstanding achievement award in Algebra II Honors and a Chemistry Honors award in 10th grade, outstanding achievement award in Practicum I Dental in 11th grade, and the National Hispanic Recognition Program award from College Board and Academy All-Star award during 12th grade. I recognize the achievements took long hours of studying and completing coursework for these classes. In addition, the major milestone of graduating high school, which was the path I walked toward for more than 14 years. Although there are challenges to successfully complete academic courses, the hard work is worth it in the end. For my creation for the Mad Genius Scholarship, I decided to write a poem, which I would later explain some context of the work. I attached a file below. The process to create the poem was challenging at first. I read the various options to create something creative for the scholarship, but I did not know which option to choose because they all looked great to me. Second, I recalled a poem I wrote for a poetry competition in college, which inspired me to create a poem reflecting the mashup theme. The poem ties into the mashup theme by telling the story of two friends working at a Subaru dealership, each from different cultural backgrounds. The male character is a Cuban-American while the female character is a Kuwaiti-American. The unusual parts of the poem are the friendship, the occupation of the female character as a service technician, and the female character driving a Pontiac GTO, which are not typical to see in modern society. In addition, Pontiac and Subaru are not from the same vehicle company, an actual fact. The story is made-up, but certain events mentioned can occur. The poem reflects challenging barriers. Overall, my academic successes are one part comprising my identity. Having great futuristic visions and a creative side also comprise my identity. Thank you for reading the scholarship application and viewing my creation for the Mad Genius Scholarship.

I will introduce myself. To begin, my name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways, which I developed a passion for during high school, to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to receive an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. Heather Lynn Scott McDaniel exemplifies perseverance and heart amid adversity. I have not overcome various traditionally well-known barriers, but I will discuss the one I overcame. One significant adversity I had to overcome to continue pursuing my education was finding a post-secondary education institution to further education after high school graduation. I come from parents who are immigrants and came to the United States of America in before 2000. Both settled in Irving, Texas, the place where they met and the place where I was born. Before 2010 until 2024, I attended schools in Irving ISD, although most of them outside of the boundaries of zoned schools within the area I lived in. My mom encouraged me to pursue post-secondary education since I attended elementary school because she did not envision me working cleaning bathrooms or washing dishes at a restaurant. She wanted me to experience opportunities she could not experience, which one of them was attending a post-secondary education institution. In high school, I began thinking universities I would have loved to attend after graduating high school. Simultaneously, I was taking classes relevant to the dental program at school, where I learned various characteristics of the dental profession. In 12th grade, I had an internship at a dental clinic, which lasted for approximately 7 months, where I learned about patient-dental professional interactions, sterilization of dental instruments, cleaning dental treatment rooms, and taking a patient's vital signs in action. After the internship, high school graduation came and the adversity began later. After I graduated high school, I had clear plans to attend university in the upcoming fall semester. Prior to graduation, I had applied and attended orientation at the University of Dallas. I wanted to attend there because of the university's values and the close proximity to home. The motivation changed a few days after graduation, where I learned about my parent's financial constraints continuing to persist after various years, despite their hard work and effort to save money over the years. The financial constraints meant I could not attend university, and I had to find another post-secondary education to attend for the fall semester. I thought I was going to be out of continuing my studies for at least a year because of the belief of post-secondary education institutions not being at my reach. Instead of being pessimistic about my future, I took the suggestion from my mom to research other post-secondary education institutions within the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It took hours of research until I decided to apply and attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills. Although I envision attending a university later in the decade, I hope I can have the heart, resilience, and perseverance during my post-education journey as Heather maintained throughout her lifetime. Overall, although the example I mentioned throughout the essay can happen to anyone, I believe it is the most significant adversity I had gone through to continue my post-secondary education studies. I hope I can turn future challenges into growth opportunities to see my limitations, strengths, and weaknesses during these situations.

Since I was little, I have been passionate of pursuing a healthcare career, specifically in the dental field, because of my interest in learning about oral health. However, dentistry is not the only career I have wanted to pursue. In 12th grade, I developed an interest in pursuing a mental health career besides dentistry because of guest speakers who came to school and advocated for fentanyl awareness or awareness of other prevalent mental health issues in contemporary society. I plan to pursue dental hygiene and mental health because of the motivation to help people facing adverse oral or mental health circumstances and improve the reach of these services to the ones who need them most. As a first-generation college student from immigrant parents, I understand there needs to be more racial representation in various career fields, especially the careers I pursue. I understand there are underrepresented populations who need oral and mental health services to reverse the adverse effects of oral or mental health issues. Currently, I am going to be in my sophomore year attending community college studying dental hygiene and mental health, and hope to graduate with an associate's degree. If I can in the future, I hope to attend a university to obtain a PhD in psychology to analyze psychological issues prevailing in contemporary society and overall enter the deepest aspects of the field to have the necessary elements to execute healthy communities. I foresee myself applying knowledge through challenging barriers making impossible for someone to pursue these careers and impact communities, such as barriers minority groups face in the pursuit of postsecondary education and entering in professional fields. To add, this would contribute to more representation of all races in dentistry and mental health fields. In addition to be an inspirational figure for future generations, I hope to utilize knowledge and advocate to provide solutions to enhance oral health and coping strategies for mental health issues individuals experience within communities. By bringing effective oral and mental health care to the people, especially the ones who need these services the most since they face barriers to achieve well-being, there would be more healthy communities because of my future work to contribute to the improvement of oral and mental health among communities. Apart from the goal, I also have another goal to empower future generations to not focus on the limits, but the positive possibilities they can achieve in a professional career, regardless of background or career choice, because anyone can shine the bright light of a better society.

In high school, I developed a passion for mental health after hearing guest speakers advocate for mental health awareness in response to increased rates of fentanyl overdoses and suicide. I am not an art expert, but I have seen its value in coping with mental health challenges because of individual creativity. I plan to pursue a career in psychology because I wish to support people going through mental health challenges. One way I want to help is by offering the option of art therapy. Although I plan on doing more than art therapy, I hope to use it within psychology to enable individual expression of feelings and create an additional hobby and coping mechanism that can help patients face their mental health challenges. I understand there are other strategies to reduce the effects of mental health adversities, such as medications. In particular, I may find the approach to suggest art therapy helpful because individuals can use their brains to paint about their current viewpoint, something pleasant, or anything coming to mind. The art will enable me to better understand the patient’s thoughts or feelings at the moment because sometimes visualizing experiences, although not exactly, can help me untangle misunderstandings on their difficult explanation on their situation. I could strengthen compassion and empathy for those people because I would be able to understand going through the adversities is difficult and requires deep comprehension to make the people feel understood and adopt healthy coping mechanisms, such as creating art. The benefits of art therapy expand beyond creativity enhancement. Individuals would be able to tackle other challenging situations by possessing other sharp skills, such as critical thinking skills. In addition, art can become a hobby for some of the patients. Overall, suggesting art therapy to patients facing mental health challenges can open the door to creativity and self-worth because they can apply their skills to stimulate the brain. By using the approach, I would be able to open an option for individuals who have suffered from depression, anxiety, traumatic experiences, or suicidal thoughts, to see the bright future ahead of them by proving they are capable of performing tasks as someone who has not faced many mental health challenges would do. Although I wish to pursue a career in dental hygiene in addition to the psychology field, I can find ways to connect art therapy to the profession, such as helping the dental team alleviate stress associated with their daily tasks. Besides professional life, I hope to incorporate art therapy into my personal life by using the techniques when I have time to relax to reduce daily life pressure.

Since I was little, I have been passionate about reading books. Around the time I was in elementary school, I began thinking that there should be Christian books for people to read, because I noticed that there were not many long stories that connected everyday life with Christianity. Hilda Ann Stahl's approach to translating her works into various languages has positively impacted Christian transmission by individuals around the world, allowing them to understand the religion through their native tongue. Storytelling can make a difference and change the world by uniting individuals through learning about religious values and recognizing that each individual is human, regardless of religion. In elementary school, I began writing and illustrating a book about everyday life with Christian values. I decided to write it in Spanish to reflect Christianity within the Hispanic community. In high school, I decided to modify the project by introducing different characters, settings, plots, and translating interactions among story characters from other languages to Spanish. Although the books are unpublished, I am working to create stories centered on faith. Although I intend to write the books in Spanish, I hope to incorporate characters from various cultural backgrounds to demonstrate themes of maintaining God as the center of our lives and love. Overall, my future works would reflect more than the Christian doctrine. The works will also include other themes, such as inclusion, to value other individuals from different religious backgrounds. God creates humans and gives them life. Everyone has a purpose to live and a mission to fulfill in life. I hope my work could be an inspiration to transmit God's word to others, as Hilda Ann Stahl's literary works served as an inspiration for future writers to write Christian literature. With God, I can have the necessary elements to create literary works.

Since I was little, I wanted to pursue dentistry when I grew up because of my interest in aiding individuals in their oral health. In my senior year of high school, I became intrigued by the mental health field because I felt there was a need for increased mental health awareness. It hurt to hear the speakers who came to school describing the increasing cases of fentanyl overdoses and suicide rates. Fortunately, the speakers encouraged students to not follow these paths due to the risk of dying. I believe the scholarship is more than solely financial assistance. I believe the scholarship will provide me the opportunity to study my desired career fields in depth and influence me to create positive impacts within my desired career fields. I may have an advantage versus everyone else I am competing against by wanting to pursue more than one career field because of my interest in increasing oral and mental health services to communities, especially the underrepresented. Currently, I attend Tarrant County College- Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am on the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. I hope to transfer to a university to study psychology and obtain a PhD in that career field to have a deep understanding on tackling the most pressing mental health challenges in modern society. One of my ultimate goals is to expand oral and mental health care to underrepresented populations because I believe more people should have access to achieve healthy lives. In my case, I would be able to achieve the goal by advocating for dental and mental health awareness. Another goal I have if I work in both careers is to encourage diversity by making individuals who do not feel valued feel valued by reinforcing the purpose they have on working in the place and how their ideas can influence efficiency within the workplace. I know reaching the goals will take effort by understanding the professions in a post-secondary education institution and the workplace. By completing post-secondary education and taking opportunities as a way to expand knowledge on the career field, I would be able to be successful in both dental hygiene and psychology. Overall, the scholarship has a greater significance beyond financial support to continue post-secondary education studies. It provides the opportunity to open world perspectives and strengthen lifelong skills. I hope to adopt the aforementioned habits throughout my lifetime to see different sides to various life aspects. In addition, having multiple views will help me in both dental hygiene and psychology because I would be able to have different approaches to effectively provide excellent care for either dental or psychology patients. Also, I hope to empower future generations to see their potential in positively impacting a profession they choose to pursue.

In early life, I did not think of pursuing a mental health career. I had thought of pursuing dentistry. In 12th grade, I developed an interest in pursuing a career in the mental health field, in addition to dentistry, through guest speakers who came to school to talk about fentanyl-related and suicidal deaths. At the time, the number of these cases skyrocketed. By hearing the guest speakers advocate for awareness and avoiding behaviors associated with these deaths, I believed I could do the same after graduating with a college degree. I would contribute to the world to make mental health care affordable and accessible to anyone who needs support by collaborating with other mental health care professionals to create mental health programs, especially in underserved communities, to raise awareness on mental health conditions, and provide coping mechanisms to aid in an individual's journey to better mental health. I plan to achieve the goal by completing post-secondary education studies. If I graduate and get a job at a mental health clinic, I could work with other mental health professionals to address societal mental health concerns. Although I am pursuing dentistry, specifically dental hygiene, in addition to psychology, I hope to make a positive impact in the community through both careers, including finding a connection between the two fields to enhance community health. If I could be an agent of societal change, it would be through the implementation of effective programs aimed at individuals with mental health instabilities, especially the underserved population.

While in grade school, I learned about various organizations promoting societal well-being, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Red Cross, and Feeding America. I realized each organization strives to provide society with necessary resources, such as food, water, or shelter. In addition, educating people about the environment, health, and other societal issues. A societal issue I am passionate about is abortion to advocate for pro-life and the negative consequences of abortion. I hope to build a pro-life organization in the future to raise awareness of the value of each human life. On January 8th, 2025, I applied for a pro-life scholarship and expressed my abortion standpoint. I described why I supported life and how everyone has the right to live. I also mentioned a proposed organization I plan to build in the future. It would be named North Texas Light to Life League. I believe the name is appropriate because the organization would tend to serve individuals from North Texas, the region I live in, precisely initiating in Roman Catholic churches because it is the place where there is increased pro-life advocacy. Although the goal is to reach beyond the area, such as the rest of the state, country, or worldwide, I will begin by taking small steps because it will be beneficial to address the issue first in a familiar place. I became aware of the issue when listening to Roman Catholic media talk about the dignity of every human being and how God does not create anyone by accident, meaning individuals live for a reason. In addition, even though a mom aborts their unborn child, they will continue to be a mom, no matter the acceptance or rejection of the belief. Even though some women, not all, do not show compassion when aborting an unborn child, a lifelong scar remains because the woman committed an immoral act. In addition, experiencing life is delightful because of all the things individuals can do, such as love others, accept others, strengthen faith, create connections, become advocates, and try new activities. Humans exist to fulfill a mission in life. I realized getting informed on the controversial issue would one day help me spread knowledge to others because not everyone knows about the problem. To add, learning life's values inspired me to one day create an organization to unite perspectives and increase community involvement. There are few events dedicated to the issue in my community. In addition, I will inspire others to advocate vital problems to continue spreading awareness within communities. Building the organization will help individuals living and not living in North Texas by increasing awareness of life's worthiness, including myself. Adults, young people, and children will learn life begins at conception and ends at natural death. Even though my career path does not involve advocating for pro-life, I hope to contribute to promoting life. I hope to extend the advocacy to populations where individuals face barriers in human rights education, positively influencing societal well-being.

I grew up with Christianity, but with an unclear view. I knew the importance of prayer, but I was not aware of the connections between religion and daily life. When I was 16, I began to learn about Roman Catholicism. I watched television programs where individuals discussed Biblical passages, the application of scripture in daily life, and overall Christian teachings. In addition, I began attending Roman Catholic mass, realizing the marvelous aspects of church mass that can encourage people to love one another and share the message of Jesus Christ with the community. As I finished high school and transitioned to postsecondary education, I began learning about pressing societal topics, such as abortion, and how they connect to Christian teachings. I live by a statement I fabricated in my mind: God creates individuals for a purpose, and all human beings have a mission to fulfill in life. Everyone has the right to live, love, and raise a family. With the philosophy, I have developed a pro-life viewpoint because of the teaching about life initiating in conception and ending in natural death. Since then, I have made connections to everyday life and Christianity. Some examples include respect for others, common viewpoints, and health. The Lord has illuminated my mind to expand perspectives on religion and the world. I continue to follow Christianity because there is nothing more pleasant than living a Christ-centered life, and I hope to spread my knowledge throughout my lifetime. Although I highly value religion, I also have education and career aspirations I hope to fulfill through faith in God. I have envisioned a better society since I was little. Although I possessed limited knowledge of society's needs and the importance of making positive contributions, I learned more about life's characteristics as I attended higher school grades. Since I was young, I have been passionate about pursuing a career in dentistry due to my interest in learning about oral health and promoting oral health awareness within communities. I am pursuing the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. In addition, I developed a passion for mental health during my senior year of high school. One day, I hope to increase access to quality dental and mental health care in underrepresented areas. I hope to earn an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. The scholarship provides beyond its purpose because it enables me to value postsecondary education and spreading the knowledge in the real world. My passion for dentistry began during elementary school when my mom had a molar removed. The significant moment inspired me to study dentistry, and I took classes during high school. I learned about dental terms, the number of permanent teeth, sterilization, and the connection between nutrition and oral health. During my senior year of high school, I interned at a dental clinic, where I could apply my dental knowledge to a real-world setting. In the dental clinic, I had the opportunity to take patient vital signs, sterilize dental equipment, assist the dentist with cleanings, clean treatment rooms, and communicate with patients, especially utilizing my Spanish-speaking skills to interpret information a dental team member shared with them in English to Spanish. Within the internship interval, I developed another career interest. During my senior year of high school, guest speakers came to school to raise fentanyl and suicide awareness, which were major health issues occurring at that time, and the cause of most deaths. Even though fentanyl overdose and suicide cases skyrocketed during my senior year of high school, they continue to be major societal concerns. Because the guest speakers encouraged students to avoid taking fentanyl pills and committing suicide, I believed I could become a mental health advocate in the future, because I understood many individuals are going through adverse situations and are in an unstable mental health state. I believed I could spread counseling and awareness for individuals who need to find ways to strengthen their mental health. Through the experience, I decided to study both dentistry and mental health when attending a post-secondary education. Currently, I attend community college, and I am on the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. My goals are to make connections between my classes and real-world situations, graduate with an Associate's Degree, and transfer to a university to deepen my understanding of psychology. While traversing the university path, I hope to obtain a PhD in psychology to acquire deeper problem-solving skills in effectively combating the mental health disparities affecting urban, suburban, rural, and remote areas. After graduating with a college degree, I hope to expand oral and mental health care throughout communities, including underserved regions. I understand many individuals lack access to an oral or mental health center in the area where they live due to infrastructure issues. With an Associate's Degree in dental hygiene, I could provide effective treatments for patients and educate patients on maintaining good oral health throughout their lives. With a PhD in psychology, I could uplift individuals struggling with mental health disorders through counseling, spread awareness on mental health issues among communities, and perform research on the connection between demographic characteristics and mental health trends. With my part in societal contribution, there could be decreases in suicide rates, drug overdoses, or life-threatening events, because of the available treatment options and ways to prevent unhealthy habits within communities. In addition, individuals who have personally experienced mental health challenges would have stories to tell about the life of someone with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts, drug abuse, anorexia nervosa, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, to name a few examples of mental health disorders prevalent in contemporary society, to other people who need better understanding on the reality of mental health. A significant lifelong goal I hope to achieve throughout my lifetime, aside from pursuing both dental hygiene and mental health, is philanthropy. Although I would incorporate philanthropic elements within the dental hygiene and mental health fields, I hope to dedicate time to volunteering in communities because I understand the presence of other societal struggles. Some examples of community challenges include housing, education, food, personal care, and health disparities. Something else I hope to achieve in my life is to encourage individuals to value education and pursue professional careers. The future generation represents tomorrow's innovators, leaders, believers, mentors, cultural representatives, and advocates. I understand many fields lack diversity, such as STEM or finance. I hope that through my advocacy, more future college students will bring their innovative skills to these fields, besides diversifying the career sectors. Advice, motivation, and determination uplift individuals to learn beyond academics by connecting mathematics, science, social studies, reading, or elective courses to real-world settings. Without advice, motivation, and determination, how could career sectors survive if the majority of them require academic application to job tasks, such as statistics in performing research, knowledge of biomolecules to understand body processes, knowledge of literary genres when writing a play, or knowing the government system when working in the law sector? Through perseverance and motivation, future generations will fill the healthcare, STEM, business, finance, and law sectors. In addition, the emergence of new careers can occur due to technological and medical advancements that occur each year. By receiving the scholarship, I would not only unlock the dream to attend university to complete advanced psychological studies, but also develop more perspectives, empathy, compassion, and determination. Although I have highlighted significant milestones I hope to achieve, I have other aspirations I want to accomplish in the future. Although I do not know the future or the outcome of plans, I feel optimistic that I will surpass obstacles, learn from my mistakes, rise, and reach the pinnacle of success. I mostly listed my post-secondary goals to highlight milestones I want to hit. As Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Overall, God gives wisdom to individuals to make the right decisions throughout their lives. As my grandma says, "With God, we are nothing." With God, individuals can face obstacles and overcome them. With God, individuals can graduate from a postsecondary institution through perseverance and effort. With God, individuals can create everlasting societal impacts and develop empathy toward others. By receiving the scholarship, I can establish further connections between religion and society throughout my lifetime. I know that through having faith in God, I could achieve significant milestones. The same applies to the upcoming societal innovators, leaders, and motivators.

I have envisioned a better society since I was little. Although I possessed limited knowledge of society's needs and the importance of making positive contributions, I learned more about life's characteristics as I attended higher school grades. Since I was young, I have been passionate about pursuing a career in dentistry due to my interest in learning about oral health and promoting oral health awareness within communities. I am pursuing the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. In addition, I developed a passion for mental health during my senior year of high school. One day, I hope to increase access to quality dental and mental health care in underrepresented areas. I hope to earn an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. The scholarship provides beyond its purpose because it enables me to value postsecondary education and spreading the knowledge in the real world. My passion for dentistry began during elementary school when my mom had a molar removed. The significant moment inspired me to study dentistry, and I took classes during high school. I learned about dental terms, the number of permanent teeth, sterilization, and the connection between nutrition and oral health. During my senior year of high school, I interned at a dental clinic, where I could apply my dental knowledge to a real-world setting. In the dental clinic, I had the opportunity to take patient vital signs, sterilize dental equipment, assist the dentist with cleanings, clean treatment rooms, and communicate with patients, especially utilizing my Spanish-speaking skills to interpret information a dental team member shared with them in English to Spanish. Within the internship interval, I developed another career interest. During my senior year of high school, guest speakers came to school to raise fentanyl and suicide awareness, which were major health issues occurring at that time, and the cause of most deaths. Even though fentanyl overdose and suicide cases skyrocketed during my senior year of high school, they continue to be major societal concerns. Because the guest speakers encouraged students to avoid taking fentanyl pills and committing suicide, I believed I could become a mental health advocate in the future, because I understood many individuals are going through adverse situations and are in an unstable mental health state. I believed I could spread counseling and awareness for individuals who need to find ways to strengthen their mental health. Through the experience, I decided to study both dentistry and mental health when attending a post-secondary education. Currently, I attend community college, and I am on the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. My goals are to make connections between my classes and real-world situations, graduate with an Associate's Degree, and transfer to a university to deepen my understanding of psychology. While traversing the university path, I hope to obtain a PhD in psychology to acquire deeper problem-solving skills in effectively combating the mental health disparities affecting urban, suburban, rural, and remote areas. After graduating with a college degree, I hope to expand oral and mental health care throughout communities, including underserved regions. I understand many individuals lack access to an oral or mental health center in the area where they live due to infrastructure issues. With an Associate's Degree in dental hygiene, I could provide effective treatments for patients and educate patients on maintaining good oral health throughout their lives. With a PhD in psychology, I could uplift individuals struggling with mental health disorders through counseling, spread awareness on mental health issues among communities, and perform research on the connection between demographic characteristics and mental health trends. With my part in societal contribution, there could be decreases in suicide rates, drug overdoses, or life-threatening events, because of the available treatment options and ways to prevent unhealthy habits within communities. In addition, individuals who have personally experienced mental health challenges would have stories to tell about the life of someone with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts, drug abuse, anorexia nervosa, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, to name a few examples of mental health disorders prevalent in contemporary society, to other people who need better understanding on the reality of mental health. A significant lifelong goal I hope to achieve throughout my lifetime, aside from pursuing both dental hygiene and mental health, is philanthropy. Although I would incorporate philanthropic elements within the dental hygiene and mental health fields, I hope to dedicate time to volunteering in communities because I understand the presence of other societal struggles. Some examples of community challenges include housing, education, food, personal care, and health disparities. Something else I hope to achieve in my life is to encourage individuals to value education and pursue professional careers. The future generation represents tomorrow's innovators, leaders, believers, mentors, cultural representatives, and advocates. I understand many fields lack diversity, such as STEM or finance. I hope that through my advocacy, more future college students will bring their innovative skills to these fields, besides diversifying the career sectors. Advice, motivation, and determination uplift individuals to learn beyond academics by connecting mathematics, science, social studies, reading, or elective courses to real-world settings. Without advice, motivation, and determination, how could career sectors survive if the majority of them require academic application to job tasks, such as statistics in performing research, knowledge of biomolecules to understand body processes, knowledge of literary genres when writing a play, or knowing the government system when working in the law sector? Through perseverance and motivation, future generations will fill the healthcare, STEM, business, finance, and law sectors. In addition, the emergence of new careers can occur due to technological and medical advancements that occur each year. By receiving the scholarship, I would not only unlock the dream to attend university to complete advanced psychological studies, but also develop more perspectives, empathy, compassion, and determination. Although I have highlighted significant milestones I hope to achieve, I have other aspirations I want to accomplish in the future. Although I do not know the future or the outcome of plans, I feel optimistic that I will surpass obstacles, learn from my mistakes, rise, and reach the pinnacle of success. I mostly listed my post-secondary goals to highlight milestones I want to hit. Overall, reaching my goals will require motivation and perseverance, two lifelong, valuable characteristics. With perseverance and motivation, I would be able to learn from my mistakes and improve at tasks. The scholarship will enable me to evaluate my potential to succeed in post-secondary, professional, and personal life by connecting life's values with personal experiences. I hope to inspire future generations to discover their skills to create positive societal contributions through their careers.

Kalia D. Davis embodies qualities that students should possess, such as a strong work ethic and tenacity throughout life. I can relate to her by practicing and improving the qualities throughout life. To introduce myself, I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am pursuing the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. One day, I hope to increase access to quality dental and mental health care in underrepresented areas. I hope to earn an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. The Kalia D. Davis Scholarship will not only aid in college expenses, but also provide the opportunity for me to see how her life connects to the students through perseverance in reaching goals and showing compassion for others. My parents are immigrants from El Salvador, and my mom has persuaded me to continue my education. I understand the hardships my parents have faced throughout their lives, similar to other college students coming from immigrant backgrounds. I perceive my mom as my human role model because of her motivation for me to pursue a professional career. Since I was little, I have had a passion for dentistry, which I continue to maintain. In 12th grade, I developed another career interest due to guest speakers coming to school advocating for fentanyl and suicide awareness, which sparked my motivation to help individuals struggling with these mental health instabilities. With both interests, I decided on two career pathways for community college: mental health and dental hygiene. I maintain my passion for studying the intricate aspects of psychology to have more knowledge on effectively advocating and providing mental health services throughout the world. I am attending community college instead of a university due to financial constraints. Although I attend community college, I have learned to value courses and make connections to my proposed careers each day. In addition, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a food bank at the beginning of the year, which I reflect on because of the importance of reducing hunger in communities, including urban areas. I also have a passion for volunteering, which I began in high school and hope to continue throughout my lifetime, because I like developing empathy with communities, even though I do not live in those communities. Although providing food for communities is vital, I also wish to volunteer in other centers to promote societal growth within different communities. Overall, the doors to opportunities for psychology research and learning would be open if I could attend a university to assist individuals with mental health instabilities. In addition, as Kalia was influential throughout her life, I hope to strengthen my work ethic in my professional and personal life. I also wish to be an example for future generations and other college students who envision contributing to society through innovation, leadership, and determination, as Kalia would have loved to continue. Thank you for the opportunity to share a piece of my story for this scholarship.

Daily life usually comprises following a routine. When there is a day off from education or work, some individuals neglect positive ways to recharge their health, such as exercise, reading, or writing, and instead spend more time on devices when they have nothing to do. Although device usage is sometimes necessary, such as making a phone call or looking up information, it is also beneficial to prioritize mental, emotional, or physical health to strengthen one's wellbeing. I have prioritized mental, emotional, and physical health at various points throughout my lifetime, but I will discuss a time I prioritized mental health. One time I made my mental health a priority was when I decided to read a book instead of staring at a device screen or sitting in a chair without doing anything. The time was on the morning of Friday, July 4th, 2025. I had already eaten breakfast and wondered what I could do next since I had nothing to do. I could have used the computer to search for scholarships, including the one I am writing about now, but I believed I needed more time to gather information to answer the scholarship essay's prompt. Instead of looking at a device, I decided to read a book, which I started several months ago, but I needed to read more pages of the book. The book is about rediscovering the Roman Catholic Church, and I mostly read the pages about discipline in prayer and other aspects within Christianity, even though the characteristics apply to everyday life. In addition to discipline, I also read about one dominating philosophy in modern society, which is minimalism. The book describes many individuals opting for a minimalistic lifestyle to achieve milestones in life, although shortcuts are absent for long-term success. I recall the activity I decided to dedicate time to that day, and I found it beneficial for my mental health because I created a bridge between religion and modern society within my brain, inspiring me to write about the experience for the SnapWell Scholarship. Through the experience, I learned there is no straight path to a reward, either in the religious or everyday life perspective. Discipline, dedication, and perseverance are key to reaching goals, including overcoming obstacles, to continue the journey. Without them, the goal-reaching process would be pointless. I should maintain discipline throughout life, such as completing the requirements of the post-secondary education journey, working in a job, or volunteering. Overall, there are many activities enhancing wellbeing in different ways. Although many people have adopted a sedentary lifestyle, there are other ways to sharpen mental, emotional, or physical health. Some examples include exercise, a mental health break, adequate sleep, reading, journaling, volunteering, or socializing. I hope to adopt more ways to strengthen mental, emotional, and physical health in the future and share knowledge with others to help them cope with their stress or challenges they face, and make connections with life events.

Increased suicide rates, increased fentanyl-related deaths, and increased depression cases were some of the notable mental health trends I heard about during high school. In 12th grade, I had the idea of pursuing a career in the mental health field, despite being interested in dentistry for many years. Although I maintain a passion for studying dentistry, I also want to study mental health to contribute to providing innovative solutions to reverse the trends affecting contemporary society. I received most of my inspiration to pursue a career in mental health through guest speakers who advocated for increased mental health awareness. The people came to school, presented a pressing, trending mental health issue, and advised on how to reduce or prevent these adversities. Since that moment, I believed I could do something similar for the community, eventually taking two career pathways when attending community college. Later, I began to wonder, question, and learn about the roots of these disorders. Some questions I have asked myself were: Why is there so much sexual assault among individuals, especially females? Why are there so many cases of depression? Why are there so many suicide cases? Why is there so much fentanyl or illegal drug usage? Why are there so many shootings, especially at schools? I realized most of the roots originate from the victim's lack of a support network, genetics, environment, or education on the consequences of these disorders. When mentioning school shootings, not all of them stem from the perpetrator's mental state. Sometimes, it could be from other factors, such as held stereotypes on specific cultural backgrounds, or breaking a record for the most people shot by one person. Overall, on all the other aforementioned disorders, it could be from a lack of an open space to share their adverse circumstance and how to find better coping mechanisms to overcome their challenge. As an aspiring mental health professional, specifically in psychology, I want to support individuals going through negative thoughts or unstable mental health conditions to adopt a good perspective on their potential to make positive societal contributions and life's features, and share the empathy/happiness they have not been able to find/receive. I understand some individuals need access to mental health resources and are not within their reach because of the lack of these networks in some communities. I hope to change that by increasing the presence of mental health resources within communities during my professional life. Currently, I attend community college and am on both the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. After I graduate with an Associate's Degree, I hope to transfer to a university to explore the intricate aspects of psychology, eventually obtaining a PhD in psychology to utilize the necessary elements to support communities struggling with mental health disorders and empower future generations, especially from minority groups, to do the same. Another goal I have is to spread mental health facilities and awareness to communities that need them, because there are many places without suitable mental health facilities. Overall, although I continue to have a passion for dentistry, specifically dental hygiene, I am also passionate about psychology because of the many lives I can advise on mental health wellness among communities. By increasing the presence of mental health services and awareness among communities, especially the underrepresented ones, there would be improved mental health, simultaneously with stories to tell about going through mental health disorders to spread awareness among future generations, especially the ones who will take over the mental health sector.

Before entering high school, I envisioned an ideal future, such as pursuing continuing education to study dentistry, which has been the career I have wanted to study ever since I was little. My goals have altered since then because I have more dreams than I did in the past. Unfortunately, one of my major plans, attending university, has been a goal I have not been able to reach yet due to limited financial resources. However, I took an alternative path by attending community college and completing courses to obtain an associate's degree in dental hygiene and mental health. The Bright Lights Scholarship will enable me to see beyond my and others' identities. To add, the Bright Lights Scholarship will allow me to see beyond my capabilities as a college student and my future accomplishments. It will help me create the bridge between community college to a university where I can complete courses for a PhD in psychology to learn the complexities of the field and have more effective strategies to tackle the pressing mental health challenges contemporary society encounters. Although I thought of pursuing a career in psychology late during my senior year of high school, I now believe I made a good choice in studying this field because many individuals need compassion or empathy when facing adverse circumstances and do not have assistance due to a lack of mental health services in their communities or simply not taking the correct steps to cope with their situation. However, I continue my passion for becoming a dental hygienist by taking courses that will prepare me for the workforce. With my work in dental hygiene, I will see that the profession is more about taking care of oral health for society. That includes creating relationships with people, educating individuals on oral hygiene, and taking action to advance dental science for societal well-being, including individuals living in remote areas who lack access to quality dental care. Taking initiatives to overturn barriers to quality oral and mental health care will influence acceptance and equality among individuals from all genders and cultural backgrounds. In addition, mental health cases, such as depression, or oral health cases, such as oral cancer, can diminish if there are opportunities to learn about the consequences of the diseases for society and how to educate individuals on how they can achieve better oral and mental health. All this seems like a dream and something impossible. However, the actions can come true if I have the resources to receive anything related to my profession to dive deeper into the real-life relevance, allowing me to focus on other pursuits. Other plans include investing time in philanthropic work and spreading empathy with others outside of professional work. Receiving the scholarship means seeing the bright side of my capabilities and gaining knowledge on dental hygiene and psychology to create impactful acts and messages for improved mental and oral health for existing and rising communities. To conclude, many students have the potential to succeed in life but lack the necessary elements to do so. Many of them demonstrate their talents through community service or involvement in an academic organization. By receiving the scholarship, I will open doors to pathways to continuing education to learn about my professional career. Also, I will help others succeed in obtaining higher education by emphasizing that positive affirmations transform lives instead of worrying about obstacles that hinder someone from showing their true identity to others and use minds to make positive societal impacts because each student has the capability to do so, even though they may not know their strengths yet.

Limited education opportunities, limited job opportunities, and limited lighthearted childhood experiences. Being alive during wartime as children and alive today. My mom and dad's stories, who came to the United States of America from El Salvador before 2000 and settled in Irving, Texas, where one day, the applicant writing the essay for the Carlos F. Garcia Muentes Scholarship would be born. As Carlos F. Garcia Muentes searched for better life opportunities, as my parents did, he is an influential figure to immigrants and individuals born in the United States of America to persevere and demonstrate compassion toward community members. Based on my parent's background, their story has shaped my world beliefs by seeing others as equal, regardless of culture. My mom's support has influenced me to develop career aspirations. God has given me and future professionals wisdom to conquer the education journey and grow to become professionals of heart, faith, courage, and determination. In biological humans, my mom has encouraged me to pursue further education and value it. Since I was little, I thought of pursuing the dental field because of my motivation to aid the community in achieving good oral health. From the moment I had the goal in mind, my mom supported my decision because she did not want to see me work as individuals with low education work at, such as cleaning bathrooms, washing dishes, restaurants, or warehouses. I understand immigrants like my parents have gone through these jobs. However, the value of taking these jobs is having the mindset to aid their children receive a good education and professional employment to support society. She envisioned me in healthcare. As I got older, I recognized the importance of trusting God to navigate life's challenges and successes and enabling me to reach significant milestones, such as graduating from high school or obtaining an internship. The same applies to other people. God brought us to the Earth for various reasons, such as to love one another, connect with others, and find our vocation in life. In addition, I began to view others equally, regardless of cultural background, during high school. Many students share similar visions and want to contribute to community and professional diversity because of the common understanding of increasing services to individuals, especially the underrepresented populations. First, I credit God for illuminating my mind to see everyone has feelings, thoughts, and a purpose to live. Second, I credit my mom for showing me the importance of valuing love, respect, and compassion for others. Reflecting on the scars, challenges, values, and triumphs, I recognize my parent's determination to make a living. Many people, especially immigrants, wanted the opportunity to create significant changes in society. However, the constraints to quality education created a divide between working to sustain their families and walking the path of change-making. Today, I recall my parents' lives before and after coming to the United States of America. I recognize many minority students have parents who have experienced challenges as well because the opportunity path is not easy to walk when finding it. Through the obstacles, God guides people and enables growth to the perseverant. The same applies to college students when trying to pursue a professional career. Many college students carry their heritage and stories daily and cherish them to continue their motivation to aid society by striving for equality, whether through working in healthcare, STEM, law, or the business/finance fields. Simultaneously, they empower future generations, including minorities, to diversify the fields through education. Through heart, faith, courage, and determination, individuals, including myself, can make a positive difference throughout communities with God and vocation.

Attending college has enabled me to embark on a new life stage, filled with future hopes and education filled with tools to create positive societal impacts. When I was little, I thought of someday pursuing postsecondary education to study the necessary elements for a profession. I believe college means an opportunity to study for a career, strengthen my identity, challenge myself in deep learning, and find my purpose in life. Although I attend community college, I long for a university education to study the depths of my desired profession. Since I was little, I developed a passion for dentistry because I envisioned one day helping the community achieve good oral health through equal access to dental care. My inspiration originated from my mom having a problem with a molar, and I thought of one day positively impacting the field. In high school, I took dentistry-related classes and learned elements of the profession. In addition, during my senior year of high school, I interned at a dental clinic. While there, I experienced the daily life of the dental clinic. I cleaned rooms, sterilized dental instruments, assisted the dentist with cleanings, prepared rooms for the next patient, edited patient notes, and utilized my bilingual skills when necessary. I perceived the opportunity to strengthen my skills and see dental elements, such as instrument usage or patient-dental team communication, in action. However, dentistry has not been the ultimate career I want to pursue. During my senior year of high school, I developed an interest in mental health through guest speakers who came to school to talk about the increasing trends in fentanyl usage or suicide rates. From those moments, I thought the trends needed to reverse to ensure good mental health throughout communities, especially the underrepresented communities. I began to envision one-day increasing access to mental health services, especially in regions lacking mental health centers. From these thoughts, I decided to study mental health and dental hygiene when I attended a postsecondary education institution. Before I graduated high school, I wanted to attend a university because of the increased opportunities for research and study in a profession, but because of financial constraints for university attendance, I had to alter my path by attending community college. Although I did not see the path's value at the beginning, now I see value through my classes and the application of concepts in psychology and dental hygiene. In the future, I hope to attend a university to obtain a PhD in psychology, where my research and complex learning will aid me in tackling the challenges affecting contemporary societal mental health. In addition, I hope to display understanding and connect my experiences with others through psychology and dental hygiene. Most importantly, I would inspire future generations to see the positive side of community contribution and pursue postsecondary education to break the barriers in minority groups studying for a profession to diversify the fields. Although students, including myself, cannot take the straight path to obtaining a profession and making positive societal contributions, the obstacles and challenges throughout education enable individuals to make correct decisions and grow skillfully, mentally, or spiritually. I have faced challenges in attending postsecondary education, but I hope to embrace each opportunity as a method to grow and be optimistic. While studying dental hygiene and psychology, I hope to see the value in my required courses and the relevance to both professions. As a first-generation Hispanic college student, I also believe in contributing to the diversity in the dental field. The aforementioned details illustrate my intended accomplishments for the future.

My name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to receive an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. Mark Green exemplifies an influential figure who inspires individuals, especially minorities, to see beyond their potential to create positive societal impacts. I believe I am an ideal candidate for the Mark Green Memorial Scholarship because I am determined to pursue further education to transform people's lives through oral and mental health education. Being a first-generation college student has been challenging because I have had to learn various college aspects myself, such as college life or admission requirements, since my parents, as immigrants, had limited education opportunities when they were younger. Although navigating through the college education journey has been challenging, I have found various interesting aspects of college education, such as the connection between required classes and everyday life. I am passionate about volunteering. I began volunteering in high school during 10th grade by assisting teachers throughout the school, whether I assisted through tutoring students or organizing classrooms. Later, I volunteered outside of school. Some examples were helping with concessions during football games at the school district's stadium and giving food and water to runners at the city's marathon events. From volunteering, I have learned the various impacts a volunteer can create to build healthy communities. I am currently in college and continue to volunteer. In February, I volunteered at a food bank and learned increasing nutritious food access to vulnerable populations can create healthy communities. After graduating from a postsecondary education institution, I hope to contribute to the community. I plan to positively impact the community by increasing oral and mental health services, especially to underrepresented populations, through dental hygiene and psychology. The knowledge I acquire from the institution will help me determine innovative ways to transmit oral and mental health awareness and tackle the pressing challenges damaging modern society. My background, my parents' hardships in coming and living in the United States of America, my hardships navigating postsecondary education, my dedication to uplifting communities through volunteerism, my dedication to using college education for societal improvement, and my dedication to learning are characteristics defining selection for the scholarship. Mark Green motivates students, including myself, to value education and community throughout life. I hope to apply his values throughout my lifetime to strengthen communities. Thank you for your consideration and time to read my application.

Individuals face obstacles at various times in life, including myself. Even though these are adverse, undesirable events, they serve as growth opportunities for the individual and other individuals' lives. The opportunities motivate individuals to continue their paths toward optimism amid these situations. One instance in which I faced an obstacle was when I was going to enter post-secondary education for the first time and had to take an alternative route. In addition, I encountered an obstacle when leading a high school club for the first time. As a first-generation student pursuing further education from immigrant parents, I am motivated to reach significant milestones in post-secondary education studies and professional life and contribute to the community by increasing equal opportunities for all individuals, diminishing the effects of social barriers within communities. During my senior year of high school, I applied to a nearby university to continue my education. After high school graduation, I realized that I could no longer attend the university, despite getting a scholarship from the university, because of my parents' inability to cover basic expenses and the university simultaneously due to limited career opportunities, despite their extensive efforts in making ends meet. After knowing the situation, I worried because I may not attend a college/university in the fall semester. Later, I applied for community college, and currently, I take courses there. Despite having to give up part of the goal, I take a different approach to later transfer to a university. During my lifetime, I have demonstrated leadership by being part of a school club and helping others understand a topic we sometimes overlook in society. During my senior year of high school, I decided to become president of the Ignite Bible Club because I had some background in the Bible and the Roman Catholic doctrine. After I signed up for the position, I led meetings by reading a passage from the Gospel, engaging students and teachers by asking questions about the reading of the day, making connections to the reading with life or other Biblical passages, and organizing events, such as a schoolwide prayer, parties, and a club stand for the schoolwide event during the spring semester, selling religious souvenirs. Doing these things was sometimes effortless because of my Biblical knowledge but also challenging because I led a small group of students despite inviting other students. My greatest challenge was setting up and selling religious souvenirs because I had to help the rest of the members know the prices and create the items for students. By club members and myself demonstrating effective communication, teamwork, and perseverance to each other, we made the club successful. There are beneficial goals that may not be for everyone. I have heard the expression repeatedly, "It is not convenient for you." Even though the saying should not limit anyone from climbing the stages toward success to achieve the ideal life and exemplifying excellent leadership to encourage others to take advantage of every worthwhile opportunity in life and gain knowledge on meaningful topics, sometimes there are obstructions to creating the optimal college experience inside and outside of classes, but taking an alternative route, such as attending community college, means climbing different steps leading to the same goal, which is professional work and creating positive societal impacts. Barriers do not define our true identity; they enable us to be optimistic and attempt different ways to reach our goals successfully. All individuals have different talents, such as being good leaders, star athletes, volunteers, creative writers, or excellent communicators, where individuals showcase their identity and motivation to succeed in post-college life through careers and community service.

During high school, I realized faith's importance in everyday life. Faith is a beneficial tool in navigating adverse and favorable circumstances. Faith has played a vital role in my life by having a reliable source for achieving goals and making wise decisions. My mom inspired me to pursue further education because she did not want to see me work at typical jobs immigrants work at, such as restaurants, hotels, or factories, usually as a custodian. Although I comprehend many students from minority groups attend postsecondary education, the parents of these students have had to find perceived inferior jobs to help students go to a postsecondary education institution and become influential professionals in life. In addition, the students contribute to diversity in various career fields, such as business/finance, healthcare, STEM, or law, through finding their lifelong vocation. I took my mom's advice and decided to go on a long educational journey. Since I was little, I have wanted to pursue a career in dentistry. My mom supported my career decision because she wanted me to pursue a healthcare career. In 12th grade, I developed another passion for another professional field, mental health. My inspiration stemmed from guest speakers who came to school to talk about trending mental health issues, such as the prevalence of mental health disorders and fentanyl usage/deaths, especially in the youth population. From the guest speakers discussing these adverse mental health topics, I felt the need to help communities struggling with mental health. Although I became interested in mental health, I continue to maintain my other passion. I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, and am on the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. I will begin my second year of college in the fall semester, hoping to connect required courses with both professions. Although the education path has been arduous, relying on God has helped me relieve some stress throughout my education journey. Today, I comprehend God provides directions to students, including myself, to achieve academic and future goals through faith. In addition, I appreciate my mom's advice in pursuing further education because of the increased opportunities and potential to create positive societal contributions through college education. I hope to maintain faith throughout my lifetime to see the bright side of adverse and favorable circumstances. I look forward to continuing my education after obtaining an Associate's Degree. By relying on God, I can reach postsecondary and life milestones.

In early life, I had a passion for dentistry because of my interest in oral health and the opportunity to assist individuals with oral health issues to open paths to healthy lives. I learned more about the profession when I began high school by being in the dental pathway and taking classes related to the career. A vital experience was interning at a dental clinic because I could see the connection between dentistry and everyday life. In high school, I took dentistry-related classes, where I learned about tooth numbering, tooth structure, and radiography and their importance. During my junior year, I began the internship process by finding a dental office to gain more knowledge and see how the skills my teacher taught come into play in a real-life dental setting. I continued throughout my senior year when I began going to the dental clinic two or three times a week. My internship at a dental clinic helped me see how the dental field functions daily. I learned about taking a patient's vital signs, cleaning rooms, sterilizing dental equipment, and editing patient notes on the computer. I observed the value of communication, teamwork, organization, and time management in the dental office. In addition, I felt comfortable using my Spanish-speaking skills when necessary, contributing to understanding dental procedures in more than one language and enhancing overall community understanding of oral health. Observing the dental office's life is more than treating and examining people's teeth, gingiva, and other oral structures. It is about creating a bond between the rest of the dental team and, most importantly, the patients, similar to the purpose of nursing or other healthcare careers. I realized that each healthcare career strives for everyone's well-being and learning more about people's backgrounds. Now, I am in college pursuing the dental hygiene career pathway. I hope to acquire more knowledge about the profession and hone my skills and internship experiences when I professionally work at a dental clinic as a dental hygienist. By experiencing the dental environment, I could see the universality of visions in various places worldwide besides dental clinics. Through the internship opportunity, I saw the connection between dentistry and the community through the dental team working arduously to provide an excellent experience for patients visiting the clinics by being friendly, providing treatment, and educating them on effective oral healthcare methods. I hope to value moments when working as a dental hygienist at a dental clinic in the future.

In high school, I realized an individual's potential to create positive impacts when helping the community, whether through performing small or large-scale acts. I understood the exercise of various life's virtues when performing these acts. One time I created a meaningful impact on others in need occurred in February when I volunteered at a food bank. In February, I volunteered at a food bank at Tarrant County College-Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Although I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, I decided to volunteer there because I saw the opportunity online. My inspiration to volunteer at that college stemmed from seeing the opportunity online and volunteering at an event during college. When I got there, I saw other student volunteers I had not seen at the other college. Despite not knowing them well, I realized they held the same mission of serving the community and addressing societal challenges throughout their lifetimes. While there, I packed food items, such as cucumbers and rice, into boxes to give to the people seeking healthy food to nourish their bodies. In addition, I assisted some of the people in carrying the boxes to their SUVs or pickup trucks. Although I sometimes did the acts alone, I also worked with the other volunteers to enhance the volunteering experience and strengthen teamwork skills. The experience shaped my understanding of service by helping individuals by providing nutritious food to people and carrying food to their vehicles. The experience shaped my understanding of leadership by recognizing individual needs and ensuring each package contained nutritious foods. In addition, I strengthened my leadership skills by acquiring skills to pinpoint community challenges and how to effectively address them. The experience shaped my understanding of faith by knowing God could give me the strength, virtues, and knowledge to serve the individuals who came for food effectively. Despite not living in Fort Worth and seeing how communities function, I realized the acts are universal, no matter the community someone serves. Having love, faith, heart, and compassion for others is beneficial in demonstrating community commitment. I hope to continue volunteerism and teach future generations about life's many valuable opportunities. My volunteer experience at Tarrant County College-Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas, helped me comprehend how some individuals in small and urban areas, such as Fort Worth, struggle for adequate food access. By providing nutritious food to the people who need it, individuals can live healthy lives and reduce food deserts if they live in regions considered food deserts. The opportunity also connects to dental hygiene and psychology, my intended career pathways, by applying knowledge from both fields to expand into communities needing these services to live healthy lives.

Faith is vital in everyday life, whether someone faces adverse or favorable circumstances. Faith is elemental in perseverance or leadership. A notable time I led and inspired others through faith was when I was president of the Ignite Bible Club during my senior year of high school. Faith has influenced my leadership style because I know God can help me make correct decisions, including when leading a group of people. In my senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to become the president of the Ignite Bible Club, a Christian-based school club. While at the club, I planned events, the weekly reading, usually from the Bible's New Testament, or other activities during the meetings. In addition, I led the prayer at the See You at the Pole Event, which was a prayer event open to the whole school on a day before classes began. The prayer was another opportunity to enhance my leadership skills because of the diversity of prayers from the participants after I commenced. A third leadership opportunity I recall was when the Ignite Bible Club was going to have representation at the school's EXPO event, a carnival-style event during the Spring for all grade levels. Weeks before the event, the club sponsor and other club members suggested selling Christian bookmarks and jewelry for the event. In the timeframe, I was responsible for obtaining the materials for the event. On the day of the EXPO, I realized the importance of teamwork by working with the other club members to set up the booth and materials to sell. Most notably, I demonstrated leadership through reading, asking questions, and occasionally providing insight into the Biblical passages for other students to grasp the context and the significance of the reading in everyday life. The above actions were possible through other club members' suggestions. Through the leadership opportunity, I learned hearing input from other members was key to club success because different opinions helped in realizing the above actions. In addition, I understood God illuminated my mind to make the correct decisions when leading and continues to do so forever. I hope to implement the same skills in my personal life and college. Although my notable experience in leading others through faith was through involvement in the Ignite Bible Club at school, I know I can continue leading individuals through faith during my lifetime, whether in college, professional, or personal life. I learned through my experience that sharing knowledge on faith can help individuals cope with struggles or anticipate good things to come. I hope to utilize my example and implement it in everyday life to share knowledge of faith with others to create a good society.

From early life, I have thought of what things seen in everyday life may mean, such as school subjects or words from the English language. As I continued with schooling, I realized the concepts instructors taught me were relevant in the real world, such as decimals in total payment of a grocery store purchase or percentages to identify a vehicle's APR. In the vast world where some individuals indoctrinate others with misleading information, it is critical to go deep into a concept. My love of learning has shaped my personal growth and influenced my outlook on life by overturning notions into expanded perspectives and looking at the features beyond the broad definition of a concept. When I was around 16, I began discovering the Roman Catholic Church through television programs. I realized the connections of everyday life through religion, even if some individuals believe there is no agreement between them. In addition, I learned about the connection between faith and works because both function synchronously, meaning without one, the other one is disconnected. Both faith and works are lifelong elements to maintain when performing good deeds. I recall beginning to go astray, but I realized the way, the truth, and life is found in Jesus, not in temporary pleasures. In early life, I heard people negatively talk about the Roman Catholic Church and maintained the beliefs as correct, even though they were not. With God helping me clarify the reality of things, I realized the church's mission and how the whole world benefits from these elements. In addition, I deepened my understanding of another realm society needs to consider besides religious stances, which is viewing cultural backgrounds equally, despite the differences in races ethnicities, languages, religions, foods, traditions, values, or customs. When I was little, I held stereotypes of individuals from Mexican or some Asian cultures because of what I heard people say about the cultures. As I entered high school and college, I recalled the stereotypes and began to minimize the assumptions through interactions with students from these cultures. Although people come from different cultural backgrounds, there are shared intercultural characteristics, such as the motivation to pursue postsecondary education to influence diversity in various career sectors, such as healthcare, STEM, law, or business/finance. In addition, future life goals. The marvelous exchange of ideas through diversity by acquiring vital perspectives to create a healthy society inside and outside the classroom. In high school, I took a notable opportunity to see cultural integration through the International Night event held around the beginning of the Spring Semester because the event enabled other students, including myself, to learn about cultures and feel unity. Connecting with universal teachings, we all come from the same God, have the right to live, have the right to love one another, have equal value, have a purpose to live, and have a mission to fulfill in life. God illuminates an individual's mind to view the bright side of societal elements. I hope to expand my knowledge of things in the world and create connections, especially with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Although people from all cultural backgrounds can connect everyday situations to an ideology or religion and share that knowledge with others, I can do the same to diversify perspectives. At the same time, I can acquire perspectives from others to have multiple views on one thing. I believe gaining and sharing knowledge is how individuals, including myself, can open their minds to the vast world.

I had a passion for books before I entered preschool. Seeing the images, either real-life or illustrated, helped me comprehend the depiction of the setting of the stories or how objects and people looked like in real life. From what I have learned from the books I have read throughout my lifetime, I realized they are vital in understanding how the world works and acquiring skills beneficial for education, workforce, and life. The books I have read have shaped my goals by understanding ways to help in adverse social situations and the importance of striving to achieve career goals. When I started school, I read books, most notably "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, where I learned the order and the letters of the English alphabet. This learning would be beneficial when I went to other grades, college, and eventually to the workforce, where knowing how to write is crucial. As I got older and went to higher grades throughout my school education, I read longer books, such as "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio, where I became aware of seeing others, even if they do not look like ordinary people, as capable people, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, where I learned about the time where more people were going to rely on mindless media, such as watching unbeneficial content through technology, which the author predicted to be the present time, and Animal Farm, where I gained more insight on how Communism was in Russia in the early 20th Century, despite farm animals portraying important figures in Communist Russia. In addition, some books taught me to explore different cultures and challenges when immigrating from one country to another for a better life, such as "Ask Me No Questions," by Marina Budhos. Currently, I read a Roman Catholic book on rediscovering the Roman Catholic Church. Even though I had background information on the Roman Catholic Church before diving into this book, I have gained more knowledge on the doctrine. From what I have read so far, I have made connections between what I have read in the Catholic Bible and other books. In addition, I have paid attention to how contemporary society functions and how an individual can change negative habits into better habits to improve their connection with God and the people around the community. A significant thing I learned from this book was the many philosophies surrounding the community that many people are unaware of, such as minimalism, hedonism, and individualism, and why it is crucial to draw away from these philosophies that do not positively impact our everyday lives, even though some believe that it is okay to live everyday life by abiding by these principles. Many books have influenced how I interact, assist, and learn from others. Even though I aspire to become a dental hygienist and psychologist, I hope to adopt more perspectives and meet the needs of the rest of the dental team and the community to have a successful career. One way goals can come true is through reading books. Many books I have read throughout my lifetime have influenced me to acquire positive outlooks, such as accepting others who they are, learning about historical events and figures, or growing spiritually. Even though the book genres I read now are different than what I read a decade ago, I see the connection among all the book genres I have read that I commit the purpose and lessons to memory and remind myself how all the book content connects to real life. I hope to continue reading books to succeed in life.

When I began volunteering in high school, I realized the various manifestations of selflessness in everyday life outside the volunteering realm. I learned to apply volunteering skills to the classroom and at home. Michael Rudometkin demonstrates selflessness' manifestation throughout everyday life, and his example can influence people to perform acts with heart and meet the needs of others. I embody selflessness by visualizing myself being in the circumstances another individual faces. Although I have demonstrated selflessness throughout my life, one significant moment I embodied altruism was when, in 10th grade, I tutored students preparing for the Algebra I STAAR Exam, the statewide Algebra I exam in Texas, through the usage of previous Algebra I STAAR Exam questions to get an idea on how the test may be structured, concepts tested on, and effective methods to solve problems. The opportunity taught me that a student needs guidance in understanding the content and skills for an Algebra I exam. If I know the elements to succeed in something, such as the test, I could use them to help students better understand the content and pass the exam. The same applies to other academic subjects or other skills outside the classroom. By patiently explaining the methods and content to comprehend an exam, a student can be well prepared for an exam in any subject. In addition, sharing knowledge and experiences can assist in the studying process. Another noteworthy instance I demonstrated selflessness was in February when I volunteered at a food bank at Tarrant County College- Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Although I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, I saw the opportunity as a way to help communities I do not know of because an individual does not have a certain mile radius to perform compassionate acts. On that day, I assisted in creating boxes with nutritious foods, such as cucumbers or rice, for individuals who needed access to the foods to have nourished bodies. The opportunity taught me that individuals can also face food scarcity in urban cities, such as Fort Worth, besides remote areas. In addition, I gained inspiration to continue the acts in the future to assist people in accessing elemental life resources, such as food. I realized the versatility of selflessness in individual and community life. Although I have excelled in selflessness in volunteering, I visualize possessing the trait during my personal and professional life. As I continue embarking on the education journey through postsecondary education, I can acquire more skills that enable me to become considerate of others' needs because many people in the world need that to live a healthy life. In addition, I hope to uplift future generations to perform their actions with faith, heart, determination, and selflessness in anything they do to visualize if they were in the circumstance of the other person and develop beneficial life skills.

Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to show genuine compassion and consideration to people in various social environments because individuals have different living conditions. Some face hunger while others may not, or some have enough clothing to wear while others may not. Providing individuals with the necessary resources to survive is elemental to achieving a stable social environment. I have given back by helping at school, college, or community events. I hope to positively impact the world through continuing volunteerism and execute these elements in my professional life through my career. I began volunteering in high school when I was in 10th grade. The opportunities comprised helping around the school, such as assisting teachers with classroom organization, tutoring students in Algebra I for the upcoming statewide test, or setting up school events. From these volunteering experiences, I realized I could use my skills, such as organization, to make processes efficient, such as helping a teacher organize things throughout the classroom or finding adequate places to place decorations for a school event. As I entered 11th and 12th grade, I joined the National Honors Society and continued volunteerism, including settings outside of school, such as the venue of citywide marathons or the districtwide football stadium, to give food and water to the spectators/participants. In the events outside of school, I realized preparing for important events, such as high school football games or marathons, requires dedication to set up and provide an exceptional experience for the people because of their hard work in training for the games or marathons and completing major lifetime milestones. Currently, I am attending college and continue volunteering acts. Although I have not volunteered recently at a place, the latest place I volunteered was at a food bank at Tarrant County College-Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The opportunity helped me challenge the notion that only individuals in small areas struggle for adequate food access. I realized the situation can also happen in urban areas, especially in Fort Worth, a big city in North Texas. In addition, I realized packaging nutritious food for the people was showing charity by providing nutritious food to the people who need it to live healthy lives. In college, I am studying dental hygiene and mental health. I hope to transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. From my classes, I have realized the community needs more oral and mental health education to understand the effects of leaving oral and mental health conditions untreated and how to maintain good oral and mental health. I hope to continue education in both fields to impact the community through sharing oral and mental health knowledge and expand oral and mental health services, including in underrepresented areas. Of all the volunteering opportunities I have taken advantage of, I realized events or assistance cannot occur without giving up time to help. I hope to expand oral and mental health services, especially in underrepresented communities. Volunteering takes faith, heart, compassion, and motivation to assist in setting up community events or individuals in need. In addition, performing acts of kindness in any career field is valuable in creating an impactful contribution to society and inspiring future generations to continue the cycle.

Something I have really wanted but have put on hold due to financial priorities was a bicycle.

Since I was little, I have wanted to pursue a healthcare career, specifically in the dental field, because of my interest in learning about oral health. However, dentistry is not the only career I have wanted to pursue. In 12th grade, I developed an interest in pursuing a mental health career besides dentistry because of guest speakers who came to school and advocated for fentanyl awareness or awareness of other prevalent mental health issues in contemporary society. I plan to pursue dental hygiene and mental health because of the motivation to help people facing adverse oral or mental health circumstances and improve the reach of these services to the ones who need them most. While in high school, I took classes related to dentistry. In the classes, I learned dentistry was more than about oral structures. It was also about the influence the area has on other body systems, such as commencing digestion or allowing oxygen to enter the lungs. In 12th grade, I interned at a dental clinic from the Fall to the Spring of the school year. While interning, I learned about the daily roles of the dentist, receptionist, and dental assistant. I usually assisted the dental assistants with cleaning treatment rooms, checking a patient's blood pressure, interpreting for Spanish-speaking patients, and sterilizing instruments after use. In addition, I assisted the dentist with cleanings, which is similar to the role I would be doing as a dental hygienist. From the duties, I strengthened skills such as attention to detail and organization, which is my strongest skill. Although dentistry has been my strongest passion, I am also interested in learning about the human mind through psychology. I have begun taking the first step to reach this goal by attending community college, which was a challenge at first when finding a postsecondary institution to continue studies, and connecting current courses with daily life psychology, such as human behaviors, nervous system structure, politics, the effect of music on an individual, or statistics. I believe organization and attention to detail apply to dental hygiene and psychology because I could pinpoint the locations of the congregation of pathogens in an area of the oral cavity or observations when determining psychological disorders. Organization can enhance focus when doing something in both fields. In addition, being a Spanish speaker will help me connect with Spanish-speaking individuals by taking the time to understand their oral or mental health situation and educate them on effective ways to maintain good oral or mental health. I will positively impact both careers by offering solutions to the problems presented above, reduce social polarity within communities, including underrepresented communities, and overall influence inclusivity, either patients or future change makers. In other words, the youth of the time I would be working at a professional job. Although I have encountered hardships and successes in my journey to study dental hygiene and mental health, I hope to transfer to a university someday to obtain a PhD in psychology because I could utilize my extensive knowledge to navigate the most complex psychological disparities threatening contemporary society. With dental hygiene, I hope to spread oral health education to more communities, especially the underrepresented populations. I hope to do the same with psychology.

Since I was little, I have been passionate of pursuing a healthcare career, specifically in the dental field, because of my interest in learning about oral health. However, dentistry is not the only career I have wanted to pursue. In 12th grade, I developed an interest in pursuing a mental health career besides dentistry because of guest speakers who came to school and advocated for fentanyl awareness or awareness of other prevalent mental health issues in contemporary society. I plan to pursue dental hygiene and mental health because of the motivation to help people facing adverse oral or mental health circumstances and improve the reach of these services to the ones who need them most. As a first-generation college student from immigrant parents, I understand there needs to be more racial representation in various career fields, especially the careers I pursue. I understand there are underrepresented populations who need oral and mental health services to reverse the adverse effects of oral or mental health issues. Currently, I am a college freshman attending community college studying dental hygiene and mental health, and hope to graduate with an associate's degree. If I can in the future, I hope to attend a university to obtain a PhD in psychology to analyze psychological issues prevailing in contemporary society and overall enter the deepest aspects of the field to have the necessary elements to execute healthy communities. I foresee myself applying knowledge through challenging barriers making impossible for someone to pursue these careers and impact communities, such as barriers minority groups face in the pursuit of postsecondary education and entering in professional fields. To add, this would contribute to more representation of all races in dentistry and mental health fields. In addition to be an inspirational figure for future generations, I hope to utilize knowledge and advocate to provide solutions to enhance oral health and coping strategies for mental health issues individuals experience within communities. By bringing effective oral and mental health care to the people, especially the ones who need these services the most since they face limited access, there would be more healthy communities because of my future work to contribute to the improvement of oral and mental health among communities. Apart from the goal, I also have another goal to empower future generations to not focus on the limits, but the positive possibilities they can achieve in a professional career, regardless of background or career choice, because anyone can shine the bright light of a better society.

The human body cannot function properly without interconnectedness between organ systems, or a vehicle cannot function if the parts do not work synchronously. Learning, growth, and spirituality connect, meaning one element cannot function without another. I have dedicated my life to valuing academics, learning about the world, and growing my identity knowledge simultaneously. In addition, I have learned to value community service because of the benefits of helping others in need through enhancing experiences of citywide events or giving food. Chidubè was an exemplary individual who reminded us of the significance of exploring beyond individual capacity. Since I was little, I have been passionate of pursuing a healthcare career, specifically in the dental field, because of my interest in learning about oral health. However, dentistry is not the only career I have wanted to pursue. In 12th grade, I developed an interest in pursuing a mental health career besides dentistry because of guest speakers who came to school and advocated for fentanyl awareness or awareness of other prevalent mental health issues in contemporary society. As a first generation college student coming from immigrant parents, I have faced challenges, significantly the one involving attending a postsecondary education institution. Despite being academically successful throughout grade school because of the dedication to learn beyond the subject material, such as algebra, geometry, statistics, reading, social studies, biology, chemistry, physics, or anatomy and physiology in everyday life and why it is vital to learn about these subjects, I could not afford to attend university because of the financial situation of my parents. On the summer after graduating high school, I faced the battle between continuing education or staying out for a year or more, believing I had to end the pursuit of postsecondary education and broadening knowledge of the world. However, I decided not to give up and eventually decided to settle in a community college that had both career pathways I wanted to study. I hope to graduate with an associate's degree and transfer to a university, if I have the funds, to study psychology and one day graduate with a PhD in psychology. I understand I cannot achieve the goal without something more vital than financial funds, which is spirituality. While in high school, I became more aware of the connection between spirituality and real-life events because of loving others, showing compassion for others, especially for the ones who need the transmission of the virtue most, and reliance on faith for everyday actions. I also made a connection to spirituality with volunteering because I realized volunteering was more than completing at least 100 hours to obtain the cord during graduation. It was showing virtues to people through volunteerism and strengthening the purpose of being in this world. When I volunteered, I gave food and drinks to individuals at citywide events, such as football games, marathons, or walks, nourishing individuals to fuel their bodies and providing a wonderful experience while attending these events. I plan to use the knowledge and experiences by teaching individuals to value education, faith, and societal work, even if they perform trivial activities. In addition, I hope to continue performing community service because society will continue to face resource scarcities, such as food or school supplies, because there will be socioeconomic barriers to vital resources. Chidubè's values connect to many students' visions and goals, including mine. I hope to continue exercising these values, including spirituality, throughout my professional and personal life because they will strengthen my identity and leave a positive mark on the world. I hope to spread these values to future generations to continue the good deeds worldwide.

Being part of the community has shaped my sense of hope for the future by feeling determined and motivated to continue volunteerism throughout my lifetime because I understand there will be people in need and providing the compassion and resources they need, I would be able to further strengthen my identity and build healthy communities. Although I have had opportunities to help out the community, whether through school, community, or college events, and have learned a lot of lifelong values, I will discuss about two significant occasions I have contributed to aiding the community in something they need, either for health or community building reasons. Two notable times I have been able to be part of a community were at an internship at a dental clinic during my senior year of high school and a volunteering event at a community college, which was a food bank, where I volunteered this past February. I have attached files demonstrating the context below and an image when I volunteered at a food bank at a community college. How Has Being Part of a Community Shape my Sense of Hope for the Future? Connection: At the internship at the dental clinic, being part of the team taught me to connect with other people, especially patients, because they struggle with oral health conditions/diseases, and my job was to provide a good experience for the patient’s visit, with the rest of the employees. At the volunteering event, the opportunity taught me to connect with others by knowing the people picking up food need food to survive, and the rest of the volunteers, who were mostly students, had the mission to help fill the community’s needs through providing food. Resilience/Kindness: At both the college and the internship at the dental clinic, being resilient taught me to persevere in providing services to the people, despite low supply on food or changes in anything at the dental clinic, such as interpreting for patients to understand what the dental assistant or dentist said when others were busy attending other patients. Both the college and internship taught me kindness by doing the duty with determination and heart because everyone faces adversity in their life, and appreciate compassionate and courteous individuals who would take the time to assist these people in compassionate ways to move on forward with life. It would be like if I experienced an oral condition/disease or food scarcity within my family.

I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to receive an Associate's degree at the community college and transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. Although I have faced obstacles in pursuing post-secondary education, I have persevered by attending community college to study dental hygiene and mental health. Similar to many minority students who come from immigrant parents working arduously at undesirable jobs and without a strong educational background, including myself, I faced obstacles in the pursuit of post-secondary education. Initially, I was going to attend a university to continue these studies but ended up not going there because of financial limitations. I thought I could not walk through the post-secondary education path for the fall semester. However, I settled at a community college to continue my goals of becoming a dental hygienist and psychologist. Now, I am taking classes in both careers. I am passionate about learning about dental hygiene because of my motivation to improve oral health flaws among people, a passion since I was little. During my senior year of high school, I became interested in mental health because of some guest speakers who came to school to advocate for mental health awareness. I felt passionate about overturning adverse mental health trends and developing a passion for assisting others through mental health. I plan to transfer to a university to continue my psychology studies and dive into the intricate field surrounding our daily lives. I hope to obtain a PhD in psychology. By pursuing a PhD, I will have the complex psychological knowledge necessary to tackle the most pressing mental health disorders in contemporary society. In addition, I will be helping individuals practice coping strategies and inspire the future face of the workforce to pursue post-secondary education, not only to have a good job but also to demonstrate determination and compassion in their work and society. I plan to positively impact the community by diffusing oral and mental health knowledge and resources to the community, especially for underrepresented populations, to reverse current trends in mental and oral health. By achieving this goal, healthy societies will flourish, whether urban, suburban, rural, or remote populations. In addition, Besides my professional life, I plan to positively impact the community by providing society's necessities, whether material or spiritual. I began volunteering in high school by aiding individuals in marathons, football games, or other school-related events. Now, I continue volunteerism at college, a valuable activity I want to continue throughout life. Financial barriers do not define a student's identity or potential to make everlasting world impacts. I hope to educate individuals on the importance of maintaining stable oral and mental health to minimize the risk of suffering oral or cognitive disorders. In addition, I hope to aid the community with anything they need, whether outside or inside my career fields, and influence future generations to pursue education in world-changing careers. Overall, I hope to open doors to education and healthcare opportunities throughout my personal and professional life. With a small flame ignition of change, possibilities extend from limitations. Nothing should impede an individual from overturning adverse societal aspects into benefits.

Volunteering demonstrates a genuine interest in assisting the community with the resources they need to survive, diminishing egocentric characteristics. Volunteering involves giving up time, whether early morning, daytime, or nighttime. Time is worth building community and providing necessities. I have participated in various volunteering events throughout high school and college. Although I have not volunteered as much in college, I have begun my college volunteering journey by volunteering at a food market. In high school, I volunteered to set up citywide marathons, assist individuals watching high school football games by giving them food and water, and provide food and water at a Walk to Defeat ALS Event. Although I value helping other volunteers and the people at the events, one of the most noteworthy events I volunteered for was at a food market at a different community college. I attend Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas, but the event was at Tarrant County College-Northwest Campus in Fort Worth. Although not an attendance requirement, I decided to help after learning about the opportunity through an announcement. On the morning of February 21st, 2025, I arrived and saw other volunteers distributing food. While there, I helped them bag cucumbers and load food bags onto vehicles. I gave back to the community by providing individuals with food and water and showing empathy to the people because volunteers understand not everyone has stability, especially aliment stability. I realized the opportunity was elemental to diminish food insecurity throughout Fort Worth and other surrounding areas, although any community event and its values apply anywhere. Leadership through service demonstrates taking action in analyzing and providing community needs, such as food, water, or personal care items while showing a compassionate, understanding, and motivating attitude toward other volunteers and the people. I hope to continue volunteerism throughout my college trajectory and life because I want to increase empathy within communities, whether I live in them or not. Since I place myself in people's shoes, thinking about how I would feel if I had to endure an arduous situation. In addition, I hope to inspire future generations to find volunteerism's value, even though someone has to give up hours of their day to turn them into change-making time. Volunteering experiences have helped me realize there is more to being at the event. Volunteering means valuing the people in the community by providing a good experience for individuals who attend an event.

A lifelong element an individual should maintain to see the light through adversity and place trust in God in other life aspects. What is it? It is faith. Faith is a force helping an individual recognize not everything is done individually. Performing activities and making good decisions are possible through God. My mom and grandma have taught me to value faith from an early age. I did not know faith is paramount to many everyday actions and activities until recently. I realized various everyday activities and actions connect to religion, and these experiences allow individuals to grow spiritually. The Jim Maxwell Memorial Scholarship is a meaningful opportunity because I can express the role of faith in everyday life, a topic difficult to explain in many scholarships. In addition, many individuals, including myself, have Jim Maxwell's goal of inspiring others to realize their life potential while at the same time discovering the importance of spirituality in everyday lives. Although I have endured adverse and favorable situations involving God performing good works, I have recognized some situations where I should thank God until later in life. In addition, I have recognized God's work in other situations. At a significant moment, I felt hopeless for a good opportunity. The opportunity was the pursuit of postsecondary education. I applied to a local university during my senior year of high school. However, after high school graduation, my parents said there was insufficient money for attendance. Although I received scholarships to go there, they could not fully cover expenses. The situation meant I may have to stay out of a postsecondary education institution for a while. Fortunately, I felt God illuminated my mind to not give up on education and had faith I would attend a postsecondary education during the fall semester. Before most universities and colleges began classes, I applied to a community college. Although the community college is far from home, I could break some barriers in pursuing further education, although not completely, because I still hope to attend a university to further studies. Since God's plan is perfect, and things will come at a certain time, I realized the power of faith in everyday situations, such as this one. I plan to use my faith to reach greater heights by continuing to have faith in the Lord because I know all things are possible through Christ. I understand some individuals have influenced others to walk on the wrong path, believing there will be favorable outcomes if someone walks that path, especially the youth, leading to dangerous and life-threatening decisions. I hope to use my knowledge and experiences to connect adverse situations individuals face and realize there is hope in various life aspects. I hope to spread God's word to others needing to learn about God because it is a crucial duty for an individual to fulfill. As Matthew 28:19 states, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..." I hope to inspire others in finding the right path and have faith in God. Overall, God is the one who helps us throughout our lifetime. We all live to fulfill a mission in life, and God helps us every step of the way to achieve our goals. By placing our trust in the Lord, we can do things to benefit society and personal spiritual growth. As Saint Francis of Assisi's prayer states, "Make me an instrument of your peace."

In many circumstances, I trust in God because God provides us with signals to navigate everyday life, whether struggles or successes. As Luke 1:37 states, "...for nothing will be impossible for God." Religion, specifically Roman Catholicism, is elemental because I learned to see the world through religious lenses, make good decisions, and execute righteous actions. Although I have put faith in God on various occasions throughout my lifetime, I believe the significant time was when my mom had surgery in an area of the reproductive system. The surgery occurred at the beginning of 2025. Days before the surgery, I recalled a Biblical passage and also told parts of the passage to my mom on the day of the surgery at the clinic. The passage is Ben Sira 38:1-9, which states, "Make friends with the doctor, for he is essential to you; God has also established him in his profession. From God the doctor has wisdom, and from the king he receives sustenance. Knowledge makes the doctor distinguished, and gives access to those in authority. God makes the earth yield healing herbs which the prudent should not neglect; Was not the water sweetened by a twig, so that all might learn his power? He endows people with knowledge, to glory in his mighty works, Through which the doctor eases pain, and the druggist prepares his medicines. Thus God's work continues without cease in its efficacy on the surface of the earth. My son, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to God, for it is he who heals." The passage reminds an individual to prioritize God when undergoing a medical procedure, similar to prioritizing God for other everyday activities, and recognize God providing the knowledge and ethics to medical professionals to treat patients. My mom was happy when I told her parts of the chapter and verses from the book of Ben Sira. The night before, I prayed with my mom about the upcoming surgery, believing that through God, there would be a good outcome. Although I could not stay with my mom on the day of the surgery because I had a class in college, I found out my mom survived and had the surgery, and she had to rest for days to recover. All of the outcomes occurred by relying on God for my mom to overcome the surgery challenge, the prayer, including a Hail Mary with my grandma, the biblical passage, and thanking God for a successful surgery. Placing trust in God, whether favorable or adverse circumstances, is crucial because God is the solution to our problems and the only source of true joy. I hope to continue relying on God for the things I will do and spread God's word to other people to learn about God and how to tackle life's most pressing challenges while at the same time finding joy, life's virtues, meaning in life, and vocations, the activities God calls people to serve others.

I am Edwin Martinez-Andrade, a first-generation college student attending Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. My parents are immigrants from El Salvador without a strong educational background because of limited education opportunities during the time my parents lived in that country. In addition, I am my mom's only child. My Hispanic family background has affected how I see the world by appreciating culture and being determined to reach beneficial goals. Being born and raised in Irving for most of my life, I have appreciated where I was born and where my parents come from. In addition, it is the city where my parents met. I have opened my perspective on how I see race in Irving. I know various Hispanic families in Irving have children who want them to become change-makers through their profession. I know there are businesses created through the hard work of Hispanic immigrants to provide good service to others. I know my parents had to perform labor instead of going to school to sustain their families, or my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I sometimes reflect on what would have happened if my parents received education opportunities in El Salvador. I sometimes think similarly to my mom on how God had a plan for her to come here for better living conditions and for me to be born here to obtain access to education, opening doors to professional careers. My mom has always encouraged me to pursue further education and support my desired career paths. My career paths are dental hygiene and psychology. Although more Hispanics are entering these fields, I hope to aid others in both fields to fulfill my similar visions, such as increasing access to oral and mental health care to underrepresented populations, including the Hispanic community. When I was 7 years old in 2012, I visited El Salvador for the first time. I could meet some family members who live there and the living conditions of the people. As I got older, I realized that post-secondary education provides tools to raise awareness and find ways to reduce adverse situations, such as poverty. Sometimes, individuals can forget their roots and believe there is no suffering because of their stable living conditions. By recognizing the efforts of parents or ancestors, we humiliate ourselves and see the needs of others. I hope I can inspire future generations of minority students to realize the sacrifices their parents made to open opportunities they could not receive and take the calls seriously through my professions and personal life. Although my parents and I have had our struggles and successes, we persevered through God's will. The same goes for the rest of the people living in the United States of America. Being part of the Hispanic ethnicity has helped me appreciate the culture because Hispanic immigrants sacrifice their lives to find work in the United States of America to live a stable life compared to the politically, socially, or environmentally conflicted countries of origin, and raising children to encourage them to pursue further education, while at the same time influencing other Hispanics to pursue fields with a small percentage of minority graduates, boosting diversity and perspectives. Parents sacrifice their lives to realize their vision of their children graduating with a university degree was worth their labor in making the moment possible and seeing them help populations, especially the Hispanic population, because of their commitment to serve others through their professional jobs. If other Hispanic students have fulfilled the vision held by most parents, I have the potential to do the same through God.

Becoming an officer for a school club/organization, winning an award for excellence in a class, winning an award for excelling at an interscholastic competition, achieving a high GPA, becoming class valedictorian for a high school, or getting accepted to a college or university, including prestigious institutions, are high milestones a student can reach and be considered academically successful. The student creates a plan and perseveres to obtain the goals despite facing obstacles. The successes do not provide true identity because individuals are more than academic achievers. Success is the continuous discovery of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Although I have achieved most of the accomplishments above, that does not mean I am not a successful student because I have not met all of the expectations of academic success. Even though some of my strengths reflect my academic achievements, I believe all students are successful through perseverance in pursuing further education to achieve their aspirations and explore their potential to achieve great things. Although I previously misconstrued that university students are more successful than students who stay with a high school diploma and attend community college or trade school, I know the statement is inaccurate. Although university students have increased job opportunities because many jobs require bachelor's, master's, or even doctoral degrees, students in other levels of further education can also find success and jobs aligning with their career path. I realized one of my weaknesses was generalizations about further education. I recognized the weakness until I began attending community college to complete the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. Although I am attending community college, I believe I can succeed in learning the elements of both career paths through my classes, similar to a university student's approach to understanding the details of their desired profession. I aspire to become a dental hygienist to aid and educate individuals in maintaining good oral health and the effect of oral health on other body systems. In addition, I aspire to become a psychologist, with hopes to transfer to a university to continue psychological education, tackle the most pressing mental health problems in contemporary society, and reverse the increasing trend of individuals affected by mental health disorders. For both careers, the degrees will not define my victory in success, but instead, the ongoing work to increase access to oral and mental health services to all populations, specifically the underrepresented population and remote areas, and become a source of inspiration for others to find their identity and their passions in positively impacting the world. I aspire to become a dental hygienist to aid and educate individuals in maintaining good oral health and the effect of oral health on other body systems. In addition, I aspire to become a psychologist to tackle the most pressing mental health problems in contemporary society and reverse the increasing trend of individuals affected by mental health disorders. For both careers, the degrees will not define my victory in success, but instead, the ongoing work to increase access to oral and mental health services to all populations, specifically the underrepresented population and remote areas, and become a source of inspiration for others to find their identity and their passions in positively impacting the world. The scholarship opportunity will enable me to succeed by further discovering my identity, receiving a deep education in psychology, acquiring various perspectives, and having the tools to aid individuals struggling with mental health while, at the same time, uplifting individuals in their journey to mental health improvement to realize their potential to feel valuable and capable of placing positive marks in the world. The scholarship will open my perspective on seeing beyond the financial aspect. To conclude, success in obtaining a valuable education is paramount to learning the elements of professional jobs, but not merely for personal advantage over others. Success comes from perseverance, going through obstacles, falling and lifting again, recognizing areas of growth and improvement, creating everlasting impacts, helping others, inspiring others to take on challenges, and being less egocentric because we cannot do everything on our own. As Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." These characteristics define true identity because individuals have these traits and try to discover their inner person daily. Although academic, professional, or personal successes recognize individual achievements through effective goal-setting strategies, perseverance, and motivation, success will always go beyond the certificates, degrees, and goals because of the lifelong discovery of the inner person and the importance of compassion, humility, and love for others.

Many minority students, including myself, come from immigrant parents, usually without strong educational backgrounds because of limited education opportunities in their home countries. The parents make sacrifices to achieve a stable lifestyle for their families, and one of the ways they reach the goal is by motivating their children (mostly minority students) to obtain a college/university education. Although not every immigrant parent encourages their son or daughter to pursue further education, the son or daughter thinks of pursuing higher education. In both ways, the reason is to help their family financially, create social change, connect their experiences with their career, or aid others in accessing vital goods and services. Many minorities are first-generation college students within their families, including myself. As a first-generation college student, I have decided to pursue further education to see equality in oral and mental health access. I prepared myself by taking healthcare-related classes and extracurricular activities in high school. In high school, I decided to be in the dental specialty because I had a passion for the field before I entered high school. My favorite aspect of dentistry is aiding individuals with oral conditions and diseases to have good oral health. In my classes, I realized dentistry is connected to other health roots, such as ethics/jurisprudence, nutrition, and professionalism. In 12th grade, I found my other passion, mental health, when mental health speakers came to school advising students to stay away from drugs, specifically fentanyl. After hearing about the impactful cases of drug abuse and other mental health conditions, I decided to study mental health in college to curb the adverse situation. In addition, I became involved in extracurricular activities, such as HOSA. While in HOSA, I attended a leadership conference, learning about healthcare professions and the daily duties of each profession, along with other schools in the area. In addition, I volunteered for the ALS Walk at the nearby community college. Before entering high school, I dreamt of pursuing further education to learn more about professional careers and one day work in a professional job. I applied to a local university during my senior year of high school, thinking I would attend. However, after learning about my parents' financial situation after high school graduation, I had to find an alternative path, community college, to continue receiving quality, career-oriented education. I felt down when I learned about the situation, but my mom encouraged me to continue my educational journey by applying to an affordable institution. When I commenced community college, I recognized I made the right decision, although it was not my dream goal to attend university. Although I do not attend university, I hope to enjoy valuable moments and open myself to new experiences during my higher education journey. I hope to continue learning about dental and mental health and its connections with other societal/health aspects. If I can, in the future, with adequate financial resources, I hope to transfer to a university to continue my mental health studies, hopefully pursuing a PhD in psychology, becoming the first to obtain such a degree. With my career learning and professional journey, I do not want to pursue further education because I want more material wealth but to fulfill my parent's dream of becoming and helping others maintain good oral and mental health. I strive to inspire others to succeed, regardless of career field, throughout life. Many minority students experience the same experiences of being the first to receive a college degree within their families. Completing postsecondary education is beneficial because individuals can create everlasting impacts, regardless of size.

My name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday to assist individuals in accessing quality dental and mental health care. I hope to transfer to a university to obtain a PhD in psychology. My first language is Spanish. Like many Hispanic students throughout the United States of America, they learn Spanish first before learning English because most of their parents come from Latin American countries, and the language they speak is Spanish. When Hispanic students begin school or at home with cartoons, books, or other English media, they learn English as a second language. My parents are immigrants, and I learned Spanish through them. Although I exposed myself to English books before beginning my education, I began to learn English in preschool. Although I did not fully understand English in preschool, I gained a better understanding of the language in kindergarten. As I continued my elementary, middle, and high school education, I learned more English words, which became beneficial in course essays or projects. Outside of school, being bilingual has helped me interpret information between languages. I have mainly interpreted an oral statement or letter from English to Spanish for my parents. I recall one instance where I did not help my parents with interpretation but a customer who only spoke Spanish at a store with a bleach product. The store did not have Spanish-speaking cashiers or other employees. I was with my grandma, and she told me to help. I heard the English words the employee told the customer, and I interpreted them in Spanish for the customer. After the day, I thought about the importance of knowing other languages to aid individuals in understanding goods and services. Having language representatives influences inclusion within society. In addition to learning English and Spanish, I also know French and Latin. Although I am not fluent in the languages, I have been intrigued to understand them. Since I was little, I noticed products having descriptions in another language and wondered about the language name. Later, I discovered the words were in French. I learned that "jaune" is yellow and "mains" is hands in French. I learned a few Latin words through the Roman Catholic Church during my early teenage years, such as "Ave Maria," meaning hail Mary. I hope to learn more French and Latin words. I hope to learn other languages, such as Vietnamese, Persian, or Hindi, minority languages mainly spoken and with multiple barriers in North Texas territory. Although Spanish is more inclusive than the other languages, I hope Vietnamese, Persian, and Hindi have representation, especially in upscale communities. Learning Spanish through my parents aided me in communicating with them and also in understanding their culture. I realized where my family came from and appreciated their culture and efforts in entering the United States of America. Learning multiple languages takes time, but with motivation, an individual can have the tools to help others understand the goods and services they receive. In addition, an individual can enrich their understanding of the culture behind the languages. I feel glad to be bilingual/multilingual and interpret information for others. Interpreting is more than translating for someone to understand what someone else is saying. It also comprises building community, showing compassion for others, and diffusing languages within a public setting. Although there are language barriers today, one can challenge oneself to understand the language and the individuals speaking the language to increase inclusivity within communities.

Sometimes, helping individuals with mental health challenges does not have to be someone not part of the family, such as a classmate, an academic organization member, or someone in the community. Anyone can aid a family member facing mental distress. My case of supporting others in their mental health journey is my grandma's loneliness by talking about the problem and suggesting a solution. My grandma is usually alone at home because I am at college and my parents are at work. One day, she talked to me about her daily loneliness challenges. I noticed her desperation for connection and decided to discuss her favorite topics, such as church. I began observing her joy because she had someone to talk to. From that moment, I realized my grandma needed communication, which is challenging since my parents and I are not usually home. By combating loneliness, my grandma copes with the issue by singing hymns and cooking, activities distracting mental distress thoughts. I became interested in studying mental health at a community college or university late during my senior year of high school when guest speakers came to school advocating for mental health because of the increased incidents of suicide or fentanyl overdoses at the time. Because of the guest speakers' inspirational tone when presenting, I thought of becoming a mental health advocate to educate individuals about not making high-risk decisions when facing mental health challenges and instead seeking support. I am attending community college studying dental hygiene and mental health. I am taking a psychology class and learning about psychological approaches. I will grasp more psychological topics throughout the semester, enriching my understanding of the field to become a successful psychologist. I hope to take additional classes at a university after receiving an associate degree at the community college. I hope to obtain a PhD in psychology to increase insight into the field. I will have the tools to battle the most challenging aspects of mental health issues and access to vital services to enhance healthy mental states throughout social environments. I learned the importance of connection when helping my grandma with loneliness. Although I have not participated in events supporting community mental health, I hope to become involved in community mental health events to make people aware of the importance of living. I hope to continue assisting individuals to achieve a stable mental state through my profession and everyday life.

The following story and the poem with drawing, as an attached file, are made up. Although people experience some of these things in real-life, the characters and situations are fictious. Both the story and poem with the drawing are connected: Story: The Hidden Inner Person: There was a boy named Roberto, who was in his senior year of high school. Regarded as the funniest student in the grade, many are unaware of his hidden trait. When it was time to nominate senior students to the categories of the high school's senior superlatives, many commented on nominating Roberto for the class clown category. Some recalled the time Roberto spun like a whirlwind when entering the cafeteria. Others remembered when he oinked like a pig, clucked like a chicken, and pretended to be a citizen of a monarchy land by saying, "Your majesty," to the prom king and queen when they passed by during the senior prom at the local banquet hall. A few days later, the seniors had their senior breakfast at the same banquet hall where Roberto performed humorous acts during prom. When the senior class president announced the winners of the class clown award, it was no surprise Roberto won. Many seniors cheered when the senior class president called Roberto's name. Some categories of the senior superlatives had one male and female winner, and the class clown category was no exception. In addition to Roberto, the senior class president called on the female class clown winner. Her name was Grace. When Roberto and Grace came up to receive the award, Roberto bowed down and said thank you in Spanish. Some students began to laugh at Roberto because they knew the senior class president was of Native-American descent and did not know Spanish. Roberto felt joyful when he heard the laughs. Then, he apologized to the senior class president by formally saying thank you in English, and she accepted his apology, although she smiled throughout the moment. They went to take their picture. The funny thing was he put two French fries from the previous day into his mouth, pretending to create tusks with the French fries while smiling. He also had two pencils to create pretend antennas on his head. The cameraman laughed and said to both students, "This will be a historical class clown picture." After the picture, Roberto congratulated Grace on receiving the award, and she congratulated him by saying, "Although many girls like my jokes, you are a comedian." "Well, thank you, Grace. You are funny too," Roberto responded. As they headed to the tables, Roberto noticed a girl sitting by herself at a table. He knew her from his psychology class. He rushed and asked her, "Can I sit here, Zayla?" "Yes. I feel alone," Zayla said. Grace and another girl named Alexa also came to the table. "I understand how you feel. Many regard me as a class clown, but you are intelligent and kind because you always help others understand projects and get good grades on class assignments. Do not feel inferior. You have a bright future ahead as the rest of the class," Roberto said. Grace said, "You have a beautiful, unique personality." Alexa said, "You demonstrate the importance of humility." The girl reflected on Roberto's words and said, "Thank you for brightening my day." "You are welcome," Roberto, Grace, and Alexa replied. Even though Roberto is funny, he discovered his hidden talent: Uplifting other students' school days by being compassionate and motivating others to make the most of the school day. The students realized Roberto's empathetic and humorous side.

The universe contains planets, stars, galaxies, and organisms. Many scientists and philosophers have questioned the universe's origins throughout history. Societies change, but various fundamental laws, such as the law of conversation of mass or the atomic theory, continue to be applicable in modern society, and future generations continue learning the theories. Working together to understand the nature of the universe is crucial for knowing the role of scientific theories and processes in our daily lives and what would happen to life if none of the actions based on these theories failed to exist. Philosophies take us to a fascinating universe of questions, theories, and beliefs. Although many people are unaware, everyone is a philosopher, whether it is developing a theory or only questioning a small thing. We live by philosophy. I learned many philosophers and their philosophies throughout my high school history classes. Philosophers such as Baron de Montesquieu provided the framework for the future U.S. government system through limited government and the separation of powers or Aristotle's approach to logic, which inspired other philosophers to elaborate on understanding logic. Outside of high school, I have learned about hedonism, individualism, and minimalism, which means living with fewer possessions and prioritizing the elemental aspects to survive. These are examples of philosophies revolving around our contemporary everyday lives. In hedonism, individuals tend to value pleasure more than moral codes. We see the philosophy in action by individuals using pleasure to escape realistic challenges. Individualism is the most dominant philosophy in the United States of America because more individuals focus on fulfilling themselves. Philosophies comprise our identities, daily lifestyles, and methods to live better and reflect on our existence. In addition, world religions have different perspectives on the universe's creation and function, sometimes challenging secular universal views. Although both sides have differing standpoints, there are shared traits, such as learning about the universe's wonders or the beneficial purposes of the existence of abiotic and biotic factors. Besides religions and philosophies, literature is a gateway to connecting scientific understanding and literary works. From fantasy stories to biographies, we can learn about misconceptions and truths throughout time. Even though fantasy stories talk about unreal events, one day, the events can become true through scientific and technological advancements. I have and continue to take literature classes. I have learned different literary genres reflect the knowledge and culture of a specific historical time. Last semester, I learned about cultural heritage and how some cultural symbols help individuals deepen their understanding of their culture and the universe. Literature and philosophy open our minds to questioning our culture, society, and existence in the world, opening our interest to make, challenge, or elaborate on discoveries. Mathematics opens the curiosity of exploring the universe's hidden and known features. We see structures within Earth, such as vehicles, electrical systems, bridges, roads, homes, architecture, statues, spaceships, the distance between stars, and celestial movements. All require math to construct or calculate the length between the billions of stars in the solar system or highway bridges overpassing a street or river. In grade school, I realized without mathematical equations, fields, or theories, many objects would fail to exist, many everyday life activities would be challenging to perform, and individuals would face adverse circumstances in innovating STEM fields. Last semester in college, I took a statistics class, and I learned statisticians can collect data on celestial and Earthly trends to notice changes over time. I hope to continue gaining knowledge in mathematics and its extraordinary applications in continuing the quest to explore the universe. History teaches us about world society's past, present, and future. The shared things within all societies are necessities, such as water to drink and oxygen to breathe, and government systems to live in an ordered and disciplined place. In grade school, I learned about ancient civilizations and the contributions of individuals within those societies, such as the Mayan civilization advancing in math and science by developing an astronomical-based calendar, aiding modern astronomers in creating accurate astronomical predictions as the Mayans attempted to develop the concept. Early governments from ancient civilizations provided the basis for strengthening our purpose in the universe by having the right to advocate and contribute to society's advancement. In the upcoming semester, I am taking a federal government class to connect the evolution of the U.S. government over time and how understanding the universe can lead to positive law implementations for individuals. The environment is another element in comprehending the universe's wonders. We live on planet Earth, a planet known to support organism life because it predominantly contains water, an oxygenic atmosphere, and considerable temperatures for organism survival. Unfortunately, we are experiencing climate change, and the trend can continue in the future if adverse human activity does not cease. Some human actions are deforestation, burning fossil fuels, or creating structures in former green spaces, sometimes destroying animal habitats. Even though humans depend on environmental resources for survival, plants, animals, and other organisms also need methods for survival to contribute to helping other plants, animals, and humans breathe clean air, create medicine, or have food to eat. Fortunately, individuals create solutions to the problem to keep the Earth healthy for the future. Understanding the environment and connection to the universe is essential in preserving natural resources for current and future generations and positively affecting the planet and other celestial interactions. A good environment enhances strong connections between everything available in the universe and more precise astronomical observations. Healthcare is another notable field, with many individuals contributing to improving societal health. In my high school health classes, I learned many individuals revolutionized healthcare history. Some examples of healthcare change makers I studied were Hippocrates, Florence Nightingale, Edward Jenner, Joseph Lister, Marie Curie, and Rosalind Franklin. Hippocrates established medical ethics, such as the Hippocratic Oath, which states a new practicing medical professional will not harm a patient when treating them for any disease or condition, which applies to modern healthcare. In addition, he challenged various disease misconceptions, such as individuals contracting disease due to superstition. Instead, he believed individuals experienced disease due to adverse environmental and lifestyle factors, which contemporary medical professionals use as a basis to determine the causes of a condition or disease among patients. Florence Nightingale revolutionized healthcare by challenging gender standards in establishing contemporary nursing, encompassing the nursing role. The modern nurse's role is to demonstrate compassion and care for patients. Edward Jenner contributed to creating the smallpox vaccine, which minimized smallpox cases worldwide over time. Joseph Lister pioneered antiseptic, leading healthcare professionals to take infection control measures to reduce cross-contamination during patient procedures. Marie Curie's discovery of radium and polonium opened chemistry research and modern cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, although a cure is still in development. Although all the health advances are vital, the historical discovery was the DNA structure. Rosalind Franklin contributed to discovering DNA's double helix structure, providing a basis for learning genetic structure, creating medicines to treat diseases, and researching genetic structure to forecast mutation causes or the probability of passing genes to future generations. However, she did not receive credit for her work. Even though many discoveries occurred centuries ago, healthcare innovations continue. For example, a study published on January 13, 2025, states dementia cases can double by 2060 among Americans at least 55 years of age, forecasting approximately 1 million cases annually. In addition, genetics and increasing negative lifestyle factors, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, not exercising, and poor mental health, can also increase dementia risk. The study clarified past studies by correcting misconceptions. New studies, such as dementia, can help us understand the universe by learning the studies, and we can take action to better living and spread knowledge to others to enhance better living. In the future, more individuals will deepen their understanding of medicine through education and extensive research. They may clarify other misconceptions or innovate the field by creating a cure for diseases such as cancer or HIV, even though scientists are actively attempting to reach the goal of enhancing the well-being of all individuals, including the people living in places lacking access to healthcare. By taking these steps, more individuals will realize the importance of maintaining good health and receiving adequate resources to achieve well-being. I aspire to become a dental hygienist and psychologist and hope to uncover the hidden spots of both professions one day through my healthcare education. Even though I have taken various science, math, history, and literature classes, I hope the classes I take in college strengthen my understanding of the universe. There is a lot to explore about the universe, but the good news is that scientists continue to make discoveries daily. In the future, new scientists will continue uncovering the universe's secrets and making discoveries known to society. Besides scientific discoveries, new philosophies will emerge, further understanding society's past, present, and future. I hope to contribute to exploring the universe's wonders through my career or in other aspects throughout my lifetime to make new findings known to people.

While in grade school, I learned of many existing organizations promoting societal well-being, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Red Cross, Feeding America, the United Way, and the Salvation Army. I realized each organization strives to provide society with necessary resources, such as food, water, or shelter. In addition, educating people about the environment, health, and other societal issues. One of the societal issues I am passionate about is abortion to advocate for pro-life and the negative consequences of abortion. I hope to build a pro-life organization in the future to raise awareness of babies' lives. A few days ago (January 8th, 2025), I applied for a pro-life scholarship and expressed my abortion standpoint. I described why I chose life and how everyone has the right to live. I also mentioned a proposed organization I plan to build in the future. It would be named North Texas Light to Life League. I believe the name is appropriate because the organization would tend to serve individuals from North Texas, the region I live in, precisely initiating in Roman Catholic churches because it is the place where there is increased pro-life advocacy. Although the goal is to reach beyond the area, such as the rest of the state, country, or worldwide, I will begin by taking small steps because it will be beneficial to address the issue first in a familiar place. I became aware of the issue when listening to Roman Catholic media talk about the dignity of every human being and how God does not create anyone by accident, meaning individuals live for a reason. In addition, even though a mom aborts their unborn child, they will continue to be a mom, no matter what. Even though some women do not show compassion when aborting an unborn child, a lifelong scar remains because the woman committed an immoral act. In addition, experiencing life is delightful because of all the things individuals can do, such as love others, accept others, strengthen faith, create connections, become advocates, and try new activities. We all exist to fulfill a mission in life. I realized getting informed on the controversial issue would one day help me spread knowledge to others because not everyone knows about the problem. In addition, learning life's values inspired me to one day create an organization to unite perspectives and increase community involvement. There are few events dedicated to the issue in my community. In addition, I will inspire others to advocate vital problems to continue spreading awareness within communities. Building the organization will help individuals living and not living in North Texas by increasing awareness of life's worthiness, including myself. Adults, young people, and children will learn life begins at conception and ends at natural death. Even though my career path does not involve advocating for pro-life, I hope to contribute to promoting life. I hope to extend the advocacy to populations where individuals face barriers in human rights education, positively impacting society.

During my lifetime, I have read various books about everyday life, such as going to school, making good friends, or accepting others the way they are. Even though I have enjoyed reading these books, one stands out because I read the book during elementary school and watched the movie while I attended middle school. The book-to-film adaptation of "Wonder" is significant to me because I visually saw how the book's plot and structure came to life and how the actions described in the book appeared in real life. When I read "Wonder," I visualized the characters acting, the setting, and the main character's situation. The main character, August Pullman, faced the main challenge of others accepting who he was, specifically at school, because of a birth facial disorder. The disorder makes him appear not ordinary compared to others, although he does ordinary activities. Although his face in the movie is not comparable to my visualizations when reading the book, I had an idea about his physical appearance. The positive side is Jack and Summer become August's friends and demonstrate true friendship by standing up to him in various challenging situations throughout the story, sometimes doing morally wrong things, such as Jack punching Julian in the face to defend August from Julian's defamation of him and the comment of breaking his friendship with August. "Wonder" presents various real-life social situations. From that moment, I created a connection between reading the book and seeing the movie when the actors and actresses perform the actions described in the book to show viewers real-life situations. In addition, I made a connection to my school experiences by seeing students trying to fit in with other classmates and the war between humility and becoming the striking student of the grade, similar to the movie. I realized that being oneself is more vital than attempting to be someone superior to true identity. I loved how the movie brought the book's elements to life, even though the scenes looked different than my mind's images. It will be one of the most memorable movies because of the message of acceptance, which should be more widespread in modern society. To conclude, I saw the difference between the movie and my visualization of the story "Wonder." By doing both things, I connected the gap by realizing the impactful plot and message of both media adaptations of the story. I hope to share the story with others someday to increase awareness of how the portrayed actions manifest in daily life.

My name is Edwin Martinez-Andrade. I am a first-generation student attending Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst and North Richland Hills, Texas. I am taking the dental hygiene and mental health pathways to work in these careers someday. The scholarship will enable me to increase my realistic lifetime goals and attend a university to continue my mental health studies. One of my goals is to obtain a PhD in psychology to learn the field's intricate aspects of effectively executing solutions to modern mental health challenges. Also, the scholarship will help me realize educational costs do not define me. Instead, my aspiration to become an influential figure for others comprises my identity. As mentioned above, one of my goals is to obtain a PhD in psychology to learn the intricate aspects of effectively seeking solutions to modern mental health challenges, such as individuals struggling with mental health disorders and barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Another goal I want to accomplish is to graduate with an associate degree in dental hygiene from a community college so I can work as a dental hygienist at a dental clinic. I have been passionate about pursuing a dental career because I want to help individuals achieve better oral health, including individuals facing barriers to obtaining quality oral health care. I have contributed to the community by volunteering for school events and community marathons, which I helped while attending high school. At school, I assisted in preparing for school events by decorating venues. In marathons, I assisted in setting up the event, sacrificing early Saturday mornings to support the rest of the volunteers. From my volunteer experiences, I realized many events would not occur without assistance. The opportunities also create a vibrant community. A time I failed where I learned from my failure was during my senior year of high school when I was part of the book club as treasurer. Even though I was not president, I felt the club would not succeed because I had to explain about the club by myself during fish camp, a school event before commencing senior year of high school. The first club meeting occurred approximately a month after fish camp. In the meeting, we discussed ideas for planned club events for the school year. Unfortunately, the ideas did not occur. I thought the president had new ideas, or we could not find the right time to meet for an upcoming meeting. In the second semester, the librarian, the club sponsor, hosted another meeting, where I was the only club member attending. On the meeting day, I realized the club's downfall and a lack of planned activities for the rest of the school year. I learned effective communication with the rest of the members from the beginning would have ensured a smooth flow within the club, attracting new members throughout the school year. The challenge was meeting with all of them simultaneously during the school day, although I saw the president more. Meeting with all club members would have enabled idea exchange to be a successful club during the school year. One of my greatest strengths is attention to detail. I tend to revise written documents for misspelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors. Also, I tend to scan places in case someone forgot something. Even though I have mostly executed the skill at school and writing essays for other scholarship applications, I believe it will benefit my professional life. Another strength is organization because I am good at organizing tasks. I will apply the skill to my professional life by reducing productivity time and fulfilling workplace goals.

God creates each human being for a reason. All human beings have a mission to fulfill in life. Sometimes, society allows immoral actions, such as abortion, to empower women to have reproductive rights. However, many women later regret aborting their unborn child, leading to mental health diseases. According to a 2011 study published by the British Journal of Psychiatry, 81% of women who had an abortion experienced a high probability of developing a mental illness. Why not receive anti-abortion education before becoming pregnant? Why impede a future impact maker's birth? Why not recognize the dignity of all lives? Why not reflect that God does not create anyone by accident? Why not show love for each other, including the unborn? Abortion is assassination. I have strengthened my pro-life position by realizing we are all humans, equal in the eyes of God. Everyone deserves to experience life's challenges and wonders, love each other, respect others, create friendships, and create a family later in life. Although I grew up without being unaware of abortion or the pro-life movement, I gained awareness after listening to a Roman Catholic priest talk about how a mom will always be the mom of the unborn, even after seeking an abortion. I think of the statement as like it or not because many women who abort their unborn baby do not recognize their motherhood. In addition, I have heard many Roman Catholic individuals talk about how forming a family is vital in educating children about the Roman Catholic faith. If a woman aborts an unborn child, how will she spread her knowledge of faith and life values? Although the statements apply to the Roman Catholic church, there is a connection to other individuals worldwide by developing exemplary families, regardless of religious affiliation or not practicing a religion. By digesting the information, I brainstormed ideas on diffusing knowledge about the prevalent societal issue to individuals. One step I am taking to spread awareness of pro-life is laying the foundations of a future organization. I named it the North Texas Light to Life League to serve North Texans since abortion is illegal in Texas. I hope the organization diffuses to other parts of the United States of America or the world. Even though the organization is not well known, I am working to make it known. During these days, I have been creating a website that provides an overview, purpose, and message for individuals to remember. Although I have not finished developing the site, I hope it attracts individuals to share ideas on pro-life events in Roman Catholic churches within the Dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth, the two largest dioceses in the region, or within communities because there are not many pro-life events throughout the year in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, including Irving, the city I live in, compared to other places in the United States of America. I hope to continue the work to educate future generations about valuing life from conception to natural death, no matter their cultural background. Even though I did not know anything about pro-life as a child, I continue to gain more perspectives on the side each day. I hope my future efforts shine a light on educating individuals about abortion's dangers and influencing individuals to create more positive changes to the cause.

While attending high school, I considered ways to impact the world someday. When I performed community service, I realized the importance of serving the community and contributing to making it a better place, inspiring me to do the same throughout my lifetime. I plan to positively impact the world by pursuing further education and being aware of societal issues to find solutions. In high school, I volunteered by preparing for school events, football games, and community marathons. I usually assisted in preparing decorations for schoolwide events and organizing a classroom. In football games, I assisted in providing concessions for individuals watching football players from other high schools play. Although my high school does not have athletics, I enjoyed helping supporters have an enjoyable experience, along with the other volunteers. Today, I reflect individual efforts can strengthen teamwork because everyone works together to keep individuals happy in any real-life setting. In addition, I felt I did the same while volunteering for other organizations because preparing for a community event took time. By maintaining a positive attitude and being determined to prepare before the event's commencement, I also strengthened my teamwork skills by alleviating some tasks other volunteers had to perform. After I finished volunteering for high school, I learned to give up some things, such as not staying at home for most Saturdays or holidays, volunteering in the early morning, or volunteering at night. Although I felt petrified, I found the actions worthwhile because instead of staying at home and feeling limited in contributing to the community, I helped individuals, not because of school recommendations but also because of my passion for serving others. Before concluding high school, I learned various community or schoolwide events would not occur without assistance in preparation, not solely to obtain the cord. Dedication to helping others is elementary in creating everlasting impacts. Many individuals are unaware of the importance of community involvement. I hope to continue volunteerism throughout my lifetime because I can relate to people's challenges. In addition, I hope individuals recognize their potential for volunteering and creating impact because we all have a lifelong mission, regardless of cultural background. Even though I want to continue volunteering throughout my lifetime, I also hope to create an impact by establishing a pro-life organization because many individuals are unaware of abortion's dangers and why every life is valuable. By providing effective education on the topic, especially for North Texas, the region I live in, individuals will learn why we exist and the missions future generations will fulfill, influencing more pro-life events throughout the area and maybe the country or worldwide someday. I am also passionate about the cause. I hope I can spread knowledge on the dignity of each life. By increasing access to vital resources in urban, suburban, rural, and remote areas, individuals will obtain equal access to resources. All individuals deserve an education, healthcare, faith knowledge, food, clothing, or shelter to thrive. Although everyone begins community involvement by performing small tasks, each step increases because of the determination to alleviate community hardships, increasing impact each time.

As a child, I wanted to become a dentist to cure oral health diseases and conditions. I took classes related to the career and interned at a dental clinic during high school. However, I took different routes within education. My dream career as a child is not my career path because of educational changes. Before I graduated high school, I applied to a university in hopes of completing the pre-dental pathway by taking required classes before moving to advanced education. Unfortunately, I could not attend university due to financial constraints, although I earned scholarships to attend there, which were not enough. Instead of believing I could not do anything to pursue post-secondary education, I enrolled at a community college and chose the dental hygiene and mental health pathways. The reason I also chose mental health is because I am passionate about aiding individuals who struggle with mental health conditions to make individuals feel they can create a mark in the world. Although mental health was not a dream career in the past, I developed the passion while in high school when various guest speakers came to school advocating for mental health awareness. I believe the people championed mental health to make students aware of the issue's seriousness in modern society. I decided to take classes in college to prepare myself for a university transfer to obtain a PhD in psychology one day. With this education, I will dig deeper into psychology to obtain the necessary tools to conquer the issues and boost societal self-esteem. I chose dental hygiene because of my high school classes that helped me prepare for studying the career and because I will still provide patient education and remove agents causing oral diseases. In addition, I learned a lot during my senior year while interning at a dental clinic because of the dental team's executing skills, such as effective communication among employees and patients, critical thinking, and time management each day. Also, I learned to perform some of the functions dental assistants perform, such as sterilizing, cleaning rooms, and creating an excellent dental experience for patients. Even though my dream differed from reality, I value the different paths to success I take. My career path changed over the years, but I am working hard to complete post-secondary education and break social barriers to high-quality oral and mental health services. I hope to create a positive impact through my work and be the light to inspire future generations to follow their passions, although there may be unexpected pathways to success.

When I was little, I had no variety of career interests. The only career I wanted to pursue was dentistry because of the interesting features of the oral cavity and how to prevent diseases among patients. In high school, I decided to study mental health in addition to dentistry because many individuals suffer from mental distress, and I thought I could motivate people to use coping strategies to relieve their mental health challenges. Before beginning college, I decided to study dental hygiene. I chose to pursue dental hygiene and psychology because I want to reverse current trends in mental health issues and oral diseases. During high school, I took dentistry-related classes to gain insight into the skills, training, and content necessary to succeed in the future. During my senior year, I interned at a dental clinic. I took vital signs, cleaned treatment rooms, sterilized dental instruments, assisted with cleanings, and helped the rest of the dental team by scheduling appointments. From that experience, I observed how dental clinics functioned daily and improved skills, such as employee or patient communication and time management. In addition, I learned the tasks dental assistants perform and tried my best to realize my mistakes and improve each time a dental assistant assigned me a duty. At the same time, during my senior year, many mental health guest speakers came to school and advocated for mental health. Students would learn about mental health conditions and real stories of individuals suffering. In addition, coping strategies to move on with life. The advocacy inspired me to pursue a mental health career in addition to dentistry, leading me to study the field when I entered community college. I began community college during the fall semester to begin the post-secondary education journey by taking required classes for dental hygiene and mental health pathways. I hope to graduate with an associate degree in dental hygiene and transfer to a university to continue my psychological studies. While at the university, I want to work my way to obtain a PhD in psychology to acquire more skills necessary for career advancement and influencing societal oral and mental well-being. I learned many things during high school and college by analyzing how the dental team applies the knowledge daily. I hope to continue improving my skills and learning new content relevant to my career pathways. Although my career path has unexpected steps, I feel great about pursuing dental hygiene and psychology because I will help others struggling with oral or mental health. After all, they are serious problems in modern times. By obtaining an education, I will have skills in equalizing access to oral and mental health services for individuals in urban, suburban, rural, and remote areas.

Some individuals seem to find being a leader impossible. However, through determination and perseverance, anyone can become a good leader and set examples for future generations to continue spreading something beneficial for society, such as sustainability or religion. I demonstrated exceptional leadership skills when I led a club during high school. When I began high school, I did not realize the importance of extracurricular activities until 11th grade, when I realized the activities were part of college applications or preparation for professional work. From there, I planned on joining a few school clubs to enrich the necessary skills for post-secondary education and the workplace. When I began my senior year of high school, I joined the Ignite Bible Club because I believed I could help the club succeed and learn new things through my Biblical background, something I have worked on since elementary school and continue to learn more about the Bible today. At the first Ignite Bible Club meeting, the club sponsor discussed roles and the responsibilities associated with the position, and students could choose their roles. As students chose their roles, I saw the president's role empty. I sensed a leadership opportunity and signed up for that role. After that day, I held responsibilities such as leading meetings, learning the Gospel reading, preparing questions about the reading, organizing and listening to others' ideas about events, and leading See You at the Pole, a before-school event where students and staff gathered around the school's front door to pray. I recall feeling nervous when leading the first meeting because I had not performed the activity in the past. In addition, I did not tend to exercise leadership within my other classes during class activities. Instead of listening to inner negative thoughts, I got up to the front of the room, read the Gospel passage for that meeting, and asked the rest of the members questions about the reading. In addition, I welcomed observations about the day's reading from the rest of the club members, such as making connections with other Biblical passages or everyday life. After the first meeting, I surpassed an obstacle, public speaking, and when the next meetings occurred, I felt confident in reading the Gospel, asking questions, allowing observations, and pitching in during the stage to provide more support for the club members. On the day of See You at the Pole, I had the same feeling from the first meeting, but again, I silenced my negative inner thoughts, confidently led the prayer, and everyone else there took turns to say their prayer. A third challenge I faced was setting up the booth for EXPO, a schoolwide event during Spring, because of the artifacts sold. I set a goal of preparing for the artifacts before the event, and the other club members pitched in. By working together, I provided prices and could convince students to buy the artifacts. By setting goals and working with other club members, I learned the elements of a good leader. Through small steps, extraordinary achievements come. I plan to execute leadership skills at the workplace by working with others to influence effective productivity. Overall, I learned no one is born with leadership knowledge. Individuals learn the elements of a good leader and build their skills to be leaders at school, college, university, work, and even the community. Sometimes, individuals feel they cannot lead something for a good cause because they underestimate their capabilities, but everyone has the potential to exemplify leadership to others. Although leaders face challenges, they learn how to overcome them and succeed throughout life, inside and outside of professionalism.

Parents are usually the ones who teach their children life skills, such as writing. Even though that may not be the case for all individuals, teachers also play a vital role in developmental growth. Teachers teach writing to students from an early age. Individuals use the skills to complete school assignments, scholarship applications for attending college or university, event invitations, or planning daily or future activities by using a planner. Even though writing is associated with creating scholarly articles, newspapers, or books, individuals demonstrate writing in many forms daily. What I love about writing is that it allows someone to transmit ideas to others to learn about individual perspectives on a topic. Even though writing is associated with educational activities, writing is my favorite hobby because I can engage my mind in something I will do throughout life. While in elementary school, I found the connection between reading and writing. I enjoyed books, mainly realistic fiction, because of the plot based on a main character's experiences and how real-life humans go through the same circumstances. That inspired me to write realistic fiction books in the future because I believe I can demonstrate my expression and creativity through the works. Now, I am working toward reaching that goal by creating realistic fiction stories about religion because some people overlook religion's role in daily life. While in high school, I had project assignments for biology and health science theory, where I wrote realistic fiction books on the ecological pyramid and professionalism in healthcare. Although not published yet to be sold in stores, I applied my knowledge from these classes. I created a story about students creating an ecological pyramid through a field trip to a forest and healthcare professionals exhibiting professionalism in everyday life by using made-up characters. I found the assignments to be more than completing them. It was about having fun utilizing course concepts and expression and creativity simultaneously. Although I enjoy my interpretations of everyday life things through stories, I need to advance my education to improve my writing skills. I want to further my education because I can learn new words through English college courses that can make my writing sound formal. I have taken action by attending community college and taking an English course, where I could learn new words through analyzing scholarly articles. In addition, I will better understand others when they use formal language to communicate something with someone. Now, I am pursuing a career in dental hygiene and psychology. By applying my writing skills in the mental health workforce to others, I can teach people that writing thoughts down is an effective coping mechanism for alleviating stress or other mental health issues. In addition, I can apply writing skills to dental hygiene by writing down a patient's treatment plan or diagnostic findings. From free time to education to work, writing can improve skills and communicate vital ideas or facts to others. Although I focus my professional career in the health sciences, I know I will do writing for those occupations as with any job. I hope to create and exchange ideas while at work and also demonstrate perspectives if I write books in the future. Writing plays a role in everyday life, from simple to complex tasks.

Before entering high school, I planned for my future, such as pursuing continuing education to study dentistry. My goals have changed since then because I have more dreams than I did in the past. Unfortunately, one of my major plans, attending university, has been a goal I have not been able to reach yet due to limited financial resources. However, I took an alternative path by attending community college and completing courses to obtain an associate's degree in dental hygiene and mental health. The Bright Lights Scholarship will enable me to see beyond my and others' identities. The Bright Lights Scholarship will allow me to see beyond my capabilities as a college student and my future accomplishments. It will help me create the bridge to a university where I can complete courses for a PhD in psychology. Although I thought of pursuing a career in psychology late during my senior year of high school, I now believe I made a good choice in studying this field because many individuals need compassion or empathy when facing adverse circumstances and do not have assistance due to a lack of mental health services in their communities or simply not taking the correct steps to cope with their situation. However, I continue my passion for becoming a dental hygienist by taking courses that will prepare me for the workforce. With my work in dental hygiene, I will see that the profession is more about taking care of oral health for society. That includes creating relationships with people, educating individuals on oral hygiene, and taking action to advance dental science for societal well-being, including individuals living in remote areas who lack access to quality dental care. Taking initiatives to overturn barriers to quality oral and mental health care will influence acceptance and equality among individuals from all genders and cultural backgrounds. In addition, mental health cases, such as depression, or oral health cases, such as oral cancer, can diminish if there are opportunities to learn about the consequences of the diseases for society and how to educate individuals on how they can achieve better oral and mental health. All this seems like a dream and something impossible. However, the actions can come true if I have the resources to receive anything related to my profession to dive deeper into the real-life relevance, allowing me to focus on other pursuits. Other plans include investing time in philanthropic work and spreading empathy with others outside of professional work. Receiving the scholarship means seeing the bright side of my capabilities and gaining knowledge on dental hygiene and psychology to create impactful acts and messages for improved mental and oral health for the community. To conclude, many students have the potential to succeed in life but lack the necessary elements to do so. Many of them demonstrate their talents through community service or involvement in a school club. By receiving the scholarship, I will open doors to pathways to continuing education to learn about my professional career. Also, I will help others succeed in obtaining higher education by emphasizing that positive affirmations transform lives instead of worrying about obstacles that hinder someone from showing their true identity to others and use minds to make positive societal impacts.

From an early age, I have found education to be a powerful tool for the future. Today, I realize that education can enable someone to get jobs and create everlasting impacts on society. Education will change my path forward by providing the elements to conquer societal health problems and create a healthy environment for people. Before I began post-secondary education, I planned on pursuing a career in dentistry to minimize oral conditions and diseases among individuals, including underserved communities, to prevent individuals from suffering other body system diseases because oral health influences the rest of the body's health. Although that continues to be my passion, I also developed a passion for mental health during high school because of all the cases of depression, suicide, and fentanyl overdoses throughout the United States of America, imbuing me to repair the problems. Although most of the cases I learned were among people around the high school age range, I also felt the need to assist individuals of all ages one day. From those days, I wondered what society would look like if individuals did not suffer from addictions or lack of resources to live a good life and worked hard to be someone in life. From that moment, I understood each life contains equal worth and that anyone can achieve lifetime milestones without resorting to unhealthy habits to escape challenging situations. From the mental health talks, I felt that the problems could not continue and that pursuing further education and learning more about the field opened the door to advocate for the importance of mental well-being, coping strategies for adverse circumstances, and the consequences of making negative decisions to overlook personal or life's problems. I am attending community college, studying mental health and dental hygiene, and completing the required classes to reach my goal. I am working toward transferring to a university to receive a doctorate in psychology. Even though I began college this fall, I realize my course path will enable me to gain more perspectives on how things globally are today and how I can use the classes to address problems and create solutions. After completing all requirements to obtain an associate degree in dental hygiene and mental health, I hope to have the adequate resources to pursue further education at a university to complete psychological studies to succeed in working with others to minimize mental health issues within urban, suburban, rural, or remote communities and educating the next generation in the importance of learning mental health and avoiding from suffering a mental health condition, fostering empathy and acceptance among others. Even though I plan on establishing healthy lives among individuals through mental health work, I plan to do the same for dental hygiene by educating individuals on maintaining good oral hygiene throughout life and providing the necessary resources to make that possible. To conclude, many underserved communities need help to promote healthy lives. By not being passive and taking action through my college journey, I will obtain mental health and dentistry knowledge to overturn mental health issues, such as depression, substance abuse, or bipolar disorders. For dentistry, it would be possible for me to reverse caries among people. A good education will allow me to touch isolated places and aid people in having equal access to resources as other humans do, advancing societal well-being.

Individuals face obstacles at various times in life. I have also faced obstacles. Even though these are adverse, unwanted events, they serve as growth opportunities for the individual and other individuals' lives. The opportunities motivate individuals to continue their paths toward optimism amid these situations. One instance in which I faced an obstacle was when I was going to enter post-secondary education for the first time and had to take an alternative route. In addition, I encountered an obstacle when leading a high school club for the first time. As a first-generation student pursuing further education from immigrant parents, I am motivated to reach significant milestones in post-secondary education studies and professional life and contribute to the community by increasing equal opportunities for all individuals, diminishing the effects of social barriers within communities. During my senior year of high school, I applied to a nearby university to continue my education. After high school graduation, I realized that I could no longer attend the university, despite getting a scholarship from the university, because of my parents' inability to cover basic expenses and the university simultaneously due to limited career opportunities, despite their extensive efforts in making ends meet. After knowing the situation, I worried because I may not attend a college/university in the fall semester. Later, I applied for community college, and currently, I take courses there. Despite having to give up part of the goal, I take a different approach to later transfer to a university. During my lifetime, I have demonstrated leadership by being part of a school club and helping others understand a topic we sometimes overlook in society. During my senior year of high school, I decided to become president of the Ignite Bible Club because I had some background in the Bible and the Roman Catholic doctrine. After I signed up for the position, I led meetings by reading a passage from the Gospel, engaging students and teachers by asking questions about the reading of the day, making connections to the reading with life or other Biblical passages, and organizing events, such as a schoolwide prayer, parties, and a club stand for the schoolwide event during the spring semester, selling religious souvenirs. Doing these things was sometimes effortless because of my Biblical knowledge but also challenging because I led a small group of students despite inviting other students. My greatest challenge was setting up and selling religious souvenirs because I had to help the rest of the members know the prices and create the items for students. By club members and myself demonstrating effective communication, teamwork, and perseverance to each other, we made the club successful. There are beneficial goals that may not be for everyone. I have heard the expression repeatedly, "It is not convenient for you." Even though the saying should not limit anyone from climbing the stages toward success to achieve the ideal life and exemplifying excellent leadership to encourage others to take advantage of every worthwhile opportunity in life and gain knowledge on meaningful topics, sometimes there are obstructions to creating the optimal college experience inside and outside of classes, but taking an alternative route, such as attending community college, means other steps leading to the same goal, which is professional work and making positive impacts for others. Barriers do not define our true identity; they enable us to be optimistic and attempt different ways to reach our goals successfully. All individuals have different talents, such as being good leaders, star athletes, volunteers, creative writers, or excellent communicators, where individuals showcase their identity and motivation to succeed in post-college life through careers.

Walking with the idea of "my truth" refers to an individual having firm thoughts or doing things that seem right. Some of these beliefs are false statements because they are not appropriate in the eyes of God. From a biblical standpoint, there are differences between the Bible's and our truth. Some of these differences are humility and true faith. Some people believe achieving high social status makes them stand out from the rest of society and that being humble is worthless. Ben Sira 3:18 says, "Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find mercy in the sight of God." Humility helps people connect and help others. Another common misconception is that many people are said to belong to a denomination, such as Roman Catholic, but do not practice what they learn from the liturgical components, divided into two parts: the readings and the Eucharist, or do not understand the meaning of the Mass rituals. If they don't know, how will they grow spiritually? How can an individual demonstrate the person they are? James 1:26-27 says, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unsustained by the world." From my understanding, it is not what someone says orally qualifies as being religious. What truly counts is a humble, compassionate, and clean heart willing to serve God and others. People go to Church because they feel obliged to go or want to grow in their faith. If people could listen carefully to the meaning of the readings or the priest's homily, they would most likely be motivated to apply their understanding to many real-life situations within and outside the Church. Some examples can be helping an individual in need, praying for someone sick, or praying to God for protection when going to a destination and back home. With this, people also establish faith and works, as stated in James 2:14-26, which are elemental in achieving salvation. Not making any effort to grow a closer connection to God and acting negatively, such as being prideful or materialistic, will not make someone imitate Jesus Christ in actions and behaviors. Each day, modern society misleads individuals with many things and revolving philosophies, such as individualism and materialism, that will make a person happy, even though they are transient, and deviate individuals from placing themselves on spiritual things. All these actions are the truth the Bible teaches for individuals to know how faith works. Doing the least to an individual's faith, such as only attending Mass, which is the truth for many people, does not equate to what a person should be doing to walk on the right path. In today's society, some people do not know about the meaning of Christianity, are persecuted, or have left the Church. It is vital to spread the faith worldwide to raise awareness of who Jesus Christ is and his significance in our everyday lives. Christianity will always play a role in our everyday lives. Even though other available resources may make someone happy, this is temporary because Jesus established the Church for everyone, and God's word will endure forever. Understanding the truth from the Bible will help everyone see how one should act and what events have happened and will happen. Most importantly, feel secure. As Proverbs 30:5 says, "Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

I had a passion for books before I entered preschool. Seeing the images, either real-life or illustrated, helped me see the depiction of the setting of the stories or how objects and people looked like in real life. From what I have learned from the books I have read throughout my lifetime, I realized they are vital in understanding how the world works and acquiring skills beneficial for the workforce and life. The books I have read have shaped my goals by understanding ways to help in adverse social situations and the importance of striving to achieve career goals. When I started school, I read books, most notably "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, where I learned the order and the letters of the English alphabet. This learning would be beneficial when I went to other grades, college, and eventually to the workforce, where knowing how to write is crucial. As I got older and went to higher grades throughout my school education, I read longer books, such as "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio, where I became aware of seeing others, even if they do not look like ordinary people, as ordinary people, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, where I learned about the time where more people were going to rely on mindless media, such as watching unbeneficial content through technology, which the author predicted to be the present time, and Animal Farm, where I gained more insight on how Communism was in Russia in the early 20th Century, despite farm animals portraying important figures in Communist Russia. In addition, some books taught me to explore different cultures and challenges when immigrating from one country to another for a better life, such as "Ask Me No Questions," by Marina Budhos. Currently, I read a Roman Catholic book on rediscovering the Roman Catholic Church. Even though I had background information on the Roman Catholic Church before diving into this book, I have gained more knowledge on the doctrine. From what I have read so far, I have made connections between what I have read in the Catholic Bible and other books. In addition, I have paid attention to how contemporary society functions and how an individual can change negative habits into better habits to improve their connection with God and the people around the community. A significant thing I learned from this book was the many philosophies surrounding the community that many people are unaware of, such as minimalism, hedonism, and individualism, and why it is crucial to draw away from these philosophies that do not positively impact our everyday lives, even though some believe that it is okay to live everyday life by abiding by these principles. Many books have influenced how I interact, assist, and learn from others. Even though I aspire to become a dental hygienist, I hope to adopt more perspectives and meet the needs of the rest of the dental team and patients to have a successful career. All of this can be possible through reading. Many books I have read throughout my lifetime have influenced me to try new things, such as accepting others who they are, learning about historical events and figures, or growing spiritually. Even though the book genres I read now are different than what I read a decade ago, I see the connection among all the book genres I have read that I commit the purpose and lessons to memory and remind myself how all of this also connects to real life. I hope to continue reading books to succeed in life.

Math connects individuals in everyday life. Whether it is adding the price of purchased items at a grocery store, calculating car payments, calculating the distance from one city to another and back, calculating the square feet of a piece of land, gathering information on a person's weight and height in pounds, making vehicles more aerodynamic, building bridges, roads, and highways, or gathering data on the prevalence of all diseases, math communicates to all people by being aware of making correct choices on what is best to do. From the time I was a toddler to today, I have exposed myself to math in many different ways. From cartoon shows for entertainment and educational purposes to everyday life activities. Now that I am in college, I am comprehending why all types of math, from simple to complex, are essential in many elements existing in the world. I love math because I like doing calculations with my head and can do so much, from the simplest to the most challenging things in life. In grade school, I did not only use math to complete homework or classwork from my math classes. I also used it, and continue to do so today, by comparing product prices from one store to another, dividing gasoline price by car gallons to determine fuel price per gallon, calculating the time it took me to do something, and many other daily activities. Now that I am in college, aspiring for a career in dental hygiene and possibly mental health, I am figuring out why these careers do not use simple math but also complex branches, such as algebra and statistics. Over time, I realized that if math did not exist, it would be difficult for people to function daily. As a first-year college student, I learned that many careers require math, such as finance, psychology, engineering, and other fields. That is why colleges require students to take math courses to understand how they use algebra, calculus, geometry, or trigonometry in their daily careers and personal lives. Even though I aspire to either a dental hygiene or a mental health career, I will expose myself to math in some way, specifically when I enter the workforce. Math is not only a school subject or a college prerequisite for any career. It is around us, and we should know when to use it properly at the right time.

In contemporary society, many Americans and people throughout the world experience some form of mental distress. Each year, mental health issues increase among the population, especially in the United States of America. Usually, this happens due to not practicing healthy coping skills for situations, such as trauma, or difficulty adapting to something new, such as going to college for the first time. Even though everyone faces challenges at some point in life, including myself, one should be aware of how to improve mental health. I believe my mental health is vital because I can have a proper way of thinking, interacting, and managing adverse situations. I have faced situations during my life, such as in preschool when I had difficulty understanding group activities, communicating with classmates, or challenging tests or projects in grade school. In many of these cases, I was not optimistic about what would result in doing these things. In middle and high school, I learned from teachers what to think instead of doing negative self-talk. Positive thinking, such as I can do this by breaking apart the big picture or I will learn from trying this challenge and making mistakes, has helped me see the bright side of things I have not wanted to do. By minimizing negative self-talk and not further drowning in the storm of adversity, what I have done, such as studying class material or asking my teacher questions when I do not understand something, has helped me in my educational journey and future when I am in the workforce, further increasing neural connections in my brain. Over time, I learned about the importance of communicating with classmates when necessary to learn about their approach to understanding a topic in class and influence productivity, which is also a helpful skill in the real world. Also, in high school, I learned about many mental health disorders, such as depression, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and schizophrenia, and how not only an individual has one or more of these disorders but also the unhealthy actions they take, believing that they will fulfill their goal. Some examples are having an impossibly slim body or even committing suicide, which do not result in positive outcomes to end the distress. Even though society encourages these behaviors, they do not comfort the victim. Learning to talk about their feelings with others, doing hobbies they love, or exercising will restore their mental health. I took my teacher's advice after learning this. I maintain my mental wellness by writing, reading, or shopping. In addition to these activities, I enjoy eating healthy foods, which I have enjoyed since I was little. Not only do I like to eat them to receive vitamins or minerals necessary for bodily functions, but also as a way to relieve stress. Mental health is vital for my well-being because I can be more successful in reaching my goals if I take risks and effectively surpass obstacles in any adverse situation by thinking about what I can do better or what positive impact I will create. From what I learned about the importance of mental health, healthy coping strategies not only help me feel better but also not let other health conditions arise, such as elevated blood pressure. Learning about the effects of mental distress and strategies to alleviate it, one feels the difference and feels a sense of their purpose in life. From what an individual learns from their circumstances when they are young, one can see how their techniques to manage any mental health issue will benefit in other real-life situations, their overall health, and that of others.

When I was little, I recall my mom having a problem with a molar. From that moment, I thought of pursuing a career in dentistry to help my mom with her oral health. My initial purpose was only that, but now I know I can do the same thing to the rest of the people. I chose to pursue dentistry because I want to help people adopt healthy oral habits. As I got older, I understood more about the purpose of oral hygiene. In high school, I was in the dental specialty and took courses that seemed relevant to the medical field, but I later understood that there are connections with dentistry. In addition, I took classes related to dentistry, where I learned about tooth numbering, tooth structure, and radiography and their importance. During my junior year, I began the internship process by finding a dental office to gain more knowledge and see how the skills my teacher taught come into play in a real-life dental setting. I continued throughout my senior year when I began going to the dental clinic two or three times a week. My internship at a dental clinic helped me see how the dental field functions daily. It is more than treating and examining people's teeth, gingiva, and other oral structures. It is about creating a bond between the rest of the dental team and, most importantly, the patients, similar to the purpose of nursing or other healthcare careers. I realized that each healthcare career strives for everyone's well-being and learning more about people's backgrounds. Now that I am in college, I will continue learning why some subjects are necessary for dentistry and how an employee executes the pieces of college course subjects. Working in this career will not only help me learn more about healthy oral habits. I will also be able to reach more goals, such as improving health, being more productive, being more communicative, being more organized, being more perseverant in daily dental tasks, and many other improvements in other life skills. Looking back at my observations and experiences of dental careers, I understand that dentistry is vital to society. Society will always need a dental team that cares and educates about maintaining good oral hygiene. If I work in this field, I will positively impact people by encouraging them to maintain healthy oral health and working to decrease oral conditions and diseases among the population.