I have only seen one photo of my mother from when she was in college; the rest were hidden from me and my siblings. It was not until I started middle school that I learned that my mother kept her life in college a secret. My mother was not trying to hide the old pictures; she was trying to bury what the pictures failed to show. In seventh grade, something happened to me that my mother may have always feared would one day take place. While there was never a key event that caused my life to unravel, I distinctly remember feeling like I faded from vibrant colors to black and white, that my days were spent avoiding food at all costs. My mother had spent her college years starving herself, and although she did what she could to keep the same thing from happening to me, she never could have known that secrets do not stop genetics. My mother had never commented on my body or forced me to work out. Nevertheless, food transformed from being enjoyable sustenance to something I despised. I was only thirteen years old, ripping my breakfast into pieces and using the garbage can to camouflage the bits so my parents would never realize I was not eating. Despite how skinny I believed I had to be, I wanted it to be a secret that I kept only to myself, and I was successful at doing so. I believe many people wait to be saved, while others blame themselves for not noticing what is wrong in someone else’s life sooner. However, the thing with mental disorders is that if someone does not want you to know, you will not. Although eating disorders take a physical toll, they control the mind. As a result, the only people who saw that I ate as little as possible were the ones who tried to feed me. I am certainly not the only woman to go through the trauma eating disorders have on the body and mind; however, the mind often conjures up someone who is skin and bones when thinking of an eating disorder. The effect anorexia previously had on my life was not what some would assume. I lost weight, but no one suspected it was through drastic measures because I had weight to lose. Consequently, I did not get the professional help I needed. Instead, I had to learn how to overcome my eating disorder by myself. After more than a year of insisting I was not hungry and constantly weighing myself on my parents’ scale, I became mentally and physically exhausted. My hair began to thin, I slept longer than the rest of my family, and family gatherings with a large buffet of food became something I despised. All those pieces coalesced to be unbearable, but the tipping point came when I picked up a book about a girl with an eating disorder. I believed it would be an encouragement for me to continue starving myself. As I got to know the main character, the book began to have the opposite effect on me. This selfish, conceited main character left me feeling terrified that that was how others would perceive me. Through this fear, I found the courage and strength within myself to heal. It was not a simple thing to do, and I still struggle to this day. Despite that, I learned through my struggles that an assumption of what someone is going through may not be something we can ever fully understand, and, most importantly, I have the strength to save myself.

The beautiful lyricism of “You Are in Love” from the deluxe version of 1989 by Taylor Swift is why I chose it as my favorite 1989 song. Many love songs written by Swift showcase the passionate, fiery side of loving someone. Songs such as “Red” and “Don’t Blame Me” depict love as burning chaos. “You Are in Love” is one of the few times Swift appreciates a quiet, simple love. The song opens in a private setting: “One look, dark room / Meant just for you.” As Taylor Swift grew in popularity, her personal life became more and more private. In “peace” from folklore, Swift sings “All these people think love is for show / But I would die for you in secret.” The parallel between these two songs highlights Swift’s admiration for a private love life. The intimacy she invites the listener into during “You Are in Love” is one of the many reasons why it is my favorite of the album. The chorus focuses on the simplicity of love. The love depicted in the song is not just in the loud, passionate moments of life, but in the dark, in the silence, and on the way home. The music and sweetness of Taylor Swift’s voice show the tenderness she feels about the relationship. I find this chorus very touching because love shines through even when something else is absent. When the lights are out, there is love. When there is no noise, there is love. When leaving for home, there is still love. Love is ever-changing and multifaceted, and loving someone is part of life. “You Are in Love” delves into the part of love that is not often explored in music. Prioritizing a private life and cherishing love that is quiet and adoring over one that is chaotic and treacherous, provides comfort to those in love and offers a role model to younger listeners. A lyric I did not fully appreciate until falling in love for the first time appears in the second verse. The telltale sign of the male love interest falling in love is when he says, “You’re my best friend.” When I first fell for someone, I was so excited when he told me, “I love you.” However, I was just as excited when he called me his best friend. At that moment, all I could think of was “You Are in Love.” This song made me realize how amazing it felt to know the person I was in love with considered me his best friend, just like I did for him. That is what Taylor Swift means to me; her songs are a reminder of such important milestones in life. “You Are in Love” perfectly encapsulates the quietness of true love. Not only because the chorus talks about hearing love in the silence, but because of the subtlety that the song hones in on. My favorite line in the song is “And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought their wars / and why I have spent my whole life trying to put it into words.” This lyric occurs in the bridge: the most iconic part of many Taylor Swift songs. Swift continues being deeply personal by simplifying her entire lyrical career into one word: love. Love causes many outcomes, including madness. As stated in the song, people fight wars over love, but Taylor Swift's madness comes from trying to capture the fullness of love in song lyrics. My favorite component of music is lyricism, and “You Are in Love” reminds me why exquisite lyrics will always be my favorite.

I established my love for acting at an early age, but only one reason led me to commit to my passion for a career. I persevere through any hardships I face because once I am dead and have descendants a hundred years from now, I want them to find me and be proud that I am their ancestor. I want my descendants to be able to watch films I have done and be thrilled to tell their friends about me. My work began by blazing new trails in a high school where the performing arts have never been a priority. My high school’s hands-only CPR demonstration, in which I played the News Reporter, won an award from our local hospital. In my senior year, we held the first-ever fall drama. Under a new director, I helped fight for a space to perform in the fall and acted as Number 8 in Twelve Angry Jurors, one of the many roles I obtained while in high school. My goal as an actor is not fame or wealth, but to leave a legacy. I plan to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at The Ohio State University. I aspire to attend a selective graduate school for a Master of Fine Arts in Acting after completing an undergraduate degree. I have no connections in Hollywood or experience in large theater corporations. Therefore, I intend to audition for commercials and minor television show roles while working in whatever way I must to survive financially. After establishing a background in commercials and shows, my goal is to move on to larger roles and one day be able to financially support myself through film. It is no easy task to leave a profound legacy, but I have grown accustomed to working hard to accomplish my dreams.

Endurance, diligence, and persistence. These are key factors in hard work; ones I have displayed in my life and high school career. I maintained straight A’s and have been on High Honor Roll throughout high school. I achieved this academic attainment through my persistence and diligence to maintain high grades. When I was younger, My older brother was in the marching band, and I attended football games to watch him perform in the marching band at halftime. Once, I watched the players’ senior night, and the announcer noted a student who had been on the High Honor Roll for all of high school. My parents talked about this great accomplishment, which led me to set that goal for myself. Even through the difficult classes that I have taken, I accomplished this goal through hard work and dedication. Attending Catholic school my entire life strengthened my faith immensely and my parents’ guidance formed my faith. My parents valued our faith and took our family to Mass every weekend. Catholic education taught me the importance of caring for God’s children, and I have done so through volunteering. My family and education helped me form my values, but my country gave me the freedom to practice my religion and attend faith-based schools. The United States of America granted me the ability to freely volunteer and achieve the academic goals I set for myself. These freedoms are extremely important to me, and I wish for all Americans to have the same opportunities as I do. To truly love is to wish the best for someone, and I intend to improve this country so we all may live our best lives. The United States grants rights many do not have, but to improve as a society we must improve as a country. Many orphans or children placed in foster care do not have half the privileges and opportunities I was granted in my early life. I hope to improve the adoption and foster care system by voting for politicians who value all American citizens. Hopefully, I will be able to adopt or foster a child of my own one day. This change is subtle, but our country is only as strong as the weakest Americans. The individual impact I will make may seem small, but if I can be a parent to a child who may never have one otherwise; it will be the greatest accomplishment of my life. For my future, I plan to continue my hard work to change the world.

Encouraging, caring, and admirable. The best role models push you to reach your full potential while encouraging you to do what you love. I can confidently say my Aunt Marri encompasses all the qualities of a great role model. My Aunt Marri watched over me as a child and now spends time with me as my best friend. She has no children, so her time can be more devoted to supporting me and my siblings. My Aunt Marri always came to sports games and concerts, and I remember our amazing sleepovers from when I was younger. Starting my freshman year of high school, she was one of my basketball coaches and pushed me to be all that I could be. My aunt helped me when I did not want to practice at home or put in the work I needed to, and I saw the fruits of my labor in games. Not only does my Aunt Marri know what I need to do to be great, she always says yes to having fun with me. A core memory of mine occurred because of my Aunt Marri. One of our favorite bands was playing the night of my first Homecoming dance, and we skipped the dance to see them. I could never regret missing my first high school dance to see a concert with my aunt, because I had a tremendous amount of fun and made unforgettable memories. We have gone to so many concerts since then and take day trips whenever we can. Our favorite trips are to boba tea cafes and bookstores. Both of our lives are full of highs and lows, and my Aunt Marri helped me through a difficult time for us both. When my grandfather, my aunt's father, passed away amid the pandemic, my aunt helped me through a time of grief and showed me healthy ways to mourn a loved one. I still struggle to be open about grief, but my aunt helps by reminding me that mourning is not shameful and we are meant to go through love and loss together. I will always miss my grandfather, and my aunt has shown through her actions that honesty about our grief leads to healing. My Aunt Marri loves everyone she knows without hesitation and is the best aunt I could ever ask for. We always look for the next concert to sing our hearts out at. My childhood memories are filled with her sleeping over, and now I can always look back on the trips to boba tea cafes. Attending college next year will be an entirely new experience. Thankfully, I will be studying close to where my aunt works, so our relationship can stay the same despite all the changes in my life.

Growing up, I watched performances of musicals at the Ohio Theatre with my family. Thanks to my parents, exposing me to the arts at an early age allowed my love of theater to be supported. In middle school, all students were required to participate in the spring musical, but I always looked forward to auditioning and performing. This led to my participation in the theater program at my high school. While everyone else played sports or mocked the theater kids, I was drawn to the stage. Although others made fun of the musicals or did not take them seriously, they pushed me to be myself despite what others may think. My family guided me toward the arts, but the passion I have for theater is entirely my own. While other students in the musicals would go into the auditions cold, I practiced the songs in my car or with a teacher. High school musicals have taught me to put in the work needed to achieve my goals. All my hard work and practice come from a love of theater and acting. My senior year was the first year my high school did a fall play, but before that, I sang in musicals so that I could act. Theater lets me be someone entirely different for a fleeting time and find what connects me to my character. Theatre taught me to be myself no matter what others think and to embrace what I love. I plan to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at The Ohio State University. I worked hard throughout high school to be accepted into any college I wanted, no matter how selective they may be. This arduous work has gotten me to where I am today and prepared me to work even harder to pursue acting in theater. I studied late into the night, practiced lines countless times while other cast members did not have their lines memorized, and led multiple clubs at my school. I have dreamt of becoming an actor since I was young, but I know it is not a consistent income. Thus, I am prepared to save up and apply for as many scholarships as I can and work whatever job is needed for a life in the theater industry. I worked hard to blaze new trails in a high school where the performing arts have never been a priority. In my senior year, we held the first-ever fall play. Under a new director, I was able to fight for a space to perform a play in the fall and performed as Number 8 in Twelve Angry Jurors. My goal as an actor is not fame or wealth, but to leave a legacy. I have no connections in Hollywood or experience in large theater corporations. Therefore, I intend to audition for commercials and minor theater roles while working a second job to survive financially. After establishing a background in commercials and shows, my goal is to move on to larger roles and one day be able to financially support myself through film and theater. I know it will be no easy task, but I have grown accustomed to working hard for what I want all my life. By establishing roles in theater or film that will help me gain experience professionally, I can prove my acting skills despite having no connections or being a childhood actor. The dream of acting pushed me far in high school, and I intend to carry it into the next five years and beyond in theater.

The dream version of my future self stars in multiple films, financially supports herself through acting, keeps her mind and body healthy, and fosters relationships that uplift herself and others.

Courageousness, strength, boldness. Women are not often taught to embrace these characteristics unless feminism is valued. Feminism brings equal consideration regardless of talent or identity. It encourages me to stand up for my beliefs and what is right no matter the circumstance. If I am not bold in my fight for equality, I know no one else will accomplish what needs to be done. We live in a world that profits off the patriarchy, where women are told to become smaller, and men’s masculinity is weaponized. The patriarchy not only negatively impacts women, but men as well. Many do not see the benefit brought to everyone through fighting for equality, but I learned to work hard to make this known. My aunt inspires me every day to be the woman I am today. One of the greatest ways in which she has been a role model for me is by never marrying. While other girls my age talked about getting married and having children, I talked about how I wanted to be just like her. I dreamt of growing up to be a single woman that can travel wherever and whenever she wants. Without her, I may have always thought I had to be married to be happy. However, I now know that it is a choice I can make, and if I choose not to, I will still have a fulfilling life. The moment I realized this was at an early age, playing in the water with my friend. She talked about how many children she wanted to have. I responded that I did not even know if I wanted any children, but my friend firmly believed that she would give birth to many. Both of our goals in life should be celebrated, but if I never grew up under the influence of my aunt, I do not know whether I would have had the confidence to dream of a childless future. This is one example of many of the ways my aunt has shown me the true meaning of feminism. I will forever be grateful for the guidance of my aunt while growing up and am proud to call her my friend. I come from a small private school where many see feminism as misandry, and women are shamed while men are praised. The school dress code is twice as long for women as it is for men, and women’s sports are seen as inferior to men’s sports. I contribute to the feminist movement at my school by being a leader through my actions. Whenever someone talks badly about what a female student is wearing, I stand up to them, and I go to men’s and women’s sports equally. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, only 10.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Although I have no intention of becoming a CEO in my community or school, I strongly believe women deserve a place in leadership. I contribute to this in my school clubs and extracurriculars. I am the Vice President of the Student Council, and our president is also female. I am secretary of my school’s Interact Club, a service-based organization, and section leader in my school’s choir. I value the strength feminism gives me, and the women in my life who have made me the courageous woman I am. While it is not always easy to stand for what is right, I strive to do so every day for the women who came before me and those who will follow.