For my 12th birthday, my grandma surprised me with tickets to Taylor Swift's 1989 tour. This would be my first concert and when I fell in love with live music. I remember crying during her song "Welcome to New York" because I was so happy to be there. Today I listen to that song and feel the same as I did 8 years ago. Although it is not my favorite song of hers, I always listen to it and remember being welcomed to a beautiful world of live music. Something I loved about that concert was how visually stimulating it was. At one point, part of the stage lifted from the ground and spun over our heads. My grandma and I talk about this part of the show to this day. I can't remember some of the events of the concert because it was so long ago and I was twelve, but I remember feeling the happiest I've ever been. This concert started my addiction to live music. I have been to six concerts in my 20 years and have enjoyed every single one. I've seen Taylor Swift twice, The Jonas Brothers, Billie Eilish, Boygenius, and Hozier. I liked some more than others, but I appreciated them all. Out of all of these concerts, Boygenius and Hozier were my favorites. Boygenius has been one of my favorite bands for a couple of years now and I was excited to see that they were coming to where I live. This was my favorite because the band wasn’t trying too hard to make it a big show. They were just up there singing and playing guitar. It was the same with Hozier. In no way am I saying big shows aren’t fun, the Eras Tour was amazing. However, these two shows were more authentic. As I’ve stated, every show was enjoyable but I prefer more genuine and acoustic concerts. I find that being a part of a smaller, more intimate experience can bring you closure to the artist. It can strengthen the connection between the listener and the music. A larger concert can be overwhelming with the amount of people and the loud music. It is more intimate at a smaller concert, where you can connect with the music and artist. Boygenius and Hozier are the perfect examples of smaller, more intimate artists that make it a more special show for listeners.

People often ask me why I want to major in psychology. Before recently, I could only answer that with, “Because I want to help people.” Although that statement is still accurate, my answer has changed over time. My AP Psychology class made me realize there’s so much more to psychology than therapy. However, I have high hopes of becoming a child psychologist. Psychology has become one of my favorite subjects in school. Learning about the different parts of the brain, mental illnesses, and psychological experiments is so intriguing to me. I want to continue my psychology education in college and eventually turn it into a career. I love helping people by giving them advice or discussing difficult situations. I think it’s essential that someone enjoys their job, and I truly believe I will love being a psychologist. I have a particular interest in child psychology. Being the oldest of four and a babysitter of 5 years, I have some experience with kids. After studying available research in my class, I strongly believe mental illnesses are easier to treat when a person is younger. Confronting mental illnesses while someone is still impressionable is more effective than waiting for adulthood. That way, when they’re adults, they will already have the skills and mindset to focus on their mental health. I’ve seen first-hand what untreated mental illnesses can do to a person. Behavioral disorders, such as borderline personality disorders, are examples of mental illnesses that are better treated at a young age. I’m so excited to start my journey of becoming a child psychologist so that I can help children in need. I want to help children in need and give them the tools to cope with their emotions. My biological mother had a borderline personality disorder, also known as BPD. She was unfit to be a mother so my dad received full custody of me and I haven’t seen or spoken to her in almost sixteen years. A child needs their mother, just as much as they need their father. I was fortunate enough to have an amazing “stepmother” who has only ever treated me as hers. I want to help future mothers and children from this exact scenario. I’m looking forward to all of the opportunities furthering my education provides, including internships and career guidance. With my love for psychology and experience with children, I know I will be able to achieve my goal of becoming a child psychologist.

I have lived in Wilmington, North Carolina for almost eight years and I won't lie and say it's been the best experience. I was twelve when I was told my family and I were moving to North Carolina. At this time, we had been living in Kentucky for three years and I had made many friends and wasn't ready to leave. As an almost thirteen-year-old, I worried about making new friends in my first year of middle school and wasn't looking forward to this move. However, I did learn to love this state. I ended up making some of my best friends and even chose to stay here for college. The University of North Carolina Wilmington has been my number-one choice since I moved to Wilmington. With the perks of living near family and the beach, I quickly realized that North Carolina was my home. I’m about to enter my second year at the University of North Carolina Wilmington to study psychology. In the past few years, my mind has been somewhat set on what I want to do career-wise. I want to be a child psychologist. I love helping people and I also love children. I’m the oldest of four and have been babysitting for around five years, so I would say that I have a decent amount of experience with children. Based on prior knowledge from my psychology class, I firmly believe that children are more likely to learn how to cope than adults. If they wait too long to be treated, they will have trouble breaking those unhealthy habits. I find a particular interest in child psychology because I’ve seen first-hand what untreated mental illnesses can do to a person. Behavioral disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, are examples of mental illnesses that are better treated at a young age. I’m so excited to start my journey of becoming a child psychologist to help children. For instance, I am interested in interning at a local clinic to gain more experience with disorders and how they affect the youth. My previous year at UNC Wilmington has made it very clear that I belong in North Carolina. I have met so many people and made amazing friends who I hope will be a part of the next 4 years. UNC Wilmington has been a wonderful experience and it doesn't hurt that I'm so close to the beach. Although I wasn't happy about moving here in 2016, I am very happy to be here now.