Your undergraduate degree should be focused on what is significant to make a positive difference in your future career rather than what others usually do. I am currently working toward my bachelor's in Human Resource Management and plan to attend law school and then become a family lawyer. You might be curious why I'm majoring in HR Management instead of Pre-Law when planning on going into law. I chose this unique path because I care more about the people than the project. I want to fight for my clients and their needs and interests. I want to understand both parents in a divorce or a child custody case as well as the child and help everyone feel satisfied and know that they are taken care of and loved throughout the process. They are not just another file of papers on my desk; they are real people with real emotions and needs. A bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management allows me to learn about individuals and how to help them feel valued and respected throughout any process. It teaches me how to focus on the principal and not the position to find solutions that fix the real problem instead of fixing the immediate needs. Inventor Charles Kettering once said, "A problem well stated is a problem half-solved". I believe this fully and know that stating the problem well requires you to know the principle behind it which I learn to focus on as a Human Resource Management major. These skills are essential for a career in family law especially when I plan to make a positive impact on the world one family at a time by seeing each child and parent as the important person they are and not the file of needs they are presented as. When someone is going through a hard situation in their life, they need others to look up to and to show they care and support them. This is especially hard in situations of divorce or family crises because husbands, wives, and children are used to leaning on each other for support and they may not know where else to lean throughout their stressful and very real challenge. As their lawyer, I can't provide the full support and love they need but I can be a friend who is there to listen, and I can turn them into individuals who do have the power to provide the support and love they need. I can help them see that they are not alone in their challenges and that their thoughts and feelings are real and okay. I can also make the case a little less stressful by focusing on the actual issues and needs of both parties instead of the positions and demands they present. I will aim for a solution that is as mutually beneficial as possible by trying to "expand the pie" by looking for ways to benefit both parties instead of focusing on only the needs of my client and trying to claim the greatest amount while the other party suffers for it. My career gives me the opportunity to help families and individuals during one of the hardest times of their lives and I will do all I can to be that help. I will make a positive impact on the lives of my clients as a family lawyer by focusing on the people and not the project; I will change their world, or life, to be a happier place to live in.

What makes life worth living? What makes truly living different from simply existing? In order to truly live, one must make a difference for good in the world. One must truly care about others and serve them. Life is a chance— a chance to make the world better. Life is worth living! Individuals who truly live make a difference by serving and caring about others. To start, people must serve around their communities. These acts of service can be as simple and being a good friend or smiling at someone. People notice the little things and are uplifted and inspired by them. L. Sydney Abel once said, “If there is at least one person you’ve helped in your life, then your life has been worthwhile”. Your kindness will help at least one person which will bring purpose to your life. Additional, individuals must serve in areas they are passionate about. These passions could be as broad as loving animals to as specific as helping a specific village get access to water. No matter what the passion is, there are plenty of ways to serve. For instance, my passion is making clean water accessible anywhere. In order to serve in this area, I have created a way for my community to raise money for a borehole. In order to do this, I called businesses asking for door prize donations and set up a plan to have a raffle where all profits go toward a borehole. With this service project, I allowed community members to donate to an amazing cause while earning a chance to win many prizes. There are many ways to make your life meaningful through service no matter your passion. What is the purpose of life? Your life purpose is to lift others through genuine love and service.

Everyone has dreams for their future. Some long for a spouse and children; others long to own a big company, and many simply wish for happiness in whatever career opportunities come their way. My dream is to run a water ice business and own and manage many Airbnb homes. I don’t sit around and let my dreams be dreams: I take action and work for them. I am currently working toward my future career goals through working at a Caliche’s Frozen Custard and managing my own Airbnb. Through working at Caliche’s I’ve learned time management, leadership and problem-solving skills, and morals and standards to look for in great employees. These skills will allow me to organize and manage my future water ice business successfully. Likewise, the experiences I am gaining from managing and cleaning my Airbnb will prepare me to manage many Airbnbs in my near future. My father bought an investment property and allowed me to furnish it and list it as an Airbnb. In October, I bought the essentials including furniture, bedding, and kitchen essentials which taught me interior design and budgeting skills that I will use while furnishing my future Airbnb homes. In November, I completed my Airbnb account and posted my listing titled “Land of Enchantment Getaway”. Now, I provide guests with information and support whenever needed and clean the Airbnb between stays. This opportunity along with working at Caliche’s is preparing me for my future careers as a water ice company owner and Airbnb manager. I know that education is crucial in accomplishing goals. This is why I am seeking opportunities to learn and gain experience. I know that a college education along with my work experience will help me make my dream of being a water ice company owner and Airbnb manager become reality.

Have you ever had a moment of realization of the impact you could have on the world? I have and it shaped who I was into who I am. The summer of 2019 I had the privilege of going on a humanitarian trip to Uganda. During this trip, I helped build a school. While I was on a break, a Ugandan boy picked up my brother’s water bottle, and asked, pointing to the water bottle, "Madam, me please?" I was not allowed to give any of the kids water, but it was so hard to tell him no. I wanted to give him the clean water so badly; just like I still want to give those families access to clean water. That simple moment changed me and my life forever. After that moment, I knew I wanted to bring clean water around the world-- but how? My question was quickly answered when I attended a borehole opening ceremony the next week. The whole village was so happy and grateful that they got this new access to water. They urged us to keep sponsoring more boreholes. This was my answer. This was how I could change the lives of thousands of children like that little boy. I took their plea upon myself and sprang into action. I organized a fundraiser that raised more than enough to sponsor a borehole just a few months after getting home. Since the summer of 2019, I have been able to raise money for three boreholes and am continuing to advocate for clean water around the world. My humanitarian trip shaped me into who I am today. It gave me opportunity to see the struggle for clean water firsthand and I have now had the privilege of helping many villages end the struggle.

Suzanne Collins, the bestselling author of The Hunger Games, once said, “Reading, like writing, is a very personal experience. So pick out a book, open it up, read every day, and enjoy the ride!“ The Hunger Games is my favorite book mostly because I had such a personal journey reading it. I would stop and ponder the characters' emotions and decisions and would ask myself what I would do in their shoes. Would I speak up and fight for my rights and agency, or would I follow along blindly and allow myself to be pushed around like cattle? My answer was too often the latter, but by recognizing this, I was able to improve myself in the real world by noticing and speaking up when something was wrong. I love The Hunger Games because it brought me on a personal adventure where I was able to learn more about myself and improve myself. Apart from this, The Hunger Games is my favorite book because it has such a powerful, yet relatable main character. Katniss is a normal girl who loves her sister. She has to learn and grow like everyone else and has many trials in her life. Katniss' bow hunting skills came from years of practice and were not just grated to her from birth. She is not great at handling her emotions, and she is often overwhelmed by society, yet she stays strong because she loves Prim. Katniss volunteered to go into the Hunger Games not for fame or money, but to protect her sister. Katniss is a relatable character so this action was powerful. Would I sacrifice myself for my sister? Questions like this brought about my personal journey in reading The Hunger Games and allowed me to learn about and improve myself in the real world.

My dream life is a joyful life. In it, my family and I constantly go on fun adventures; I love my job, and I find joy in every situation. I know that life is not always perfect. Flights to our planned vacations are delayed and canceled leaving us on entirely different adventures; jobs and schooling become an obligation each day instead of a fun opportunity to learn and grow, and it is sometimes hard to find happiness. Darkness comes into our lives on too many occasions, yet in the words of Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light". In my dream life, I am able to see the bring side and find joy in every adventure and challenge. I am not exempt from the misfortunes of life, but I am able to spin the circumstances and find how they led to joy and knowledge. Because of some of the happiest moments of my real life, I know that a dream life does not requires perfection; it only requires joy. When I was eleven, my mother brought my brother and I on a surprise trip to a Taylor Swift concert. After the concert ended at around 11pm, my brother and I laughed and played while my mom searched for an Uber driver. Because of the amount of fans leaving the concert, we were not able to get a driver until past 1am, but the night could not have been better. We "turned on the lights" and saw two extra hours of fun to laugh and play versus a two hour wait. I would not sell that spontaneous adventure for anything. It taught me that everything-- good or bad-- can bring joy if we look on the bright side.

A wise grand slam winner once explained, "Staying calm is the most important thing. And then being able to take advantage of the confidence that you have when you're playing deep into a slam is super key.” She is ranked #3 in the world for women's tennis and inspires me through her amazing qualities. The qualities I value most in myself are my confidence, persistence, and go-getter attitude. They allow me to try new things and make my dreams and ambitions come true. I am so grateful for my confidence, persistence, and go-getter attitude and know that they will help me greatly in my life journey. My go-getter attitude, persistence, and confidence have already allowed me to do so many great things. To start, when I was sixteen, I read the Hunger Games series and was fascinated by how Katniss provided for her family through bow hunting. I wanted to learn archery like Katniss, so with my go-getter attitude, I immediately asked my dad if he could teach me archery. My family had a simple 20 pound compound bow that I used to learn basic archery skills. After about two months of practicing with that bow four times a week, I learned how to pull back and shoot our 45 pound hunting bow. I have been using that bow ever sense and have gone on multiple 3-D archery shoots and a turkey hunt all because of my desire to learn and my go-getter attitude that lead me to take action. Additionally, my qualities have led me to get my first job at Caliche's Frozen Custard. I saw that they were hiring and immediately took action. I asked my mom if I could apply, filled out the application, and turned it in within two days. The new week I had my interview and was hired. Similarly, I used my go-getter attitude, persistence, and confidence to become the host and manager of an Airbnb. Originally, I was going to spend all my college money on the down payment of a small house then use my money from Caliche's as well as the money I earn from the Airbnb to pay the monthly fees on the house. My dad and I discussed my idea and decided it was too risky. My dad then offered to buy me a house with a $200,000 budget that he could sell once its value increases. In the meantime, I could buy the furniture and bedding and rent out the house as an Airbnb. Within the month, I found a house, dad put in an offer, and I started planning. My confidence, persistence, and go-getter attitude have led me to learn archery, get my first job, and even became the host and manager of an Airbnb, and it will continue to bless me throughout the rest of my life. I know that my qualities will lead me to do great things in my future just like they already have. My go-getter attitude will cause me to jump into action; my confidence will drive me, and my persistence will motive me to never give up even when things get hard. I will turn all my dreams of an education, a family, and a job that I am passionate about into my reality through my go-getter attitude, confidence, and persistence. I value these qualities more than anything else and know-- without a doubt-- they will lead me to become the person I have always wanted to become and live the life I have always wanted to live.

When I think of a wise individual, I usually imagine an old man with a robe and long beard like Gandalf or Dumbledore. However, wise individuals are all around us in our everyday lives. They do not have to wear a robe, grow a long beard, or even be old in order to have wisdom. They simple have to experience and learn from life with all its struggles and look for the lessons and tender mercies instead of the unfairness and sorrow. Lacey Rawlings, one of the wisest people I know, did just that. This summer, I went to my church's girl's camp where we had a devotional given by Lacey Rawlings who tragically lost her five year old son, six year old daughter, and five year old niece only two years ago when her family attempted to cross a creek during heavy flooding and their military styled truck was washed away. She has gone through so much over the past couple years due to her loss in this accident that was followed by a court case against her and her husband and many rude Facebook posts and comments, yet she has stayed so faithful and positive through it all. Lacey Rawlings has gained so much wisdom from her tragedy and loss. She taught "Remember that you're enough and that your Heavenly Father loves you". This is the key to happiness through trials and the wisest thing I've ever heard. No matter what you are enough in God's eyes. You can go through struggles and grief and make mistakes, but it will all be okay in the end because you will always be enough in God's eyes. By remembering this, she was able to stay positive through her struggles, and because she shared her wisdom with me, I can too.

The greatest problem in the world is the lack of clean drinking water. Roughly 800 million individuals on the Earth do not have access to clean water which is wrong. Every family-- no matter where they live or their financial circumstances-- deserves access to clean water. Through Family Humanitarian Experience, it currently only cost $4,000 to sponsor a borehole that will bring lifesaving water to a village of over 2,000 people. This means less than $2 could bring an individual and his or her prosperity clean water for life. Forbes list of real time billionaires shows that the richest 709 individuals in the world all have over $4 billion which is enough to easily spare $1.6 Billion and bring clean water to all 800 million individuals who are currently living without access to clean drinking water. You and I may not have the ability to singlehandedly bring water to the entire world, but we can make a huge difference by simply donating our spare change. Bringing water to every family in the world is not a huge, daunting task. Honestly, it is a very achievable goal if we all work together and bring water to one village at a time. My family was blessed to go on a Family Humanitarian Experience trip to Uganda in the summer of 2019. While there, we had the amazing opportunity of attending a borehole opening ceremony. The whole village was so happy and grateful for their new access to clean water. They urged us to keep sponsoring boreholes in order to bring clean water to other villages. Since then, we have been able to fund three boreholes through simple fundraisers. We did not do anything huge or heroic, yet we were able to bring lifesaving water to over 6,000 individuals and so can you!

Do you remember going to grandma's house when you were little? I surely do and all my memories include the little things: the pink bathroom, the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, the horse tire swing, the sand box full of black widows, the butterfly catching nets that caught more bats then butterflies, and best of all my family gathered together and laughing. I will never forget the bat infested tree that held not only the treehouse with the unsteady latter, a hornet's nest, and the horse tire swing, but also my days of adventure and dreams at my grandma's old, beat down house on the farm in Preston Idaho. The tree along with all the other little details were so simple, yet they combined to give me the best childhood any kid could ask for. One of these little things was a simple picture of a quote hanging in my grandma's bathroom containing the wise words of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. that read, “Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things". That quote could not have been more perfect. It taught me to savor all the details, and now, I am looking back and realizing that the little details of my early days spent at grandma's old farmhouse were the big things. The little things taught me lessons and gave me joyful memories that became the ingredients to the complicated, yet happy, woman I am today. I know, without a doubt, that those little things were actually the big things. Now, my grandma sold her old, but loved, Preston Idaho house to a new family and is living in a simple, modern home in Utah, but the little details of my visits to her old farmhouse will never be lost. I can't remember how many times I visited grandma's house or even the last time I was there, but I do remember the lessons I learned and the joy I experienced because of the little things. I learned simple things there like where to hide in the game of hide and seek and not to mess with stray cats. I learned big things like family matters most and to conquer my fears and follow my dreams, but most importantly, I learned to enjoy the little things and never take a second for granite. I often repeat the wise words spoken by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. about enjoying the little things because they are dear and true to me. His quote-- "Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things"-- will always have a special place in my heart because they taught me to seize every moment of my life, and they remind me of all the little things at grandma's old farmhouse that truly were the big things.

I have been given many pieces of financial advice throughout my life. It started simple in my early childhood with advice from my parents to save my money for big toys or games instead of buying cheap toys. After elementary school, I learned to start saving for college. Once in high school, I got more specific advice like not to buy a car until I really need one, to invest in stocks, and to get my first job so I can have a consistent income. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I received my most helpful piece of financial advice which was to “invest in myself” with every minute of my time and every penny that I earn. The advice to “invest in myself” stood out to me. By investing in myself, I know that the value will always be rising because I am the factor that makes the price rise and fall. Before getting this advice, I kept being told to save my money to the point where I was afraid to buy anything. I was anxious about spending my money on college, a dorm room, and supplies such as books. I felt like the money I spent would be gone forever and I would never see it again; however, after hearing the advice to “invest in myself”, I realized that the money I will spend on my journey toward a college diploma is an investment that will grow— not money that will disappear. I will be able to transform my money to an education that will eventually lead to a great job with a great salary and eventualy even more money. I know that investing in myself will give me more opportunities to have financial freedom in my future.

My name is Emilia Coombs and I am a senior in high school. Throughout my life, I have lived in five different states: California, Pennsylvania, Utah, Alaska, and New Mexico. I am blessed with two amazing parents and am the second oldest of six kids. I love archery and acting and currently work at Caliche’s Frozen Custard. I am an activist for getting clean water everywhere in the world. My family was blessed with the opportunity to go on three family humanitarian trips— one in Uganda and two in Guatemala. While on these trips, I noticed how blessed I am for my easy access to food and water as well as other essentials. While in Uganda, I realized that I could make a huge difference in many families’ lives by raising money for a borehole in order to bring a village clean water. Once I got home, I made a plan to fundraise and sprang to action. I called local businesses for raffle donations then set up a raffle. Through that raffle, I was able to raise over the $2000 necessary to sponsor a borehole. This project allowed me to see how much can be done when individuals put their time and resources together to make a difference. When I am older, I want to go on family humanitarian trips with my future family and do as much as I can to help everyone get access to food and water no matter where they live. My parents have decided to teach responsibility and independence to me and my siblings through having us pay our college fees mostly on our own. I would greatly appreciate this scholarship because it would take away a lot of the stress of earning money for college. I am not in great need of financial assistance; however, earning a $503 scholarship would still make a difference. I plan to go to college straight out of high school and earn a bachelor’s degree in business. From there, I hope to own and manage Airbnb’s around the United States. I would use this scholarship money toward tuition in order to turn my plan of going to college and earning my bachelor’s degree in business into reality.

Harvey Fierstein— a famous playwrite and actor and four time Tony Award winner— once said “Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate”. I believe this fully. I know that we all personally have the opportunity to change the world through any style of art. My favorite form of art is acting and writing monologues. Actresses and actors have the special chance to be whomever they want in any time period and any universe. They get to create their own fantasy world full of dangers and wonders and personally portray a unique individual who lives in that world. I especially love acting and writing monologues because it allows me to share my voice and feelings while portraying a different person with different struggles and joys. I find it hard to introduce myself to someone new because I’m worried I’ll say something wrong and offend them, but when I am acting, I get to be someone else and all my fears and insecurities go away. This is my artistic vision. I vision a world where I can be whoever I want to be— a world where I am no longer bound down by my fears. Throughout my life, I have learned what it feels like to be an outcast, to have friends turn their back on you, to feel lost and alone, and to feel like you can’t talk to anyone through it all— but when I am acting and writing monologues, I am in the world I vision where my challenges and insecurities don’t define me and I am courageous. When I graduate, I will live in the world I vision through becoming an actress. I will portray many different people with many different stories and use those characters to spread joy and inspire others.

In this day and age, society is trying so hard to rid itself of prejudism based on gender. It has good intentions but is overcompensating for this issues. Instead of teaching that all people— male or female— are equal and should be given equal rights, it teaches that all people are “the same” and should be treated as so. Unfortunately, this belief dehumanizes the human race and rids us of our most important quality: our differences. Society should empower women by teaching that we are equal but separate and by celebrating our differences. It should use tv shows and movies to more effectively advertise this. I believe that society can most effectively empower women through treating us as equal while noticing and appreciating our differences and should use tv shows and movies to teach this truth. To begin, society must recognize and teach that women and men are equal but different. Society tries to empower women by telling them they are just like the men but this statement is contradicting itself because if we really were “just like the men” then nothing would have to be said because no differences would be noticed. Furthermore, this statement is false. We are no less important than men but we are different. Woman and men must continue to have separate sports in order for our differences to be noticed and celebrated and to give us equal chances to be recognized for our athletics achievements. Some citizens have fallen for society’s false statement that men and women are the same. This statement makes them think it is empowering for women to compete against men in athletics. However, in reality, it is discouraging to female athletes because they work so hard and are so talented, but their talents go unnoticed if men run in the same competition. Society must empower women by celebrating how men and women are different but equal. Society should use tv shows and movies to show that men and women are separate but equal, and thus empower women. Stereotypes of men being more important than women or men and women being the exact same should not be popular on shows and movies. Instead, tv shows and movies should advertise our differences and give power to women instead of sexualizing them. I really appreciate the movie Wonder Woman because it does just that. Diana’s differences are celebrated and not hidden. She is proud to be a woman and is a symbol of strength and power. The full body shots focus on her strength and confidence instead of her beauty. I believe that society needs to make more tv shows and movies where they main character is a powerful woman who is known for her strengths and not just her beauty. I really appreciate how Wonder Women was filmed in a way that shows mankind’s weaknesses and strengths within the same scene and includes a main character man and woman who are both confident and willing to risk their lives for something they believe in. The show Wonder Woman advertises that man and woman are different but one is no less important than the other and more shows should be made like this I’m order to teach women that they are different from men but are still powerful and important. Society must empower woman through teaching that men and women are different but equal and through celebrating our differences.

I am so thankful for my amazing mom. She is always there for me and is always on my side. I am so glad that I am blessed with a mom who leads me in the right direction and gives me her input but gives me the opportunity to think and act for myself. I love my mom and know she is always there for me when I need her. My mom is... Adventurous Motivating Absolutely perfect Zappy Impressive Never giving up Go-getter My mom is so inspiring with managing to go on super long runs and bike rides, homeschool my younger siblings, drive everyone around, make dinner, and still have time to smile and talk to each of her children. I love my mom and am so grateful to have her in my life.

What was your dream when you were little? Did you want to be a princess, rock star, dolphin trainer, maybe an astronaut? For me, it was an actress. I dreamed of being in movies, playing different characters, and enjoying different lifestyles and challenges. I loved how the good guys always won in the end, and I wanted to be that smiling victor or her loyal friend standing beside her through it all. Now, I am a junior in high school still dreaming of being in the movies. I am still that smiling little girl inside, and I’m striving to make my dreams come true. It has been a crazy journey moving towards becoming an actress, and I’m still on my way. Last summer, I took a huge jump towards my acting dreams. I saw an add on Instagram that Talent Auditions acting training was holding auditions for their next set of aspiring actors and actresses to prepare them for a career in the entertainment industry. I immediately signed up and auditioned. I was so happy to see that I was one of few who got in. Talent Auditions was super amazing! There, I was able to meet a lot of actors/actresses with experience in the entertainment industry including Connor Weil who is Brady in KC Undercover and Hannah Kat Jones who was a finalist in Top Model and played Des' girlfriend in Austin and Ally. I am so glad I had the confidence to take the jump and have those amazing experiences. During the acting training, I was able to write my own one minute monologue and perform it in front of agents and managers (through zoom). From there, I was discovered by Who Management Talent Agency who is now representing me. Within the last month, I have been able to audition for a small speaking role in Stranger Things season 4, an Under Armour commercial, a Hershey’s Kisses Christmas Campaign, and a GAP Christmas sweater commercial. I am excited to continue auditioning and following my dream of becoming an actress. I can’t wait to land a job and be able to start my career in the entertainment industry. There are a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns on the road to becoming an actress, so I need to be prepared both mentally, physically, and financially. In order to financially prepare, I’ve made the plan to get a Bachelors in Business Administration and own and manage Airbnb’s as well as sell products on Amazon while working as an actress and model. This way I will have a place to turn financially when times get hard on the crazy road to my acting career. I would be so grateful to get this $500 grant because it would help me afford my Bachelors in Business Administration so I can learn how to properly manage my Airbnb’s and sell products on Amazon while working as an actress. It would be a huge help on the journey to the big screen.

“My past does not define me, destroy me, dettered me, or defeat me; it has only strengthened me.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli I love that quote because it is so true. When I was in elementary school, I struggled greatly especially in reading. I read so slow and fell behind the rest of my grade. My amazing mother would sit and do flash cards with me to help me learn my “sight” words. However, for me they were more like “guess” words. In third grade, I was put in REI for reading which was basically a class to help students who were behind catch up to their grade levels. I had a lot of fun playing word games with other students and reading with the teacher, but it was sill really irritating to me that I couldn’t read as fast as everyone else. Everyone seemed to read so easily, as I stared— distraught— at the passages in front of me. Teachers, and even my parents, were convinced that I wasn’t trying. They simply thought I was lazy, but I was trying my very hardest. I wanted to be as smart as the other kids in my class, but I couldn’t read fast enough. I was struggling and getting further and further behind my grade level. In the middle of fourth game, my family moved from Chugiak, Alaska to Las Cruces, New Mexico. In Las Cruces, I was put in a class with a teacher who believed in me. He encouraged me to keep trying and gave me confidence in myself. New Mexico had an easier curriculum then Alaska, so, for the first time in a long time, I felt smart. I was able to answer questions correctly and do great on my assignment. My teachers confidence in me mixed with the easier assignments encouraged me. I worked extra hard doing learning games that weren’t even assigned and was able to excel. Eventually, I was able to do even better than most my classmates. I had moved from falling behind and feeling dumb to excelling and feeling smart. I am grateful for my struggles in the beginning of elementary school because they taught me patience, empathy, and hard work. I am using those skills now to get through my hard courses and help others. My little sister is going through the same challenges as I went through, and I am grateful that I have those experiences, so I can understand her struggles and help her improve. Like Dr. Maraboli exclaimed, “My past does not... dettered me... it has only strengthened me”. I am so grateful for my struggles because they allow me to grow.

The Thirst for a Difference The summer of 2019 I had the privilege of going on a humanitarian trip to Uganda. During this trip, I helped build a school. While I was on a break, a Ugandan boy picked up my brother’s water bottle, and asked, pointing to the water bottle, "Madam, me please?" I was not allowed to give any of the kids water, but it was so hard to tell him no. I wanted to give him the clean water so badly. Just like I still want to give those families access to clean water. I want to create a world where everyone has access to clean water no matter where they live. 1.1 billion people don’t have access to clean water. Knowing this and seeing it firsthand, I made my plan of action: I was going to help the families get clean water! But how? One day we walked with villagers to the village’s borehole to get water. All the villagers were so happy to have a borehole to access clean water. Their containers of water were really heavy. My group struggled with carrying them just a small distance and I can’t imagine having to walk much farther. Many villages don’t have access to a borehole, so the people there must collect dirty water from streams or rivers that are often miles away. I want- need- to help those villages by giving them access to a borehole. This was the answer to my question: how could I help these families get clean water? By raising money for a borehole. As soon as I had the idea, I started planning. A borehole in Uganda cost $2000 which gives water to a village of over 5000 people. I considered different ways to fundraise the money: a race, a dinner, a water day event. Then it hit me, my school, Arrowhead Park Early College High School, has 570 students; if we all donated $4, the school alone could sponsor a borehole. My school and I really could make a huge difference in more than 5000 people’s lives by simply donating our $4 each. By locally raising money in my school, I could work toward a future free from thirst. How could I motivate all the students to donate? I researched many different ideas: give them a keychain for their donation, make it a competition, do it through a water event, try to advertise really well. The answer finally came to me while I was visiting with an elderly woman in my church. She suggested I should motivate students through a raffle. I could call businesses and ask if they are willing to donate door prizes. I was eager to start earning the money for the borehole. The next day I was ready to face my greatest fear: phone calls. I was legitimately scared, so I tried to prepare as best as possible. My first call was with Dick's Sporting Goods. I secretly hoped they wouldn't answer, but when they did, I was prepared. I was so scared that I had to read everything off the script I made. By my second call, I wasn't as scared; it continued to get easier. I was able to ask for a donation without any confusion or awkward pauses. I had many rejections, but overall, was able to get a good amount of door prize donations. With these door prizes as motivation for the students, I was on the path to make money for the highly needed borehole in Uganda. I emailed all the teachers about the borehole project then officially kicked it off on Monday, October 28th, 3 months after my humanitarian trip. I, first, printed off posters and organized raffle tickets. Then, I reached out to the school by contacting the teachers, explaining the project, and providing them with the supplies needed. I also prepared a presentation explaining the need and vision and presented it to all classes that were willing to hear. Some of the teachers expressed concerns about collecting the borehole money in their classroom. I told them that we could have the students donate online. However, I was worried that this would cause fewer students to donate, so I decided to open my project up to the public. I tweaked my flyers to work for the community and my mom advertised the borehole project through social media. The project was a hit! Many members of my community compassionately donated to the borehole project. The first day open to the community, $500 was raised from numerous people. By the end of the project goal date, I was able to raise over the $2000 needed! I donated all the money toward the borehole. This money would change the lives of thousands of people. By raising the necessary money in my community, I was able to help a village in Uganda— and ultimately, the world— take a step closer to a world where everyone has access to clean water. While I was in Uganda, I had the amazing opportunity of attending a borehole opening ceremony. The whole village was so happy and grateful that they got this new access to water. They urged us to keep making more boreholes. I took their plea upon myself and, despite the obstacles, raised the money for a borehole. I was able to be persistent and determined through the entire project and never let my enthusiasm drop. I saw a need and had a strong desire to help which led me to act. I was able to better understand my ability to push past my fears and comfort zone in order to help accomplish something that truly matters. I had the opportunity to see the struggle for clean water firsthand and had the privilege of helping one village end the struggle. I had a vision of a world free from thirst, and I acted on it. I did my part, in my community, to come closer to a world where everyone has access to clean water.

What is the first thing you did this morning? Let me guess... it involved water! Water is an essential for life, but some families can’t access clean water. I visited Uganda on a family humanitarian experience. There, I was able to see the need for clean water firsthand. I vowed to help those amazing families access clean water. After I returned, I boldly decided to raise $2000 to sponsor a lifesaving borehole through a raffle. I boldly called businesses for donations and steadfastly continued after many rejections. Eventually, I earned over $2000 to bring the Musoto Slums. lifesaving clean water.