It was as far back as first grade that I remember my teachers asking me “What do you want to be when you grow up, Emma?”. Since that moment, the question never stopped and over the years it seemed like everyone knew their answer. This question had always been a challenge to me because I had never truly known what I wanted my future to look like. In the first grade, I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. After that, I would change my mind numerous times from wanting to be an archaeologist to a librarian to a lawyer and everything in between. I just could not make a decision. That changed at the age of fifteen when I decided that I was going to be a doctor. The difference between this choice and all the others was that I had true reasons for my selection. One day, in between my constant switching I decided that my future was not necessarily about the job I had but that my values were reflected in anything I decided to do. That is why being a doctor made so much sense to me. I have always had a deep passion for serving others. As a Christian, giving my time to other people is something I feel I have been called to do. My belief in God has taught me how important it is to love and serve everyone. Jesus put Himself last and put everyone else first and loved everyone regardless of who they were. I aspire to serve and love others in everything I do, just like Him. When we dedicate ourselves to others it can largely affect the trajectory of their lives as well as our own. As a doctor, you are meeting with people that need your complete focus and you are giving your time to fulfill their needs. Your goal is to put their needs before your own and care for them to the best of your ability. As a doctor, I want to promote health and wellness to my patients and advocate for their medical needs. It is my hope that through the work I do, I can make changes in the medical field for the benefit of everyone. I also have the goal of working with kids because I feel that children are the future and caring for their health and wellness allows them to thrive and make their own impact on the world.

Joining the tennis team in high school was an impulsive decision on my part. I had never played tennis before high school and I never suspected that I would, but when I first signed up it sounded like something that would be a lot of fun. Despite my inexperience, I quickly picked up the game and it has become something I will always enjoy doing. I have had the privilege of lettering in the sport and have become a varsity level tennis player. This year I have been able to take on the role of co-captain of the tennis team. As captain, it is my job to encourage my teammates and make sure we have an environment of positivity on and off the court. With all this being said, I am no Serena Williams meaning I am nowhere near being a professional. I’m probably not the best tennis player in the world but if there is one thing tennis has taught me it is resilience. When I started playing tennis, and even now, I did not win a lot of matches. This was challenging for me because I am a very competitive person who likes to win. I would constantly feel let down because I could not win a match, but that is where tennis kicked my resilience into high gear. Merriam-Webster describes resilience as “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change”. My misfortune was the fact that I was losing, but my resilience was the fact that despite my loss I went out on the court the next day. Tennis helped me realize that regardless of whether or not you receive the results you want, you can still work hard and be dedicated to something. The next day after a loss, I would work even harder to fix my mistakes. The resilience tennis taught me allows me to bounce back from anything and everything life may throw at me. I use resilience daily in my life. If I do not get the grade I want on a test or if a presentation I am giving does not go the way I want it to, I move on from the situation and use it as a learning experience. Tennis taught me that you do not have to win everything to have fun and having fun is what I like most about tennis. Even when you want to win but you do not, having the ability to find joy in it is a major characteristic of resilience.

“Almost Heaven, West Virginia” is an accurate way to describe the state in which I reside. West Virginia is home to a distinctive culture, a beautiful landscape, and a rich history. Every day I get to see the rolling hills, colorful trees, and magnificent animals that belong here. The scenery, although an attractive part of West Virginia, is not the only thing that makes the Mountain State stand out to me, but it is the people and the sense of community that lives here. In West Virginia, we live life at a slower pace. We take our time and we focus on the things in our lives that are meaningful like our family, our friends, and our passions. This does not just include the rural areas of our states but also our big cities that are not like the big cities of California or New York. In West Virginia, it is hard to find a person who will not stop to help someone in need, say hello to a stranger in the grocery store, or start up a random conversation. Our state is like one big small town where everybody looks out for each other, no matter who you are. Sometimes the world can be full of hatred and hostility, but growing up in West Virginia has helped me realize that there are people who will go above and beyond to be kind, generous, and considerate. Our state is home to some of the most friendly people and it has taught me the importance of not living life for yourself, but living it for others. In life, we can make big impacts on other people, good or bad. Living in West Virginia has taught me that I want the impact I make on somebody’s life to change it for the better. I can do that by just being kind. West Virginia, like all states, has its problems and many people are quick to judge based on what they see or hear about us, but I feel as if those people do not realize that our problems are not what define our state, but it is the kind of people that live here that makes West Virginia worthwhile. It is my hope that everyone who visits our state can feel at home in the sense of belonging that we provide. Our state is called many things, but I am proud that I get to call it home because it is wild, and it is wonderful, and, above all, it is West Virginia.

When you have a parent who has served in the military, their service is part of what makes you who you are. While this statement may not be true for all, it is something that is certainly relevant in my life. My father’s time in the Marine Corps has not only been a big part of his life but has contributed to who I am as a person. I have always been taught to be a hard worker, no matter what I was doing. Whether it is schoolwork, band, or other extracurriculars I am always dedicated to doing my best. I stay committed to everything I do and refuse to give up because being committed allows you to grow as a person. Commitment and hard work are a big part of the discipline my father has taught me. In the Marines, discipline taught my dad how to adapt and overcome, it taught him how to focus, and it taught him the importance of working with and being a part of a team. What he learned has now become part of what I learn every day. I know how to adapt to every situation in life and overcome whatever may come my way. I know the importance of being a student and athlete who is focused and knows the significance of teamwork. Something else I learned from my father’s time in the Marines is the importance of serving others. His time in the United States Marine Corps has given me a deep appreciation for the men and women who dedicate themselves to the ultimate act of service in our country, by putting themselves on the line to protect and defend the livelihoods of myself and others. Their service, as well as my dad’s, has reminded me how putting myself last and focusing on the wellbeing of others can have a huge impact on our world and because of this I strive to dedicate myself to others every day. It is one of the reasons that I love to volunteer and contribute my time to those who need it. All in all, my father’s military service is a deep point of pride in my life because it shows me how dedicated he is to his country and to those who reside in it. His service is what has taught me and it reminds me daily to be a citizen worth fighting for.

In my education and career I aspire to serve others. I believe that when we dedicate ourselves to others it can largely affect the trajectory of their lives as well as our own. To continue my passion for service in the future, I plan on going to college to major in biology so that I can go to medical school and eventually become a doctor. I believe biology will be useful in my career because it will teach me how the outside world can affect our bodies and give me the ability to pinpoint and diagnose problems caused by environmental factors. I will have knowledge of what our bodies do to protect us and what we can do to keep it happy and healthy. As a doctor, I want to promote health and wellness to my patients and advocate for their medical needs. I also want to work with kids because I feel that children are the future and caring for their health and wellness allows them to thrive and make their own impact on the world. I am passionate about pursuing biology primarily because I am passionate about serving others. My commitment to serving others has been a big influence on my decision to become a doctor. When I was younger, something I was always asked, but never truly knew was what I wanted my career path to be. Though it took a lot of time, thought, and research I decided that becoming a doctor would be the biggest way that I could serve others. I would be able to make sure my patients were healthy and that I could improve their lives little by little. I look forward to working with each and every one of them and cannot wait to make my impact on them. By becoming a doctor, I will also be able to bring more medical knowledge to my area and have an impact on the health of my community. I firmly believe that by studying biology, I will be able to accomplish my goals of service because it will allow me to understand how our world works and will give me the basic knowledge of life. It will give me a foundational understanding of what I need to know and from there I will be able to build upon that knowledge and construct a path to success. Once I go to medical school, my study of biology will allow me to make informed decisions about my health and the health of others. Biology is important to me because service is important to me, but both are important to me because of my values as a Christian. Jesus always calls us to put ourselves last and put others first. Serving others is the biggest way we can do that, just as He did. As a Christian, biology is important to me because of how much knowledge it will give me and how much it will allow me to take care of God’s creations. God created each and every one of us and when we care for ourselves we are caring for what God has entrusted us with. As a doctor, I will not only be helping others, but contributing to my faith by contributing to them.

Fear can keep people from doing many things like accomplishing goals, spending time with loved ones, and enjoying the things they love. For me, this was true beyond the fullest extent. Fear caused me to be afraid of everything. I was afraid of embarrassment and imperfection. I hated public speaking and large crowds. I would not raise my hand at school, even if I knew the answer to the question being asked. Fear caused me to have anxiety and constantly overthink every single one of my actions. I was afraid of everything because I thought fear was what controlled life. I felt as if I would never feel courageous again. It was hopeless to fight against my fear because there was nothing I could do. Then, in the midst of all the fears and anxieties that were plaguing me, I remembered God. I’ve been a Christian my entire life and I’ve always believed Jesus was the answer to everything, but when it came to my fear, I wasn’t using this answer at all. I realized that instead of relying on myself and everyone else to ease my fear, I needed to be relying on God. After that discovery, I decided to make a change. Every time I felt anxious or afraid I would pray and in this time of prayer, I received a peace that transcended all understanding. I was no longer afraid. I started to read even more of His word and used it to fight my fears. I discovered verses like Philippians 4:6-7 which told me “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I read parts of scripture like Joshua 1:9 where God reminds us “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” I learned that in the Bible the words “do not be afraid” are repeated 365 times. To me, that was one reminder for every day of the year that I did not have to be afraid. I learned about God’s character. I remembered that, unlike fear and anxiety, He had plans for my life. Plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans that would give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Even when I felt weak and powerless God was strong and powerful. With Him, I could walk through the darkest paths in my life and He would always be there to lead the way and comfort me. God cared for me and because of that I could cast all my anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7). I did not need to be afraid. Matthew 6:27 reminded me that no good would come from worrying. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”. No, we cannot, but with God we do not have to worry about the hours in our lives. In reflection, every time I thought fear controlled my life, I was wrong. It is not fear that I let control my life, but God. Once I realized that, my mind changed for the better. I believe in the future, no matter what I am doing whether it is my career or my education, God will always be with me. In my moments of anxiety and fear, God will be the Rock I can lean on.

One of the most important books in my life is a story by Sequoia Children’s Publishing called Curious Kitten. This book follows a kitten who is curious enough to discover everything in her little home. This book is important to me because it not only taught me how to read but sparked a lifelong love of reading. Now that I am older, reading is something I do almost every day and love to enjoy with others. That is why when I have the means to do so I want to open a bookstore. My love of reading is something I am passionate about spreading to other people. I want my bookstore to inspire people of all ages to find something they love about reading. It will be a bookstore that everyone can enjoy. I want people to get lost in the worlds of the books they choose and allow them to build communities of other readers. My business may not impact the world, but I know it will impact my community. I am confident that by opening a bookstore I will be promoting literacy, which is an important tool for children and adults alike. I will also be promoting community in the sense of fellowship with others by creating a place where people from different backgrounds can gather and have something in common. I believe that in today’s world having something that people can agree on will help foster connection and harmony. I also believe opening a bookstore can bring more business to my small community and encourage shopping locally. I have not always known why I want to be an entrepreneur, but I have always known that I want whatever I do to affect more than just myself, so I will transform that into the reason I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to be an entrepreneur because I want to reach others and create something that is greater than me. Through my research, I have learned that being an entrepreneur can be difficult. You have to face a constantly changing market and business competition. In the book industry specifically, you have to compete with bigger corporations and online sellers. You also have readers who are constantly changing their likes and dislikes, and you have to cater to their wants. It is often extremely hard for many small businesses in these times to stay afloat. Although it may be hard, I have decided that I will stay as curious as the kitten in my book and constantly look for ways to keep my business up, running, and something everyone loves.

The summer before my junior year of high school was one of the worst summers I had mentally. Every single day, or so it seemed, I would have an episode of panic, anxiety, or both. I lived in constant fear of everything. The problem was I had no clue what going on or why it was happening. I had never been able to identify what I was feeling only that it was extremely scary. After a while of this happening, I went to see a therapist who told me that I had an anxiety disorder. You always hear people say that it is normal to be nervous about something, but after truly learning about what anxiety was, I discovered it was more than just being nervous. There were so many things that went into having anxiety and once I figured that out it opened my eyes to how it truly affected my life. I believe that no matter what we are doing there is always something we can learn. School is the biggest place of learning, and my anxiety was truly affecting my relationship with it. As I would later figure out, anxiety causes loads of stress and, for me at least, perfectionism. Combined, things make it harder for me to get my work one done because they cause me to procrastinate. There many, many examples of me turning assignments in minutes, if not seconds, before they were due. The stress these assignments caused and the goal for them to be perfect almost made me afraid to do them and pushed me into a cycle of putting them aside. At school, my anxiety also causes me to be a little distracted from and my work because I’m worried about every little thing going on like the amount of work I have or the activities I have after school. I also get distracted by friends, by zoning out and thinking about things more interesting. This being distracted is almost a way for my mind to push away the things it thinks are going to stress me out and causes me to be put back in that cycle of procrastination because it doesn’t want me to be anxious about anything. Ironically, this does the exact opposite of what was intended. In my personal life, anxiety causes me to constantly worry about what I am doing. Am I making the right choices? Am I going to fail? My anxiety causes me constant stress and worry about things like these. It also causes me difficulty building relationships with others because I am worried about how they are going to view me. It makes me extremely self-conscious about if I said the right thing, did the right thing, and over all made a good impression on other people. I get anxious about meeting other people because of this and it is hard for me to make new friends without help from others. There are many things I do to prioritize my mental health. I regularly schedule appointments to see the therapist and she constantly teaches me ways to get ahead of my anxiety. One of the most interesting things I learned is to eat a sour candy because it shocks my nervous system and blocks my stress. I also read my Bible and go to church because connecting with God helps me Spiritually and mentally. It helped me learn that I have nothing to fear and I will always have Someone to protect me from my fears and lead me through the storms in my life.

The biggest thing in my life that motivates me isn’t money or recognition. My life’s motivation is helping others. To some that may seem like a bit of a cliché, but the truth is contributing myself to others is something I have always strived to include in my daily life. As a Christian, my life is devoted to putting myself last and others first, as well as serving them, just like Jesus did. I use my fondness for service in everything I do. One of the biggest ways I love to serve my community is through volunteering. I love to volunteer my time and services for anything that may come my way. In school, I help set up for programs like Veterans Day and help pass out candy at the school’s technical institute during Halloween. I am also a part of my school’s community service group, called the Leo Club, which gives care bags to cancer patients, serves at our local dog shelter, and does various other helpful activities. Outside of school, I serve at church by assisting our Christian educators with children’s church. I clean up after the young students, hand out snacks, and help with crafts. This is all to teach and show them about God. During the summer months, I have, on occasion, helped with our local summer elementary school program to encourage learning. In the future, in and out of the classroom, I plan to continue devoting myself to other people. In my future career, which is currently a toss-up between doctor or a lawyer, I plan to assist those who need it. As a doctor, I would contribute to the health and wellness of others with the goal of advocating for the patients that I would be taking care of. As a lawyer, I would advocate for those who need or do not have a voice and bring justice to their many causes. I plan to continue my passion for volunteering no matter what it is I am doing because in all the things I have done, my favorite part is seeing what affect it has on my community. Everything I ever plan to do will affect others in some way, shape, or form and in my education, I am preparing myself to help my world. With the One Chance Scholarship, I can not only contribute to my future college education, but also the world around me.

As a Christian, I believe that God places certain people in our paths for a reason. Some people are there to test us and others to challenge our faith, but then there are the ones that are meant to mentor and inspire. For me, one of those people is my high school guidance counselor Mrs. Rinard. When I first walked into my high school as a freshman in 2021, I knew she was going to make a huge impact on my life. In the four years that I have gotten to know Mrs. Rinard, she has encouraged and inspired me to be and do the best I can. She inspires me because of her attention and care for each of the students she interacts with daily. Being one of those students, I can attest to her wonderful character of patience, positivity, and kindness. As a counselor, she checks on my progress and makes sure I am right where I need to be. Since I am going to be a first-generation college student, I have a lot of questions that not everyone can answer, but she can, and I rest easy knowing that at the end of the day, I have someone who knows the answer. As a person, she helps me through life’s troubles and most importantly helps me grow in my faith. There have been numerous occasions where I have gone to her because I was struggling or having a rough day. Each time she would bring me back to reality and remind me of exactly who I was. She would tell me that I was smart, confident, and, above all, strong in my faith. She is one of the people who have allowed me to become the person I am today, the person she reminds me I am. If you do a quick Google search, you can find out that there are at least 33,000 school counselors in the United States. Each day, Mrs. Rinard motivates me to be exactly who I am. Each day she is someone I aspire to be like. I cannot imagine what my four years in high school would have been like had she not been my counselor. She is my role model and because of that, I believe and can confidently say that out of the over 33,000 counselors in the United States of America, she is the only one who can make as big of an impact on me as she does.

Australian Slang Terms: Barbie Brekkie Mate Arvo Toys Made by Mattel: Hot Wheels Magic 8 Ball Uno Uke – a – Doodle Numbers in Spanish: Nueve Catorce Tres Siete Synonyms for Friend: Bezzie Companion Ally Cully The New York Times connections game is a household favorite for many. My favorite part about the game is the tricks used to confuse the players. Oftentimes, this is done by using words that could fit into multiple categories. I tried to emulate this practice in my categories as well. The categories I chose were Australian Slang Terms, Toys Made by Mattel, Numbers in Spanish, and Synonyms for Friend. The first category uses slang terms commonly found in Australia. This is an important category because there are words in it that could fit into the other categories. The word Barbie, meaning barbeque, could fit into the third category because a Barbie doll is a toy made by Mattel. The second category is a combination of children’s toys and games made by the company Mattel over the years. The card game Uno falls into this category but could also confuse a player because Uno is the Spanish number for one and could fall into the third category which is Numbers in Spanish. The fourth and final category is Synonyms for Friend. The words in this category are other less common, but still applicable ways to say friend. The word Mate, found in the first row, fits into this category because it is a word that means friend.

When you characterize leadership there is more than one thing that can make someone a leader. Leadership is a broad spectrum and can present itself in many ways. I believe there are many things that make me a leader. First is my desire and ability to care for others. I care for others by showing them love and compassion. I check up on people to see how they are doing and listen when they are having a rough day. I try my best to include everyone because I believe everyone deserves love and kindness. Compassion uplifts others and that is what pushes me to show love to everyone. Another thing that makes me a leader is my positive attitude and outlook. In my experience, negativity can impact ourselves and those around us. It can make us feel like giving up or that we are not good enough. Positivity is different. It is a chain reaction. With a positive attitude, I push myself and others to work hard and look at the happy things instead of the negative ones. Positivity makes people want to keep going. It gives them a purpose and a motivation. Even in the hard times, positivity brings light and overall makes everyone feel good. The last thing that makes me a great leader is my resilience. In life, we face hardships and if we did not, it would not be life. When I am hit with hard times I do not give up. Instead, I keep going. Where others would just quit and stay home, I show up. I do not let life's trials stop me. In history, no great leader ever became great by giving up when things got hard. Overall, I believe that being a leader means having a positive effect on others. I strive every day to push other people to become their best selves. Ultimately, my goal as a leader is not to make others follow me, but it is to serve others. To me, everyone is important and I would rather think of others before myself. I have this mindset because I am a Christian. I follow Jesus Christ, who I know to be the greatest leader to ever walk this earth. His leadership was shown through serving others. I feel I am a great leader because He has taught me what leadership looks like putting others’ needs above your own, forgiving them, and loving them.

Caring for, supporting, and loving others is a big part of who I aim to be every day. As a Christian, I believe it is my duty to lift up and love everyone. The greatest command Jesus gave was to love. Love can be shown through kindness, goodness, caring, support, patience, and many other ways. The biggest way I love and support people is by just being there. In my experience, just showing up for someone can make a big impact on the trajectory of their day. I do that in many ways such as checking in on my friends to see how their days are going or lending a listening ear to someone when they are having a tough day. I try my best to give others a positive attitude and urge them to look at the happy moments. I like to be kind to everyone I meet, so they feel welcome and encouraged. Supporting others, however, can be more than just those things. To me, supporting others can also be sharing my faith. My faith is a big part of my life and I believe by sharing it with others I can impact their lives in the biggest way. It can lead others to feel the greatest form of love and support there is and drastically change their outlook on life. Sometimes I struggle with sharing because I am nervous or not sure how others will react. In the future, I plan to support others not only by being there for them but getting over my fears and sharing my life-changing faith. By loving and supporting others we can change the world. This is the way I contribute to that and it is my hope that through my actions, I can encourage others to do the same.