I realized that college was not just about getting accepted, but about affording it when even after I was accepted, I learned the costs exceeded my family’s finances. I have a single mother and as a twin, pursuing higher education at the same time meant a huge investment, creating a double financial burden on my mother. Instead of letting that stop me, I decided to stay determined and applied for as many scholarships as I could. My dream is to pursue education and become a veterinarian—not just that, but to gain the experience and degrees that will qualify me in my field. I began to see the financial reality of college more clearly when I watched my mother struggle to find ways to pay for our education. She always pushed us to apply for scholarships, but even with that effort, the remaining balance still felt overwhelming, especially with FAFSA only offering us a limited amount. Seeing this made me realize that I had to take responsibility into my own hands. Rather than letting financial limitations define my future, I choose to stay optimistic and keep my faith strong. At the animal shelter, I remember a time when new volunteers began to come in, and a problem that came along was that they needed more training. The situation was challenging because I was also a new volunteer, but I didn’t have to act like one, I made it my responsibility to step up. Instead of stepping back, I helped out by supporting volunteers when they were scared to handle a cat, especially when the cats were nervous or unpredictable. I would show them how to approach slowly, how to read the animal’s behavior, and how to build trust instead of fear. I went further by creating a well-thought-out guide to volunteering in the shelter, organizing what I had learned so that others could feel more confident and prepared, even when it wasn’t required of me. Doing this made me realize that anyone-new, experienced, or unsure, can both help and be helped, no matter where they start. A local community that experiences a global problem is students in online schooling, as they often face limited access to opportunities, hands-on experiences, and the resources needed to prepare for their future careers. I noticed this in my own school, where career paths like the veterinary field were not even being promoted, and I had little to no exposure to the steps needed to pursue them. Opportunities like JROTC or other experience building programs were not clearly presented to me, and I did not become aware of them until around my junior year. Honestly, we were not being made aware of what to expect in our senior year, especially students from less fortunate backgrounds. The only opportunities that were consistently promoted were areas like agworks and technology, which made it feel like other career paths were being overlooked. That did not seem fair, especially for students like me who were interested in fields that were not being highlighted. I want to be part of the solution by helping students in online schooling gain earlier access to both career and financial opportunities. I want to make information about programs, internships, and paths like veterinary medicine more visible, so students are not left unaware like I was. In addition, I want to help share resources about scholarships, FAFSA, and other financial opportunities so students can better prepare for the cost of higher education. I hope to ensure that students, regardless of their learning environment, feel prepared. Scholarship from my school: $18,000 Help-from-parent: 1,000 FAFSA: $5,000 Total-Need: $42,222

I never really grew up dreaming of being a vet because it sounded cool, or because I liked the idea of a “Dr.” in front of my name. It started with something much simpler, like my first dog, Coco. I got her when I was six years old, and from that point on, I always felt a responsibility for animals, that I probably didn’t understand at the time. I didn’t think at that age that I wanted to be a veterinarian, or to make a career out of animals, I just knew that I wanted to help them. Whether it was our church dog or a insect on the floor, I always wanted to be the one to care of them in any way I could. That feeling became more real when I started volunteering at Save a pet. If I’m being honest before I started volunteering I thought that volunteering would just be about helping out wherever they needed me. I didn’t realize that it would take so much patience and consistency to make a difference in an animal’s life. There was really one experience that stuck with me, and that was with a kitten named Turtle. Turtle was found in a sewer, and even though he was safe at the shelter, you could tell that he wasn’t quite sure about people yet. he wouldn’t let anybody touch him at first, and wouldn’t let you get close enough to even try. It would have been easy to just not try, or to only play with the more social animals, but I didn’t. I spent time with him every day sitting on the floor, moving slowly, giving him space. It seemed that nothing was working at first. That’s the hardest part about helping, is that sometimes it’s difficult to see the difference. He was starting to change, he started to watch me more closely, follow me with his eyes, allow for small moments of contact. Those small changes mattered, trust isn’t given it’s built. We played everyday, and I would even stay after hours just to watch his progress. He was eventually adopted, and it made me realize that the hard work in the back is what makes those types of moments happen for animals. What you see is the adoption, but what you don’t see is the patience, consistency, and care that comes from behind the scenes. My experiences changed the way I think about animals, and my part in that help. It’s not just about loving animals, it’s about being devoted to the work and the ups and downs. This is why I want to pursue a career in veterinary. I want to have the ability to go beyond normal care, and be able to diagnose, treat, and truly understand what the animal is experiencing. I want to learn about the neurological side of animal behavior, and understand the way fear, environment, and trauma impact animal behavior for the long term. Even watching Vets take care of my animal, inspired me. They gave me the insight and compassion I will carry into my career too. Even now, my life has taken a different path, and I don't get to see my best friend, Coco, my first companion. But the impact she had on me has never left. If anything, now more than ever, I feel driven to branch out and work with different kinds of animals, learning how to help each one in a meaningful way. Being around animals gives me a sense of connection that is hard to explain, but it constantly pushes me to do more.