I never thought it was possible to lose oneself until I experienced a traumatic brain injury. Before the accident, I was an adventurous person, who loved to smile brightly and to explore and learn new things. However, after the accident, my memory and cognitive functions were severely affected, and I experienced symptoms such as brain fog, confusion, memory loss, balance issues, neck stiffness, headaches, depression, anxiety, dizziness, and nausea. Unfortunately, society and the system were not supportive of my needs, and I felt let down by them. Doctors' appointments were hard to come by and were booked months out, and the University was not supportive of my needs. When I was supposed to be taking a break from school to rest after the accident, I found myself caught in an endless loop. The professors were only able to offer limited assistance without the support of the disabilities office, and the disability office was booked out for weeks, even for emergency situations. I was forced to continue with school despite my condition. I reached out via email repeatedly, but it took weeks to implement the accommodations that I desperately needed. Even after the accommodations were in place, some professors still did not respect them. Eventually, I had to drop most of my classes due to the overwhelming workload, but I kept a few one-credit classes to prevent falling too far behind. As the quarter progressed, I found myself struggling to balance school with an absurd number of medical appointments. With one to three appointments each day, it felt like a full-time job just to keep up. The emotional toll of this experience was overwhelming, leaving me feeling disconnected from everything and everyone around me. I questioned my identity, my major, and my ability to function normally again. Seeking help, I visited a counselor, but even she seemed to run out of suggestions for how to manage the anxiety and depression caused by the collision. My neurologist prescribed anti-depressants to help me sleep, level my mood, and manage my constant headaches. While it took time to adjust to the medication and its side effects, I eventually began to show improvement. To manage my workload, I decided to take a light course load for the winter quarter. However, my brain injury continued to affect my academic performance. Despite multiple doctors contributing letters, my request for extended test time was initially denied, which was frustrating and led me to question my future in engineering. I did not feel supported and felt all the work I was putting in was pointless. I worked with my disability advisor to appeal my case and at the end of the quarter, I was granted the accommodation. Despite missing this crucial accommodation all quarter, and affecting my grades I refused to let this setback derail my dreams. I began to set small goals to get there and started remapping my plan. Although life has not gone as I wanted, I am proud of myself for pushing through personal struggles and setbacks. I have learned to work with, love, and support myself, and I am determined to continue pushing toward my goals. Overall, my traumatic brain injury was a life-changing event. It forced me to adapt and adjust to new challenges, including navigating a system that was not always supportive of my needs. Despite the setbacks and struggles, I have learned to work with, love, and support myself. I am determined to continue pushing toward my goal of becoming a chemical engineer, and I am proud of myself for the progress I have made so far.

The experience of losing who you are after a traumatic brain injury is something that cannot be understood unless it is experienced firsthand. I was in a car accident during my first year as an engineering student. My physical injuries were minor, but my memory and cognitive abilities were severely impacted. The symptoms I experienced included headaches, sleep issues, pain, loss of balance, confusion, memory loss, headaches, anxiety, and depression, among others. However, despite the severity of my condition, people and even society did not seem to understand the extent of my condition. Doctors' appointments were hard to come by, and my own university was not supportive of my needs. It took weeks to receive a meeting for emergency accommodations for school, as well as an appointment to get my head injury checked out. Due to these, I was late getting my injury evaluated during the most crucial stages. On top of that due to waiting for the disability office, I was forced to continue with school despite my condition. I was studying ten hours a day for something that would take me two hours. I reached out repeatedly via email, but it took weeks to implement the accommodations that I desperately needed. Even after the accommodations were in place, some professors still did not respect them. As the quarter progressed, I found myself struggling with tests. The added stress worsened my condition making it near impossible to complete my tests. I fought for extended test time accommodations but despite multiple doctors backing me, including my speech therapist and neurologist, my request for extended test time was initially denied. Both my disability advisor and I were in disbelief. It took the whole quarter to appeal this decision and I was finally awarded this accommodation. On top of advocating for my needs, I was dealing with the emotional and physical toll of the accident. I felt disconnected from everything and everyone around me. I was in major pain from the whiplash and had severely impacted sleep. Seeking help, I visited a counselor, but even she seemed to run out of suggestions for how to manage the anxiety and depression caused by the collision. Despite these setbacks, I refused to let them derail my dreams. I began to set small goals to get there and started remapping my plan. Although life has not gone as I wanted, I am proud of myself for pushing through personal struggles and setbacks. I have learned to work with, love, and support myself, and I am determined to continue pushing toward my goals. This experience has made me more empathetic toward others who are struggling with physical or mental health issues. It has opened my eyes to the lack of support and resources available to those in need, and it has inspired me to contribute to the community. I want to use my personal experience to help others who may be going through a similar situation. I believe that everyone deserves access to the care and resources they need to live their best lives, and I am committed to being an advocate for those who are struggling to receive proper care. Whether it be through volunteering or in my passion for engineering I am determined to make a positive impact in the lives of others. I hope that by sharing my story, I can raise awareness about the challenges faced by those with disabilities and inspire others to take action to create a more inclusive and supportive community for all.

The main issue I face with my sustainable garden is water shortages. To understand this issue let me tell you about my system setup. The whole system was built around saving costs and having a low environmental impact. I built this garden set up about 2 years ago with my father, as I was wanting to grow my own fresh produce. We built our three large garden boxes out of leftover materials using wood from a torn-down barn, received nutrient-rich dirt from our neighbors dismantled garden boxes, and materials leftover from construction jobs that were going to waste. But the most unique design is our water system. Living in the pacific northwest we get a lot of rain. So we built a system to catch the water runoff from the roofs of our house and garage. Our home had an old septic tank that is no longer used with about 1100 gallons of space. After deep cleaning, we were able to use this tank as a water catch to store the water. We found a used water pump that needed one part fixed. After a quick part replacement, we were able to use this to pump the water out and distribute it to the hoses. The water pump is electric but it uses the solar system on the house to power itself to maintain sustainability. This original system was built to help water new trees to our orchard, but when added to the vegetable garden a few years later, the system was not large enough. We were able to find a used 750-gallon tank and hook it up to collect the water runoff from the garage. This allows us to feed water to the large system when running low. Despite these additions to our system, there are a few dry months in the summer when we receive little to no rain and the water catches go dry. We attempted to combat this issue by making our raised beds deeper, allowing them to hold the water longer with evaporation. This allowed us to water more infrequently. But we still found the system would run dry. With every summer getting hotter and dryer, we have been looking for ways to help maintain our water supply. Currently, we are trying to use greywater from the showers to supplement our water supply. At one point the soap concentration was negatively affecting the plants. So we have switched to all-natural soaps to make sure the plants are not harmed by synthetic chemicals. But we also have to add this to the tank when it is about a fourth of water left to make sure the greywater is diluted. We have found this works but just remembering to check why the system is lower to start adding shower water. We are still looking for more ways to improve the system and overcome these challenges, so will continue to adjust until the full needs are met. Our system is not just environmentally friendly but cost-friendly too. We spend very little money on this garden occasionally having to purchase seeds or add some topsoil. We have produced some amazing products to not just eat ourselves but to share with our friends. Last year we had an absurd amount of fresh lettuce, carrot, zucchini, snap peas, pumpkins, radish, tomatoes, basil, and spinach. Currently, we are growing the winter crop of Russian Red kale and cabbage. Our orchards have produced gallons of apples, and we even got cherries and plumbs. It has become a cheap and environmentally friendly way to help feed our family and community.

One way I have had a positive impact on the environment is through a student lead research project called students saving salmon. Our goal is to bring back/maintain the salmon population in the Puget Sound area to help restore the natural ecosystem. Every month we collect water quality data, take salmon surveys, volunteer at the local hatchery to raise salmon, educate younger generations, conduct surveys, plant native plants, advocate for the salmon population with the city, and use creek hatch boxes. It has been so enlightening to watch the shoreline restore to its natural vegetation and to watch the salmon grow. I did not realize the true impact we were having until we were awarded the 2019 youth conservation award. But even beyond that, getting to watch the community come together and get excited about salmon has been an amazing experience. Four years in this group has allowed me to see the positive change in the community and environment. Giving back to the world that raised me is the least I can do. I hope to one day I can make an impact on a larger scale, but even now these small things have made changes for the better.

One characteristic that I value the most is my perseverance. I used to underappreciate my strength and as a result, I struggled with facing my own fear. It wasn't until I was forced to use it that I learned to love this part of me. Entering my freshman year of high school, I was excited. Coming from such a small school, I was looking to expand my friend group and meet new people with similar interests. One major interest at the time was basketball. This sport was my life and one of my best accomplishments as I had worked my way up to one of the top elite teams in the area. But this all went out the door when I was diagnosed with a back injury, little did I know it would be a two-year journey to be pain-free. Originally, when I heard this news, I was crushed, but I chose to look on the bright side. I took advantage of it and started pursuing some other activities, but the pain got worse. By the time basketball tryouts had come around, I was not cleared to play. It felt like I was drowning and each time I came to the surface I was hit by another wave. I didn't know who I was anymore. I was lost. The pain got to the point where I couldn't even sit up as it was excruciating. I became fearful of that pain and avoided it at all costs. I let the fear define me and it consumed me. So when I was told to start moving again and push through the pain I had already given up. By the time sophomore year rolled around I received a call from my doctor. This phone call was the most eye-opening experience as it was the hard truth. Everything I was doing was not helping me, I was just blinded by fear to see it. I started with little goals to measure my growth. I put in the work and pushed myself beyond my limits. As a result, I rediscovered myself. By winter I was able to play basketball, but it no longer defined me. I had learned my strengths, weaknesses, and who I was as an individual and realized basketball was my past. After the season I shifted my mindset to how to accomplish my own goals. I knew I wanted to pursue chemical engineering, so I mapped out a plan on how to get there. I had it all figured out then Covid hit, but instead of letting this new fear and unknown consume me, I bounced back. I used this opportunity to apply to more classes and progress my learning. Now looking back at my life, I have accomplished so I am astounded. Currently, as a seventeen-year-old high school student, I am the youngest shift lead on staff; I also work as a teachers assistant and lab assistant for the chemistry department at Edmonds College; I am on track to obtain my Associates of Science in Chemical Engineering with only a year and a half of credits; I have created my own community, set my own goals, and I have pushed myself intellectually and physically. I never knew something very small could change my life so drastically. I learned to do what scares me the most and to keep trying. That life lesson was the hardest thing I ever learned but the most valuable as it's something I can apply in any experience. I have learned to love my strength and look back at this experience proudly for what I have overcome.

Right before the pandemic, I knew I wanted to pursue chemical engineering, so I mapped out a plan on how to get there. I applied to running start and researched opportunities. I had it all planned out then pandemic hit, but instead of letting this new fear and unknown consume me, I took advantage of it. I used this opportunity to apply to more classes, obtain a job to help pay for college, and excel in my learning. Now looking back to the beginning of the pandemic, I have accomplished so much and I am astounded. Currently, as a seventeen-year-old high school student, I am the youngest employee on staff and hold the position as a shift lead; I also work as a teachers assistant and lab assistant for the chemistry department at Edmonds College; I am on track to obtain my Associates of Science in Chemical Engineering with only a year and a half of credits; I have created my own community, set my own goals, and I have pushed myself intellectually and physically. Without the pandemic, I would never be so close to my goals and dreams.

Fear is a human instinct. It defines limits and boundaries to what one is capable of. So what happens when you rewrite the rules and push past it? This is one question I used to struggle with until I had to face it head-on. Entering my freshman year of high school, I was excited. Coming from such a small school, I was looking to expand my friend group and meet new people with similar interests. One major interest at the time was basketball. This sport was my life and one of my best accomplishments due to working my way up to one of the top elite teams in the area. But this all went out the door when I was diagnosed with a back injury, little did I know it would be a two-year journey to be pain-free. Originally, when I heard this news, I was crushed, but I chose to look on the bright side. I took advantage of it and started pursuing some other activities, but the pain got worse. By the time basketball tryouts had come around, I was not cleared to play. It felt like I was drowning and each time I came to the surface I was hit by another wave. I didn't know who I was anymore. I was lost. The pain got to the point where I couldn't even sit up as it was excruciating. I became fearful of that pain and avoided it at all costs. I let the fear define me and it consumed me. So when I was told to resume activities and push through the pain I had already given up. By the time sophomore year rolled around I received a call from my doctor. This phone call was the most eye-opening experience as it was the hard truth. Everything I was doing was not helping me, I was just blinded by fear to see it. I started with little goals to measure my growth. I put in the work and pushed myself beyond my limits. As a result, I rediscovered myself. By winter I was able to play basketball, but it no longer defined me. I had learned my strengths, weaknesses, and who I was as an individual and realized basketball was my past. After the season I shifted my mindset to how to accomplish my own goals. I knew I wanted to pursue chemical engineering, so I mapped out a plan on how to get there. I had it all figured out then Covid hit, but instead of letting this new unknown consume me, I bounced back. I used this opportunity to apply to more classes and progress my learning. Now looking back at my life, I have accomplished so much and I am astounded. Currently, as a seventeen-year-old high school student, I am the youngest shift lead on staff; I also work as a teachers assistant and lab assistant for the chemistry department at Edmonds College; I am on track to obtain my Associates of Science in Chemical Engineering with only a year and a half of credits; I have created my own community, set my own goals, and I have pushed myself intellectually and physically. I never knew something very small could change my life so drastically. I learned to do what scares me the most. That life lesson was the hardest thing I ever learned but the most valuable. I never wish what I went through on any other person, but I hope to help others so they can learn from my experiences and break beyond their shell to pursue their own dreams.

What makes me the happiest is watching the sunrise. It brings an intense feeling of calm and reminds me that everything will be ok. I think the reason for this is I used to do the same thing when I was younger. I would wake up before everyone else and watch the sunrise. The bright colors reflect across the sky and the air so pure and crisp. Sometimes if I am lucky I get to witness beams of light peaking through the tree line or fog reflecting the colors painted in the sky. It is peaceful and feels like nothing is wrong in the world. Often I find myself leaving my blinds open so I can wake up to such a beautiful sight. Life appears rushed sometimes, so taking five minutes in the early morning to reflect and enjoy nature's beauty is something no one can take away from me. It might seem small but getting the chance to witness it fills up my day as a little happiness goes a long way.

"Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile" -Connor Franta. This quote is something I believe everyone should hear in their lives. With pressure from the world about who you should conform to be, it is important to remember your own individuality. I used to think fitting in and being perfect was the key to success. But by staying in the lines I could not move forward and it prevent growth. It was when I was forced to step outside of myself that I saw the most growth. I pushed myself intellectually and physically past the standards I once held myself. Now looking back, the amount of growth I have undergone is outstanding. With this mindset, anyone can change the world. So what I have learned from this is to make a true impact you have to be yourself because only you set your own limits.

My chemistry teacher impacted my education by giving me a reason to keep pushing through. The year before his class I was faced was a back injury as a full-time athlete. Before this, my life was simple and provided security, but It was heavily focused on basketball. I trained every day of the week and it served as a major social aspect of my life. I was given the news I could not play basketball due to a potential fracture in my back. With something that I valued so much taken away I felt like a piece of myself had been lost. The uncertainty was scary as I didn’t know what to do or how to keep moving forward. Over the next couple of months, the injury did not get better, but worse. Coming from such a small middle school, not participating in sports, and with constant pain, it was hard to find others with similar interests. I was the injured girl. No one could relate to my experience. The old thought I was too young for back pain and the young thought I was old for having back pain. I didn’t fit in. When sophomore year rolled around I ended up taking honors chemistry. In a time when nothing made sense chemistry did. My chemistry teacher treated me like every other human being and provided difficult coursework that made me relearn to put in the work again. It served as an outlet to challenge myself and work for something. I hadn’t experienced that feeling for so long it felt like a relief but It sparked a part in me to keep pushing through. I started booking my own doctor’s appointments, going to physical therapy, and putting in the work again. By the middle of sophomore year, I was cleared to play basketball again but was still limited by pain. But what I discovered is the sport wasn’t something I enjoyed anymore. I used to resent that I could not play but now that I could I did not want it instead I wanted to go home and work on my chemistry homework. After the season I started to research some potential career paths and found chemical engineering. I got excited again. I started to draw out a path to get me to my goal. I went beyond the credit load in running start, I got a job at a restaurant to help pay for college, I researched opportunities. Now I am a 17-year-old student working on the track to complete my associate of science by the end of high school, and I am also a teacher's assistant and lab assistant at the college in the chemistry department. I know my chemistry teacher did not realize his impact, but he gave me a reason to keep moving forward in life and pursue a college degree that really represents who I am as a person.

I keep a growth mindset by recording my goals. Whenever I start to doubt my mindset I look back at my goals. This serves as a reminder of what I am trying to accomplish and makes me think about how there are multiple ways to reach a goal. By jotting down my goals, to help me remain in a growth mindset, I have pushed myself beyond what I thought I was capable of doing. This has brought me closer to my goals serving as a reminder of what mindset can do in my life.