Math is the biggest subject that most students complain about, and for a long time, I agreed with that sentiment. However, there was one person who changed my perspective on Math forever: My Algebra teacher, Ms. Contreni. Before entering high school, I had good grades, and I never really learned the “struggle” that came with a subject, as I never needed to study as I found the content in middle school classes to be relatively easy. I would soon learn what “struggle” really meant. When first entering high school, I thought that it would be no different than middle school, but I was wrong. I struggled a lot in my first year, and because I hadn’t struggled before, I didn’t know what to do, and I left the first month of school feeling stressed. However, what felt worse was that nobody else seemed to struggle in that class as much as I did. It really felt like I was all alone, and although I struggled immensely, I still had my pride, so I never asked for help even if I needed it. However, that would all change during the second month. After giving it some thought, I decided to finally let go of my pride and ask for help. After our class was over, I went up to Ms. Contreni so I could ask questions about the content of our lesson. What ensued was a rinse-and-repeat, as I would gain more confidence to ask after class. Eventually, I started to struggle less, as I gained more insight from Ms. Contreni, as well as putting more effort to study outside of school. The real test would be the Algebra 1 SOL, which I prepared for with the help of Ms. Contreni. Then, the day of the test came. After test day, everything resumed as normal, and my algebra class had started another unit. A couple weeks flew by, and before I knew it, Ms. Contreni had the results of the SOL on a handful of sticky notes. I had to admit, I was extremely anxious, so when she gave my sticky notes, I didn’t look at it at first. Eventually, she took my sticky note back and ushered me to come to her desk. Out of the blue, she said “Do you recall when you said that you’ve never achieved an advanced SOL score?” She said. What she said shocked me. In one sentence, she had given me something I hadn’t felt in a long time: Hope. When she decided to place the note back on my desk, I decided to open it, now with a new sense of confidence. Written in green ink, was the number 542 at the center of my sticky note. As soon as I saw it, the bell rang, and every student started leaving the classroom. Every student except me, as I was still staring at the small sticky note in front of me. This very long string of events happened 3 years ago, and looking back, that Algebra class saves me from what would have been more stressful years to come. However, not only did the class teach me algebra, it taught me helpful study habits, and to learn that it’s ok to struggle and ask questions. For the future, I can tell that nobody will help me if I don’t ask for help first, and it has helped me open up to more people in general. Because of Ms. Contreni, I learned to be humble, resilient, and even gained a new sense of respect for math in general, which I owe my thanks to.

The one idea or passion that most people share is their love for their family. While some might argue that having the utmost respect for your family isn’t really a passion, believing that everyone should be entitled to a loving family is. The respect I hold for my family is immense, and I know that I was lucky to have a family that loves me unconditionally as much as I love them. Their positive impact on me makes me want to return the love they give me right back to them and the community. I love volunteering for my community, as it feels immensely satisfying and gratifying to do. To me, helping the community means making a difference in your environment, and helping events around the community succeed. For example, I am in the Interact Club, and I volunteered at a local Halloween event made for families, and nothing was more gratifying than seeing them attend the event and have fun together. Because of how many people from our club showed up, the event was a huge success, and I continue to volunteer at multiple events to represent our club, and represent my high school as a whole. Going back to my family, I know that I have a big responsibility on my back. As the oldest sibling, I am currently set to be the first person in my family to attend university, making me set to be a generation college student. With this responsibility, I teach my younger siblings to be prepared for the future, but also make sure to not push themselves too much. Handling this balance between discipline and love is what ultimately makes me who I am, and shows that I can positively influence my family through thick and thin. Through my want for higher education, I believe that I can achieve my dream to go to university. This scholarship would help me a lot because for the majority of my education, my parents are helping me with the financial part, and getting this scholarship would mean that my efforts to help my parents were successful. I want to give back everything that my parents had given me, as they have already given me so much, making me feel like I won the family lottery. I want to achieve my dream of being an orthodontist, and to get to that long term goal, I need to get to university first. While we might disagree on other topics, my parents and I value education, and that shows through the sacrifices they made to get me and my siblings to this point. Both of my parents aren’t from the U.S.A, and they had to overcome many obstacles to provide my siblings and I with everything we needed. Because of their dedication, I admire them, and I want to be a positive influence to my peers. I am inspired by them to keep growing, and from this I share these values with my siblings as well, as they keep growing. A positive impact can make anyone’s day better, and I want to be the reason why someone’s day gets better. Whether by doing community service or by using positive reinforcement on my siblings, I am determined to be driven by my ambitions. Regardless of the outcome, I know that I can have a positive impact in my community, and my family. With the addition of this scholarship opportunity, it could extend to the university I choose to attend as well, as I still want to continue helping the community as much as I can, spreading positivity wherever I go.

"Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness," my counselor said. Ever since the early days of middle school, I struggled to grapple with this concept. When I was younger, I would always think there was something wrong with me for being so emotional. Whenever I got a grade I didn't like, it would be the end of the world, and I wouldn't gather the strength to move on. However, this changed when I met my counselor, who saw my potential and encouraged me to never let my emotions get the best of me. Because of her, I am now more emotionally stronger, and I am able to spend my end years of high school feeling better about myself. Middle school was hard for me to navigate emotionally, but I was not prepared for what high school would bring me. While I hard a hard time controlling my emotions in middle school, I found the curriculum itself to be "comfy", as I usually didn't find myself struggling with the academics. Once I entered high school, I had noticed a shift in academic difficulty, and I had begun to struggle in my classes. One class that I was struggling with was Algebra, and by the end of the first couple of weeks of high school, I was feeling overwhelmed. Although I struggled immensely, I was stubborn, and full of pride. So, instead of making the better choice, I put more unneeded pressure on myself, and ended the first month feeling stressed. After the first month, I knew that something had to change. After giving it some thought, I decided to let go of my pride and ask for help. After Algebra class, I went to Ms. Contreni, my teacher, so I could ask her questions about the lesson. What ensued was a rinse-and-repeat, as I gained more confidence to ask questions, and I would start making it a habit to study every day after school. The SOL's were around the corner, and I was determined to make this the first SOL I get a pass advanced on. So, I studied even harder than before, and as a result I overwhelmed myself. In an attempt to further understand myself, I went to my school counselor for help. That is when she told me a crucial lesson that I would take from high school. "Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness" My counselor said. Was she telling the truth? I thought to myself. After years of enduring such hardships, was there more to my sensitivity than just being a roadblock? Was there a way to coexist with my emotions, and not let them overcome me? Did I have what it takes to change? So many questions, and with little time left, I promised myself that I would take the steps to understand myself. However, this challenge would be to be one of the biggest yet, but I am happy with the progress I've made, so I will continue to learn about myself. A couple weeks later, the SOL scores had been given to teachers, and Ms. Contreni had each students score on a sticky note. One by one, she had passed out all sticky notes, and while mine was sitting on my desk, I was too nervous to look at it. By the end of class, I caved in and looked, only to be greeted with a 542 in green ink. Once everyone had left, I finally let myself celebrate with my teacher, and I learned that sometimes all you need to take is the first step to achieve greatness.

"Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness," my counselor said. Ever since the early days of middle school, I struggled to grapple with this concept. When I was younger, I would always think there was something wrong with me for being so emotional. Whenever I got a grade I didn't like, it would be the end of the world, and I wouldn't gather the strength to move on. However, this changed when I met my counselor, who saw my potential and encouraged me to never let my emotions get the best of me. Because of her, I am now more emotionally stronger, and I am able to spend my end years of high school feeling better about myself. Middle school was hard for me to navigate emotionally, but I was not prepared for what high school would bring me. While I hard a hard time controlling my emotions in middle school, I found the curriculum itself to be "comfy", as I usually didn't find myself struggling with the academics. Once I entered high school, I had noticed a shift in academic difficulty, and I had begun to struggle in my classes. One class that I was struggling with was Algebra, and by the end of the first couple of weeks of high school, I was feeling overwhelmed. Although I struggled immensely, I was stubborn, and full of pride. So, instead of making the better choice, I put more unneeded pressure on myself, and ended the first month feeling stressed. After the first month, I knew that something had to change. After giving it some thought, I decided to let go of my pride and ask for help. After Algebra class, I went to Ms. Contreni, my teacher, so I could ask her questions about the lesson. What ensued was a rinse-and-repeat, as I gained more confidence to ask questions, and I would start making it a habit to study every day after school. The SOL's were around the corner, and I was determined to make this the first SOL I get a pass advanced on. So, I studied even harder than before, and as a result I overwhelmed myself. In an attempt to further understand myself, I went to my school counselor for help. That is when she told me a crucial lesson that I would take from high school. "Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness," My counselor said. Was she telling the truth? I thought to myself. After years of enduring such hardships, was there more to my sensitivity than just being a roadblock? Was there a way to coexist with my emotions, and not let them overcome me? Did I have what it takes to change? So many questions, and with little time left, I promised myself that I would take the steps to understand myself. However, this challenge would be to be one of the biggest yet, but I am happy with the progress I've made, so I will continue to learn about myself. A couple weeks later, the SOL scores had been given to teachers, and Ms. Contreni had each students score on a sticky note. One by one, she had passed out all sticky notes, and while mine was sitting on my desk, I was too nervous to look at it. By the end of class, I caved in and looked, only to be greeted with a 542 in green ink. Once everyone had left, I finally let myself celebrate with my teacher, and I learned that sometimes all you need to take is the first step to achieve greatness.

Many people in today's world can't afford braces. Dental braces are used to straighten the teeth of an individual, but the process behind it is massive. For example, some cases involve the patient wearing braces to for a year, and some even longer than that. In addition to this, some might have to wear retainers after the process of braces so that the teeth stay in the same position that they were in before. Ever since I have had the pleasure of getting braces, I have been curious and amazed at how orthodontists can fix your teeth arrangement, which has inspired me to pursue a Bachelor's in Biology. While I am still in high school, I can still prepare myself for what university will bring. One of the biggest turnoffs for high schoolers is the price of university. Because university is expensive, I am applying to this scholarship so I can have the chance to have some of those expenses diminished. I want to be an orthodontist, so I will also have to attend dental school, which is also very expensive. Getting this scholarship would not only alleviate some of the costs, but it would help my parents. My mom is an assistant dentist, and she often gives me advice on what other dentists tell her. With this in mind, she helps me prepare and I occasionally get to see them at work. From what I saw, orthodontists work with everyone. This includes children, adults, and seniors, which demonstrates the wide range of age that orthodontists tend to. This would fit in with my long-term goal of helping everyone, and helping the community as much as I can. While some might say that the correction of teeth isn't a big deal, it plays a bigger role than most people think. I want to be the reason behind a child's smile. Many children suffer from teeth decay and gum disease, and if I can be the person to help others feel more confident about their smile, then I will take that decision. Others such as elderly people often have a difficult time taking care of their teeth, and might need someone to help. Regardless of the circumstances, I want to be there to make the difference, to make people more confident in themselves, to make them happy. With my dream to become an orthodontist, I really believe that I can make the difference to many people. I have already planned out what the steps should be in order to achieve this goal, but I know that you can't predict the future. I am certain that things will change, and that many people going into university swap majors, which may or may not happen to me. Even though the chances are big, I am willing to stay determined to my mission, and to make a difference by being the reason as to why people feel more confident about their smile. I will stay as true as I can to reach my goal.

Many people in today's world can't afford braces. Dental braces are used to straighten the teeth of an individual, but the process behind it is massive. For example, some cases involve the patient wearing braces for a year, and some even longer than that. In addition to this, some might have to wear retainers after the process of braces so that the teeth stay in the same position that they were in before. Ever since I have had the pleasure of getting braces, I have been curious and amazed at how orthodontists can fix your teeth arrangement, which has inspired me to pursue a Bachelor's in Biology. While I am still in high school, I can still prepare myself for what university will bring. One of the biggest turn-offs for high schoolers is the price of university. Because university is expensive, I am applying to this scholarship so I can have the chance to have some of those expenses diminished. Because I want to be an orthodontist, I will also have to attend dental school, which is also very expensive. Getting this scholarship would not only alleviate some of the costs, but it would help my parents. My mom is an assistant dentist, and she often gives me advice on what other dentists tell her. With this in mind, she helps me prepare and I occasionally get to see them at work. From what I saw, orthodontists work with everyone. This includes children, adults, and seniors, which demonstrates the wide range of age that orthodontists tend to. This would fit in with my long-term goal of helping everyone, and helping the community as much as I can. While some might say that the correction of teeth isn't a big deal, it plays a bigger role than most people think. Yes, not getting braces won't impact you severely, but it still affects one of the most crucial aspects of the day: Eating. Without braces, not only will your teeth be crooked or have gaps in between, but they are needed to improve your dental health. For example, lisps and gum disease can often be solved with braces. One of the main reasons people get braces is to have a perfect smile, and studies show that having straight teeth can actually align to how people perceive your attitude, success, and first impressions. One of the main reasons that I want to be an orthodontist is because I want to be the reason behind a child's smile. Many children suffer from tooth decay and gum disease, and if I can be the person to help others feel more confident about their smile, then I will make that decision. Others like seniors often have a difficult time taking care of their teeth, and might need someone to help. Regardless of the circumstances, I want to be there to make a difference, to make people more confident in themselves, to make them happy. With my dream to become an orthodontist, I really believe that I can make the difference to many people. I have already planned out what the steps should be in order to achieve this goal, but I know that you can't predict the future. I am certain that things will change, and that many people going into university will swap majors, which may or may not happen to me. Even though the chances are big, I am willing to stay determined to my mission, and to make a difference by being the reason as to why people feel more confident about their smile. I will stay as true as I can.

They are the smartest people I know, and without them, I know my situation would be different. Neither of my parents were born in the USA, and they both tell me that if they had the chance, they would have gone to college. My parents did not let that barrier stop them, as my parents decided to change their lives, and they came to America because they wanted a better future. Once they met, they decided that they weren’t going to make the same mistakes they made in the past. Their story impacted me a lot, and they inspired me to do what they couldn’t, and pursue higher education. Sometimes mistakes have to happen, and my parents and I know that well. My Dad always tells me that he wasn’t the brightest kid when he was younger, but that he is stronger because of those mistakes he made. However, the key to overcoming obstacles is to be resilient. For my Dad, he worked hard to provide an opportunity for me, and regardless of whatever obstacle came at him, he still carried on, and that inspires me to keep going until I can achieve my dreams, and finally be the one to break the trend in my family, and be the first to go to college. Resilience and impact can only carry you so far, and sometimes your “wants” can get lost in the process. At first, I was skeptical about the college process, as college is expensive. However, the more I looked into it, I realized that college could be that place where I could fulfill one of my biggest dreams: I could pay back my parents for all they had given me in life. This is what I study for, knowing that I could show them just how much I really love them. College could give me that opportunity, and I am willing to endure as much as I can to achieve this dream. My love for my parents is unconditional, and my dream is to give back what they gave me tenfold. More than anything, my family means everything to me, and my family’s support of my dreams has been immense, regardless of whether our opinions differ from the other. Although we might disagree on some ideas, I always found myself grateful to have someone that I could rely on. Having a family for me is a need, not a want, as everyone should have someone they can turn to for support. I hit the family jackpot, as I have a family that supports and loves me to bits, and this only makes me want to work even harder. Of course, to make my dreams come true, I had to overcome obstacles, such as figuring out how to balance my study schedule, and taking many advanced classes so my workload in college would be less, so I could eventually prepare myself for college. Ultimately, the reason that I have chosen to pursue higher education circles back to my family. I know that I was lucky to have parents, and even luckier to have parents that shaped me into who I am today. Their dedication and ambition has always impacted me, and inspired me to achieve what they couldn’t. Although I am in my final year of high school, I have already made an effort to prepare for college. Learning to balance my schedules, asking for guidance from my teachers, and being willing to learn from my mistakes has made me even stronger as a student for high school, and it will help me begin my journey in college.

"I wanted to hold the door for you." I never caught her name, and had I known it would have left such an impact on me, I would have wanted to put a name to her face. I was at the mall with my friend at the time, and when we went to leave, an old lady with a cream cardigan held the door for us. I thanked her for the action and left the mall with my friend. Once I had gotten home, my mind had processed the action, and I could feel my heart beat increase, and it was all I could think about for the rest of the day. How? How was it that one lady's action could leave such an impact on me? Looking back on the situation, I now have that answer. Kindness is a gift, and I only came to that realization when looking at the prompt for this scholarship. In a twist of events, instead of saying how I showed a pattern of kindness and how I impacted people, it became the opposite, because the lady who held the door for me inspired me to spread kindness to others. When thinking of a situation in which I showed kindness in my life, I think it is important to show the roots of kindness. Hence, the kind lady in the cardigan. Coming up with an instance in which I was kind wasn't extremely difficult, but what made it hard was realizing I had so many stories, I didn't know where to start! What this meant was that, with so many kind stories from friends and family, who was I going to start with? In the end, it was neither friend or family, but rather the stranger who made a concept such as door-holding matter that much more to me. Secretly, this was a much bigger deal to me than most people. Like previously stated, I didn't want to start with my acts of kindness, but rather someone who had showed me their kindness, and who's kindness has stuck since. An important part of kindness is thinking of others before yourself. Because the lady showed me kindness, I decided to talk about her first, showing that her act of kindness will come before my kindness, which in itself is kindness. Because of her, I discovered the "considerate" aspect of kindness, which I consider to be one of the most important parts of kindness. However, it was only in more recent years that I discovered that there is a lot more to kindness than most people think there is. Kindness can be generosity, but kindness can also be the consideration of others, and it can be the compassion we hold for others. The truth is, kindness is can be one of these ideas, both, or even all of them! The reality is, kindness can look different for everyone, and not everybody is able to show kindness in the most common ways. For example, one of my favorite forms of showing kindness is gift-giving, in which I occasionally give out small gifts when I know my friends are extremely stressed. School can be really stressful, and that statement is especially true for my friends and I, since we are in our final year of high school. Some other methods of spreading kindness include babysitting, offering your seat on the bus to someone who might need it, or simply greeting someone. This demonstrates that there are various ways to spread kindness, and that it can be as simple as walking. For me, my chain reaction of spreading kindness began in my second year of high school, when I decided that I would take AVID. The course essentially provides a lot help for college and community service opportunities for those who want to help the community. From there, I realized that I loved helping others, and I especially loved volunteering at elementary schools, as I knew I would be helping kids. During my third year, I really wanted to branch out to more opportunities, so I joined the Interact Club, which also provides community service, and it has led to many local events. Ever since I joined AVID and the Interact Club, I have volunteered at many events, and positively impacted others by providing assistance to others, and making sure the events end on a high note. One specific category that I notice doesn't get much appreciation are the teachers, as in teachers that excel and really have a passion for teaching are those who I admire the most. However, I know that being a teacher can be a real struggle, especially in high school. However, one of the biggest strengths about teachers is their kindness. The definition of a teacher, is a person who teaches, therefore putting the student before themselves, which is what kindness is all about. Teachers also have their bad days, which is why I like to occasionally send an appreciation email to my teachers, or just check in on an old teacher of mine and catch up. I make it a gag to place light hearted and motivational sticky notes around my orchestra room, so any student or even my teacher can read it and get a good chuckle out of them. I do this because I care about the environment around me, and when the people around me are happy, I am happy. Kindness can come from anyone, and I fully believe that you can be kind, but not nice, and vice versa. I think it is important to note that my patterns of kindness are very recent, and that is because I had to learn to be kind to myself before being kind to others. Since then, I have shown many instances of kindness in my community through community service, in my classrooms through motivating teachers and students, and in my close friendships, which I will cherish eternally. All which helps create kinder people, just like the lady with the cream cardigan.

Many people in today's world can't afford braces. Dental braces are used to straighten the teeth of an individual, but the process behind it is massive. For example, some cases involve the patient wearing braces to for a year, and some even longer than that. In addition to this, some might have to wear retainers after the process of braces so that the teeth stay in the same position that they were in before. Ever since I have had the pleasure of getting braces, I have been curious and amazed at how orthodontists can fix your teeth arrangement, which has inspired me to pursue a Bachelor's in Biology. While I am still in high school, I can still prepare myself for what university will bring. One of the biggest turn-offs for high schoolers is the price of university. Because university is expensive, I am applying to this scholarship so I can have the chance to have some of those expenses diminished. Because I want to be an orthodontist, I will also have to attend dental school, which is also very expensive. Getting this scholarship would not only alleviate some of the costs, but it would help my parents. My mom is an assistant dentist, and she often gives me advice on what other dentists tell her. With this in mind, she helps me prepare and I occasionally get to see them at work. From what I saw, orthodontists work with everyone. This includes children, adults, and seniors, which demonstrates the wide range of age that orthodontists tend to. This would fit in with my long-term goal of helping everyone, and helping the community as much as I can. While some might say that the correction of teeth isn't a big deal, it plays a bigger role than most people think. Yes, not getting braces won't impact you severely, but it still effects one of the most crucial aspects of the day: Eating. Without braces, not only will your teeth be crooked or have gaps in between, but they are needed to improve your dental health. For example, lisps and gum disease can often be solved with braces. One of the main reasons people get braces is to have a perfect smile, and studied show that having a straight teeth can actually align to how people perceive your attitude, success, and first impressions. One of the main reasons that I want to be an orthodontist is because I want to be the reason behind a child's smile. Many children suffer from teeth decay and gum disease, and if I can be the person to help others feel more confident about their smile, than I will take that decision. Others like seniors often have a difficult time taking care of their teeth, and might need someone to help. Regardless of the circumstances, I want to be there to make the difference, to make people more confident in themselves, to make them happy. With my dream to become an orthodontist, I really believe that I can make the difference to many people. I have already planned out what the steps should be in order to achieve this goal, but I know that you can't predict the future. I am certain that things will change, and that many people going into university swap majors, which may or may not happen to me. Even though the chances are big, I am willing to stay determined to my mission, and to make a difference by being the reason as to why people feel more confident about their smile. I will stay as true as I can.

While I have a plan for the future, I know that you can't prepare for everything, no matter how much experience you have. However, that doesn't mean that I shouldn't make an effort to prepare myself for success. As I'm on path to be the first generation college student in my family, I have prepared by applying to as many scholarships as I can, developing good study habits, and having good time management. While it isn't much, it is a start, and sometimes all we need is to take those first steps into planning a better future. My dream is to be an orthodontist, and while I know that it requires a lot of schooling to be one, I know that if I can prepare myself as much as I can, then I will have a bigger chance of succeeding. I have applied to a handful of universities already, with my main focus being to enter a public 4-year university. Not only that, but I plan to save as much money as I can by going to an in-state university so the overall cost isn't exceedingly high, and I have also been applying to scholarships whenever I have time. This shows that I have made an effort to try to dwindle as much money as I can so my parents have an easier time with the financial aspects of university. It is no secret that university is expensive, so I have always been worried about how my parents and I would go about paying for it. There's FAFSA, there are grants, and there are loans you can take to lessen the expenses, but there is also another way to lessen the overall expenses: Scholarships. While grants are given to those with financial need, scholarships can be academic, community, or even major based. Many scholarships have given me the chance to speak about my journey in education so far. For me, having the sole belief that I can support my family with a scholarship is already a feat on its own. Now, it is great to now that there are many opportunities for me, and this has made me more determined to get as many scholarships as I can. After completing a Bachelor's degree, I plan to go to a dental school, so I could specialize in orthodontics. While medical school is considered to be more competitive, dental school is just as rigorous, so I have prepared by making it a habit to study every day. As well as studying, I also want to continue helping my community, so I plan to also participate in as many community service events as I can. I love helping my community, and it feels immensely gratifying when the event goes well, because it shows that others and I can really make the difference to others. Nobody can predict the future, but you sure can attempt to plan for it. I know that many students going into university have a change in plans, and that might or might not change for me. However, I made a plan, and I will try my best to stick to the plan that I made so I can succeed. While the future might be unknown, I personally don't see this as a negative, as sometimes mistakes need to be made in order to grow. This scholarship would help me show that I deserve to go to university, that I deserve to be the first in my family to attend university, that I can succeed regardless of the obstacles that come in my way, that I have earned this scholarship.

"Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness" my counselor said. Ever since the early days of middle school, I struggled to grapple this concept. When I was younger, I would always think there was something wrong with me for having such strong feelings. Whenever I got a grade I didn't like, I would start crying, and I wouldn't gather to strength to move on. However, this changed when I met my counselor, who saw my potential and encouraged me to never let my emotions get the best of me. Because of her, I am now more emotionally stronger, and I am able to navigate my end years of high school feeling more better about myself. Mental health is important, but the people I surround myself with also contribute to my well-being. For example, my family is very supportive of me, and I am grateful that I have parents who care for me. My friends are also a big inspiration to me, as they are very relaxing and fun to be around, but they value education as much as I do. Having this big of a support group really benefits me, as I am always in a better mood when I'm surrounded by any of them. As a matter of fact, some of my music interests, activities, and even ideologies I have is because I value their opinions, and they value mine. My Dad was to one to get me started on my musical journey, as one day he came home with a violin, and really loved the idea of me being able to play an instrument. While I wasn't very keen on the idea, I caved in and decided to join my middle school orchestra. A couple of years later, I still play the violin, and I have found a true love for playing it, as I am inspired by my Orchestra teacher to keep playing. Through Orchestra, I have made many friends who share similar passions in the music field, which makes me happy that our community is positive. Sometimes it isn't about the end goal, but the steps you take to achieve it. I have a good academic performance, and one of the reasons why I do is because I have a lot of experience overcoming barriers. When I went to high school, I though it would be fun, and easy. While I do think it is fun, I learned from the past 3 years that this is where I should start getting more serious about my grades. While I had decent grades in middle school, the first year of high school really humbled me, and I learned that I need to be resilient if I want to achieve my dream of going to university. By learning to make a bigger of an effort to get good grades, I had developed good study habits, better note-taking skills, and can now organize my time efficiently. My family are the ones who will be paying for most of my university, so by getting this scholarship, I can show them that I want to help in any way I can, because they mean the world to me. Although I am in my final year of high school, I have already made a huge effort so my transition to college would be less stress-inducing for my parents and I. Learning to balance my schedules, asking for guidance from my teachers, and being willing to learn from my mistakes has made me an even stronger as a student from high school, and it will help me begin my journey at university.

"Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness" my counselor said. Ever since the early days of middle school, I struggled to grapple this concept. When I was younger, I would always think there was something wrong with me for having such strong feelings. Whenever I got a grade I didn't like, I would start crying, and I wouldn't gather to strength to move on. Because of this, my younger self thought that I had a curse at first, that I couldn't be like everyone else because I had such strong emotions, and I couldn't do anything about it. This small problem continued to my early years of high school. Through middle school and high school, I have maintained a great academic record, and it tends to be the main reason as to why my emotions got so strong through the school day. I used to believe that perfection was key, and that if my grades weren't perfect, than something was wrong with me. Sometime during my first year of high school, I made the brave choice to finally talk to my counselor, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Taking that first step to really understand myself impacted me positively, and it was the first steps I took to really improve my mental health. Sometimes, it's not about stating your end goal, but more about how you will reach your end goal in the first place. I know that I haven't reached my goal to understand who I am yet, but regardless I am proud of the progress I make daily. Some of these steps include practicing breathing exercises, taking moments out of my day to read, and doing relaxing activities that I enjoy. Spending a small chunk of the day doing such simple tasks might seem like a minor inconvenience to some, but to me, these small activities are what help me feel good. To add to this, the people I surround myself with are people who have helped me understand who I am as a person, and I am very grateful to have a very positive friend group. My counselor had always been one of my biggest positive ambassadors, but she has also taught me one important lesson that I will carry on to university: It is ok to feel stressed or sad. With my sensitivity, I questioned for years if the feelings I had were good or bad, and my counselor made me realize that it was both, that there was a time for all of them, and that I needed to manage my emotions so that I wouldn't struggle on a daily basis. Ever since then, I have made substantial progress, and now have more control of my emotions. Even with all this progress and positive reinforcement around me, I still have a long way to go. Through the enormous amount of support I receive, it makes me want to help create more awareness for mental health. I was afraid at first, but having somebody to talk to about my mental health changed my life, and I know that many people are nervous to take that first step. While wanting to be an orthodontist isn't the job that most people would think of when they say "mental health", it actually plays a lot more significance than it appears to. For example, having dental health issues can lead to low self-esteem, bad eating habits, and more obviously bad oral hygiene! Through all of my experience handling mental health throughout school, I believe that I can support others, and brighten their days.

"Being emotionally sensitive is a strength, not a weakness" my counselor said. Ever since the early days of middle school, I struggled to grapple this concept. When I was younger, I would always think there was something wrong with me for having such strong feelings. Whenever I got a grade I didn't like, I would start crying, and I wouldn't gather to strength to move on. Because of this, my younger self thought that I had a curse at first, that I couldn't be like everyone else because I had such strong emotions, and I couldn't do anything about it. This small problem continued to my early years of high school. Through middle school and high school, I have maintained a great academic record, and it tends to be the main reason as to why my emotions got so strong through the school day. I used to believe that perfection was key, and that if my grades weren't perfect, than something was wrong with me. Sometime during my first year of high school, I made the brave choice to finally talk to my counselor, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Taking that first step to really understand myself impacted me positively, and it was the first steps I took to really improve my mental health. Sometimes, it's not about stating your end goal, but more about how you will reach your end goal in the first place. I know that I haven't reached my goal to fully understand who I am, but regardless I am proud of the progress I make daily. Some of these steps include practicing breathing exercises, taking moments out of my day to relax, and doing activities that I enjoy. Spending a small chunk of the day doing such simple tasks might seem like a minor inconvenience to some, but to me, these small activities are what help me feel good. To add to this, the people I surround myself with are people who have helped me understand who I am as a person, and I am more than grateful for those closest to me. My counselor had always been one of my biggest positive ambassadors, but she has also taught me one important lesson that I will carry on to university: It is ok to feel stressed or sad. With my sensitivity, I questioned for years if the feelings I had were good or bad, and my counselor made me realize that it was both, that there was a time for all of them, and that I needed to manage my emotions so that I wouldn't struggle on a daily basis. Ever since then, I have made substantial progress, and can now have more control of my emotions. My family has also been extremely supportive of me, and I feel comfortable talking to them about problems I have, and they are always understanding of my situation. Even with all this progress and positive reinforcement around me, I still have a long way to go. By facing obstacles now, I have grown more resilient, and can now embrace who I truly am. The quote my counselor said at the start still resonates with me today. I finally understand what she means, that while my sensitivity is a part of me, it doesn't mean that it necessarily has to be a bad thing. By doing the smaller activities that I enjoy,(word searches, jigsaw puzzles, board games) I reinstate the idea that I too can be successful academically and emotionally. It is all about finding that balance, and I couldn't be more happier.

I am passionate about many things, but the one thing I think most people share is their love for their family. While some might argue that family itself isn’t a passion, believing that everyone should have a family is. The value that I hold for my family is immense, and I can’t help but feel that I have always been lucky to have a family that supports me in my endeavors. Having them in life has been amazing, and it made me realize just how lucky I was to have a family in the first place. Although I am lucky to be in the position I am today, I often think about those who aren’t. For example, my parents attend every Orchestra concert I play in, just so they can support me. Them being there for me gives me not only joy, but also confidence. Knowing that not every kid out there can feel the love and comfort that a family brings breaks my heart, as I have a soft spot for children. This is why I place such a high value on family, as I believe that every person has a right to a loving family. Knowing that I had won the family lottery, I focus my goals on my education, as I want to have the opportunity to attend university, as it would make me the first in my family. This scholarship would make this road easier for me, as university can be quite expensive, and I am determined to help my parents as much as I can with the financial process. With this scholarship, I can use it to pay for books that my university professors would most likely want me to have, in a hypothetical situation. If not, then I could use it for transportation, as I would need to drive to university, find a parking spot, and possibly pay for parking. Not only would this scholarship help me with my education, but it would also help my family too. At the end of the day, my parents are the ones paying for most of my university, and that is because they want to see me follow my dreams, and get the job that I want. This shows that they really care about me, and are excited to see me be the first to go to university. By getting this scholarship, this would also lessen their workload, and I want to help them in any way I can. Throughout my journey, my parents have supported me in the best way they can, and when I am older, I want to demonstrate how much their sacrifices mean to me. My parents had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where they are today, and it is really touching how they put in so much effort because they want to see me happy. Although we might not get along at times, or not share the same opinion, I always turn back to my parents, as they have always been there for me through every step of the way. Through my want for higher education, and my family’s support, I believe I can make my dream successful. Regardless of if I struggle, or have many obstacles along the way, I know I will be supported by those closed to me, and for that I am grateful. Of course, struggle will happen, and sometimes it’ll be up to me to fix my mistakes, but it is about how you overcome those mistakes that determines if your successful, and I am willing to overcome as much as I can.