If I were to be accepted into Hogwarts and had to be sorted into a house, I think there would be no easy decision for where I would fit perfectly. Throughout my life, I have experienced different things and acted differently in many situations so I think it would be hard to deem myself in one house. I am more situational than anything so I could be a good fit in either Hufflepuff or Gryiffindor since I show similar traits in these houses the most. When I was in elementary school, there was a Harry Potter game night and I received a character quiz and was given my results by the end of the night. I was given Hufflepuff. Naturally, this broke my heart because I wanted to be a Gryiffindor since the trio of films was from that house. At this time, I did have many traits of a Hufflepuff since I was humble, quiet, and strived for friendships with everyone. I was also very shy, timid, and scared of making a ripple in the water that I was living in. When I got to middle school, I was put in an entirely new environment with different kids and I changed. Being in this new school, I learned things that I liked and didn’t like. I liked trying to make friends but I didn't like being pushed to the side by others. I liked sharing my school supplies but I didn’t like when people wouldn't return them. So naturally, I started to voice these likes and dislikes and realized that certain things were not okay with me anymore. I started being friends with people who wanted to be with me and started saying “no”. At the time, this seemed like a character change for me, but looking back, I had only created a few waves in the pool of my life. That small step from elementary to middle school was nothing compared to the jump I took in high school. I was in a new setting because I moved states with my family. There was nobody there to remind me of my old self. I was starting new and behaved the way I wanted to without feeling apologetic. The ability to be outright to people made me feel as though I had regained control of something that I never had which also brought new actions that I hadn't acted on before. I sort of became reckless with my emotions and ignored the problem of my ways. At the time, the idea of friends began to annoy me and it was like I had turned my little waves into a tsunami. Now in college, I can balance myself perfectly without feeling as though the boundaries I'm setting are wrong but at the same time, being respectful to those I set boundaries with. I have learned to be honest with others but kind to those I am being honest with as well. I recently took the quiz in an attempt to see which house I reside with for this essay, and was sorted into Gryffindor. It almost seemed like a dream come true for my younger self. But looking back, I can't help but appreciate the person I was before. A Hufflepuff who only strived for trust and friendships even though it cost her her own stability. Into the Gryfindoor who steps out of her comfort zone in relationships while not being short-tempered with others. The even steady stream of waves that I was always meant to become. Thank You for your time and consideration, Elayah Toney

Where I'm from, it's implied that you can only be successful if you work your life away and make money regardless of how you feel about what you're doing. It feels debilitating to be in an environment where money is the raging mindset of everyone, but to be fair it is the mindset of the world. Growing up certain things were more pushed on me than other things such as money over wanting to actually be happy while aiming for my goals. I wish to break my family free of that cycle and do what I love and earn money while doing it but at the same time it's a huge risk to take while being where I am currently am I am currently a first-generation college student far away from home. Now dorming, I'm in a new environment far from home where I hopefully will feel less boxed in by my surroundings. My overall vision for my life is to be happy with myself and to advocate for animal health while I do that. While here at my college, I aspire to successfully graduate with my bachelor's in biology/prevet. Once I graduate, I hope to either continue on to graduate school to become a veterinarian or become a veterinary technician with my bachelor's. Throughout my years of schooling, I hope to eventually minor in business so that I can be versatile in business management and know the societal role of business. Hopefully in the end I could open up my own animal welfare practice and be a role model for those in my environment and show them that you can do what you love as well as gain profit from it. I would say something that prevents me from building my dream future is the mental block that my environment has instilled in me. Although I am working towards developing different mindsets, the mentality that money is everything surrounding me is sometimes suffocating. I, to this day, get comments that could only be considered discouraging for me. Some people would say, “are you sure you want to be a veterinarian? Do they even make a lot of money?” or “why not choose- such and such- profession because they make a lot of money from it?”. I don't intend, at all, to stop reaching for my goal and I hope that I stick with my current mentality so that I can break the cycle of what's surrounding me because money isn't everything. Although money is something that means a lot to my current and continuing journey, it is not everything when I'm working towards something that will bring me and many others joy and hope for the future. Thank you.

My dream is to become a veterinarian and to become one of the first college graduates in my family. My goal is to be able to provide for my family, eventually, regardless of what career I have.

Anything is possible with the help of all the innovative and creative scientists in the world today. Hopefully, on the track to being one of these scientists, I can continue to indulge myself in learning about these future creations like one of my most memorable ones, CRISPR.CRISPR, standing for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, is the process of genetically editing DNA to make people healthier by maximizing benefits and minimizing the harm to many. CRISPR is being used to create future generations without dire diseases and undesirable traits such as certain genetic diseases and hereditary traits or even trivial things such as height or hair color. CRISPR is made possible by going into the cell and scanning for a specific DNA stand, then it then slices itself into the DNA to fix the sequence gap. This scientific discovery is my favorite and most intriguing finding yet. CRISPR is a creative piece of technology that is amazing. People with diseases that are bound to pass through generations, can now feel uplifted by the thought that their children will be relieved of the diseases they now face. Reading articles about CRISPR allowed me to get a scientific and parental perspective on CRISPR and understand what certain stakeholders are wagering while participating in this attempt to reform common household issues. Families, who choose not to have children to prevent further hereditary diseases can now thrive in the possibility of having healthy children who have strictly desirable traits. This is my favorite scientific discovery because it invokes creative thinking and allows the generations to come to have something to dwell on, indulge themselves in and even ask more questions about which means this solution is not only innovative and creative but can influence others to become great scientists.

In the innovative time and age that we are in, it's not easy to deem anything impossible. Common technological advancements range from computers to smartphones to fast-paced internet connections. All these inventions were made with creative thinking and a problem that someone thought was worth solving. An interesting innovative solution that has caused an everyday societal challenge to be minimized, can be the not necessarily new, but improved CRISPR.Standing for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR is the process of genetic editing the DNA of people to create better chances of health and maximize benefits and minimize the harm to many. It's hard to believe that there would ever be an innovative and effective way to prevent future generations from not having certain diseases but with the help of CRISPR, genetic editing can be made possible. CRISPR is being used, at this time, to create future generations without dire diseases such as sickle cell anemia and breast cancer and to replace those traits with more desirable traits such as blue eyes, long hair, and even the ability to be disease-free. CRISPR is made possible by going into the cell and scanning for the DNA that needs to be edited, it then precisely slices the DNA, like scissors, to fix the sequence gap. This allows genetic makeup to be edited and restored effectively and innovatively. Although the scientific aspect of CRISPR is cool and creative, the main reason for this technology is just as amazing. People with diseases that are bound to pass through generations, can now feel uplifted by the thought that their children will be relieved of the diseases they now face. Reading articles about CRISPR allowed me to get a scientific and parental perspective on CRISPR and understand what these stakeholders are wagering while participating in this jaw-dropping attempt to reform common household issues. Families, who choose not to have children to prevent hereditary diseases from being thrust upon the child's youth, can now thrive in the possibility of having healthy children who have strictly desirable traits. Those who suffer from sickle cell, which affects 100,000 Americans, can now feel relieved in their everyday lives because of this innovation. Like every great scientific invention, the ethical aspect always brings a whole different perspective into play for these situations. In the case of CRISPR, people wonder should parents be able to modify the genes of their future children with desirable traits? Would it be ethical to modify a child to have certain traits? Many can argue that yes it would be ethical, desirable traits to allow the child to be disease-free and have great genetics which can allow their future children to also flourish so CRISPR is an immediate decision. Others see CRISPR as a way to single out those who have certain traits that are being deemed undesirable and even push those who have certain traits to be pushed to the side by doctors and scientists. This creative innovation allows the generations to come to have something to dwell on, indulge themselves in and even ask more questions about which means this solution is not only innovative and creative but can influence others to be innovative and creative in the future. Thank you for your time, Elayah Toney.

When I was younger, I became easily jealous of children who'd have parents who had time for them and could always make it to see their little league games or progress report card nights. Children who didn't have to depend on one parent's income to provide for their single-parent family. I always envied others because my mother was so hardworking that extra shifts and late nights were where she spent most of her time. I was always confused because it seemed she would prefer to work than spend time with her children. But as a child, you never understand things from every perspective, just what's in front of you but never what's around you. As I got older and understood the world, I understood why she worked so much, because she loved my brother and me more than anything. I admire my mother so heavily for the impact she has had on my life. After all, she couldn't pursue a degree in what she wanted because she worked and cared for her children to have everything they needed and even wanted. All while making these sacrifices, my mother has taught me to be appreciative and has guided me to be the best version of myself that I always knew I could become. I am grateful for her and her sacrifices for my brother and me, and I know that me pursuing my dream degree and career would make her proud.

As someone who lives in a world where ´first´ are considered important core memories, it would take a lot of convincing to persuade someone that a first-generation college graduate to not be important. And as someone who comes from a very hard working family that constantly makes sacrifices for the better of their children, it would take a lot to convince me that bettering myself in a world full of hardships would not only make them proud but help me thank them for all their hard work. When I was younger I became easily jealous of children who had parents who had time for them and could always make it to see their little league games or progress report card nights. Children whose parents could always drop everything for them and children who didn't have to depend on one parent's income to provide for their family. I always envied others because my mother was so hardworking that extra shifts and late nights were where she spent most of her time. I was always confused because it seemed she would rather work than spend time with her children. But as a child, you never understand things from every perspective, you only see what's in front of you but never what's around you. As I got older and understood the world more I understood why she worked so much- because she loved my brother and me more than anything. My mother, unfortunately, never got to pursue a degree in what she wanted because she worked and picked up extra shifts all the time for her children to have everything they needed and even wanted. And to get that she made one of the biggest sacrifices a mother can make- sacrificing time with her own children and providing them with everything she felt they deserved. Of course, when I finally was aware of the extent of her sacrifice, I devoted myself to becoming successful in any way I could, and to me graduating college would make her nothing less than proud. But even with my newfound perspective of my mother, the amount of time we spend together didn't increase, so I usually spent time with my brother going outside and being active in any way possible. It was easy for me to be engrossed with athletic activities because my brother and I always were active. And although I usually focused on school, I always found myself drawn to shows like the ¨Dancing Dolls¨ or ¨Dance Moms¨ and would always mirror the moves that they showed. My middle school´s dance and cheer team of course piqued my interest. Although I was pretty nervous to try out, I loved to dance so much I did it anyway. After making the team I was introduced to many people I've never talked to even though we were in the same grade and went to the same school. As someone who focused much on the academic prospect of school, the feeling of dancing and doing what I loved and even making friends was freeing and fun to me. I was used to being a wallflower but now, with the help of dancing, I was more confident in myself and felt successful outside of the world of academics. To me, being a first-generation college student means making my mother's sacrifice count. It means that I can finally provide for my mother in a way that she can accept and feel accomplished with. And sacrifice means nothing when those you are making sacrifices for are not enjoying themselves doing what makes them happy, and dance and makes me very happy.

When I was younger, there was a specific American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) commercial that would pop up often. It would show sickly and sad-looking animals in cages, weeping and begging for help. The commercial would regularly say that you can donate money to the nonprofit organization and help animals in need. Me, being 7, with no money to my name, would beg my mother to donate money for me, but she was not as deeply moved by the commercial as I was. Her refusal made me want my future job as someone who donates to non-profit animal organizations. When I turned 11, the question,¨What do you want to be when you grow up¨ started being asked throughout my class. I then started to do research and looked for jobs where people help animals and a veterinarian was the first career that popped up in my search engine. I was 13 when I did more research and decided that I was going to be a veterinarian. After all, I wanted to help animals and was interested in performing medical procedures that would aid the animal community. As I got older, I learned that science is an essential part of the jobs of veterinarians. The saying is ¨there is a thin line between love and hate¨. Let us just say for me in elementary and middle school, science made the line a lot bigger than thin. I was not at all into science and never understood why people thought making chemical reactions and covalent bonds mix to be fun. I was very contradicting to myself to be honest because I thought learning about animals and ecosystems was interesting and fun. But I never learned much about that during my science classes, so as the uninterested student I was, I just decided to dislike the subject as a whole. It wasn´t until freshman year when I took a biology class, that I truly enjoyed the idea of anything science-related. I learned that I could be just as interested in the subject as I was uninterested in it. That one biology class taught me that there is so much more to science than atoms and particles. I learned about organisms, habitats, and issues in our environment. I learned that science is a part of everything and connected to everyone in one way or another. A common misconception that surrounds science is that it's strictly textbooks, rocket science, and old white men in lab coats. But there's so much more that's not being recognized, especially when there's going to be much more diversity in the world of science with generations to come. And especially when more students, who are like me, start realizing how much science is a gateway to many things and start finding ways to enjoy the art of the subject. Science is not about being born into liking the subject and having a natural talent for it. It is about being engrossed with the new things that come forward when learning more about it and wanting to use that knowledge to help everyone in the world. And that is another reason why I am aiming to be a veterinarian-so that more people can understand the connections of science to different vocations. Scientists have the constant mission of empowering their students and helping many, just as veterinarians hope to improve the lives of animals and newly empowered animal owners/caregivers.

When I was younger, there was a specific American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) commercial that would pop up often. It would show sickly and sad-looking animals in cages, weeping and begging for help. The commercial would regularly say that you can donate money to the nonprofit organization and help animals in need. Me, being 7, with no money to my name, would beg my mother to donate money for me, but she was not as deeply moved by the commercial as I was. Her refusal made me want my future job as someone who donates to non-profit animal organizations. When I turned 11, the question,¨What do you want to be when you grow up¨ started being asked throughout my class. I then started to do research and looked for jobs where people help animals and a veterinarian was the first career that popped up in my search engine. I was 13 when I did more research and decided that I was going to be a veterinarian. After all, I wanted to help animals and was interested in performing medical procedures that would aid the animal community. As I got older, I learned that science is an essential part of the jobs of veterinarians. The saying is ¨there is a thin line between love and hate¨. Let us just say for me in elementary and middle school, science made the line a lot bigger than thin. I was not at all into science and never understood why people thought making chemical reactions and covalent bonds mix to be fun. I was very contradicting to myself to be honest because I thought learning about animals and ecosystems was interesting and fun. But I never learned much about that during my science classes, so as the uninterested student I was, I just decided to dislike the subject as a whole. It wasn´t until freshman year when I took a biology class, that I truly enjoyed the idea of anything science-related. I learned that I could be just as interested in the subject as I was uninterested in it. That one biology class taught me that there is so much more to science than atoms and particles. I learned about organisms, habitats, and issues in our environment. I learned that science is a part of everything and connected to everyone in one way or another. A common misconception that surrounds science is that it's strictly textbooks, rocket science, and old white men in lab coats. But there's so much more that's not being recognized, especially when there's going to be much more diversity in the world of science with generations to come. And especially when more students, who are like me, start realizing how much science is a gateway to many things and start finding ways to enjoy the art of the subject. Science is not about being born into liking the subject and having a natural talent for it. It is about being engrossed with the new things that come forward when learning more about it and wanting to use that knowledge to help everyone in the world. And that is another reason why I am aiming to be a veterinarian-so that more people can understand the connections of science to different vocations. Scientists have the constant mission of empowering their students and helping many, just as veterinarians hope to improve the lives of animals and newly empowered animal owners/caregivers.