Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed about turning 18. Not for the typical reasons, but because I would be eligible to vote. Being born in 2006 means the first time I get to vote is during a Presidential election. I have always counted down the years, months, and now the days. Politics and democracy have always been a great interest of mine. Something has always drawn me towards politics, yet I have not once ever wanted to be a politician myself. This always caused me to be a bit lost when it came to choosing a career. I knew I wanted to go to college, I knew I wanted a steady job, but I did not know what career to pursue for many years. Since I did not want to be a politician, I never considered a career regarding politics. However, as my passion for politics and democracy deepened, I realized the career I want. I realized I want to work in managing and directing political campaigns. While I was unsure of what to pursue after college, I had planned to pursue a bachelor's degree in Business Management. I enjoyed my leadership positions throughout high school, held some interest in the field of business, and thought it could be a good fit. However, there was always a part of me that wanted to dive into political science. My parents hated that idea because they refused to believe I could get a job with that degree. Since there was always a part of me that wanted to pursue political science, I began to look for careers that involved both politics and business management, which is when I found my current career path. A career path I am finally passionate about. A career I cannot wait to begin. Not only will I be fulfilling my passion, but I will also be making a positive impact on the world. Politics make the world go round. Politicians tend to get a bad reputation because of the loud, corrupt ones. There are many corrupt politicians out there, but that is not who I want to work for. I want to help elect a politician who truly cares about their constituents and their rights. I want to help make the politicians in office uphold democracy, ensuring that our country runs smoothly. I want the corruption in the government to slow down one candidate at a time. Politicians affect the rights of those around us. They affect our livelihoods. I want to be on the right side of history. I do not want to wake up dreading the political state of the United States. I do not want to fear for my rights. I want to create an America where people are not scared to send their children to school or go out to the movies. I want an America where we feel safe and secure. An America where we are united, not divided. In the words of Patrick Henry, "united we stand, divided we fall." I refuse to let America, a country with the potential to truly earn its claim as the greatest country in the world, fall.

As I stood surrounded by 100s of bags of food I packed that were going to children who could not afford to otherwise eat, it hit me: children in my state are starving. Since then, my efforts to serve my community have only increased, especially with children. The majority of my 200+ volunteer hours revolve around children. With a teacher as a mother, I know what these children are experiencing. Whether it is helping provide them food, volunteering at an after-school event, or reading to classrooms, I strive to help serve the children in my community, the future of my community. As I see the economic situation of those around me, I am fueled to break out of the conventional path of my community. I strive to pursue higher education. While I am able to and do serve my community in a multitude of ways today, funding is what many organizations in my community really need. There are so many organizations that are striving to do good, but cannot reach their full potential because they do not have the funds to. I want to become successful and help fund these organizations because virtually nobody else is. Our community relies on the hard work of these organizations, but hard work can only go so far without finances. I do not want to be trapped in the cycle so many in my community are. I have seen the regrets they have about the other paths they could have gone. I have heard all the "what if" stories. I want to break the mold. I want to pursue higher education. I want to have a steady flow of income and never have to worry about affording groceries, never have to worry about how I am going to eat my next meal. I do not want to have to worry like I have seen so many. When you see the pain so many of those in your community are going through first hand as you help them, you cannot help but wonder if that is your future. I refuse to let it be. I hold all the respect for the people in my community. They are the strongest, most resilient people I have ever known. I have had the honor of serving them throughout my life and will never forget them. I will be able to help them even more when I come back. With my higher education, I will help the underfunded organizations. I will help other children understand they are not stuck in the cycle they have seen so many around them be stuck in. I will help mentor them to become the person they want to be. I will make sure that those in my community are well fed and do not have to live their lives worried. I will make sure my community has its needs met. Nothing drives me more to succeed in life than those who I have surrounded myself with as I volunteer. I work every day to make them proud.

“Take me home country roads” we sing in a circle swaying back and forth arms around each other. Anyone who went to school in West Virginia has experienced this at the end of any dance. At the end of middle school dances, homecoming, prom, and even summer academies in West Virginia, you're bound to end the night in this sweaty circle. Regardless of how people feel about each other, we are connected at this moment, much like the great state of West Virginia will connect us for the rest of our lives. Even if you travel hundreds of miles, the state will always stay with you. A West Virginian is not someone who simply lives in West Virginia but is a mindset of community, kindness, and passion. Much like the circle at the end of these dances, the West Virginia community is always connected to one another. You'll notice that if you go out of the state, but rep anything regarding West Virginia, you’re bound to find a fellow West Virginian who’ll yell to you across the road about it. It does not matter you’ve never met each other; you still feel at home with them. We find each other. We are drawn to each other. We are always West Virginians regardless of how far we go. West Virginians welcome people in their homes with open arms. We are one with each other. There is a misperception of West Virginians by many. They hear West Virginia and imagine a hillbilly of sorts. They have this misguided idea in their mind of what it means to be a West Virginian. Many times, they would think of someone hateful towards people unlike themselves. This could not be further from the truth. We are a state full of kindness. Sure, there are some bad Golden Delicious apples out there, but they do not define what it means to be a West Virginia, they contradict it. We are a state full of people who would go the extra mile for others. We know our neighbors by name and extend courtesy to all. West Virginians hold love and kindness in their heart for all, regardless of their background. Never question the passion of a West Virginian. Whether it is for our state, nation, or beyond, we will stand by it. Regardless of if or where you attended college, you will always cheer on the Mountaineers with every fiber of your being. Even if you’re not typically a football fan, a West Virginian cannot help but tune in to the Backyard Brawl. West Virginians are loyal to the end of our state and our country. Anytime you go down a road in West Virginia, you’ll see a street full of houses and local businesses hanging the American flag with pride. We honor our veterans and stand for our country. West Virginia might be full of people with different political views, but we are joined by our respect for the United States of America. West Virginians are people full of community, kindness, and passion, regardless of how far you go. We join arm and arm with one another in our community and are forever connected. West Virginians are not the hillbillies people make us out to be, but educated people who are kind to all. Passion runs through West Virginian's veins for all things around us. Much like at the end of our dances, West Virginians will run to join each other and boast of our state. At the end of the day, almost heaven, West Virginia will forever be our home.

On the last day of my three-week summer academy hours away from my hometown, a casino night was held. Along the edges of a gymnasium were tables where one could gamble in games like blackjack and roulette, while in the middle of the gym there was a small dance floor. The casino was the main event, so about a hundred people were along the sides of the gym, but not me. I was with less than a dozen people in the center of the dance floor and I could not have been more visible, yet I danced and sang like no one was watching. When I tell people back home this, they are beyond shocked. I have always been known as a shy girl, so what made me act like that? The answer began with "Style" by Taylor Swift. As an introverted person, the beginning of a three-week academy with no one I knew was tough. Funnily enough, the way I first began converse with others was through my obsession with Taylor Swift. Besides constantly laughing, being a swiftie was what people there knew me for. It was more than this obsession though that landed me in the middle of the dance floor. Two weeks into the academy, they had a karaoke night. My friends called me up to the front to have me sing. I still held my introverted qualities, so I was beyond scared. I knew I had to choose a fun song that I love so I naturally chose "Style" by Taylor Swift. I awkwardly sang the first few lines, but slowly got more into it. I cannot sing nor dance, but that did not stop me from belting every lyric and putting on a real show. At this moment, everything shifted. I realized putting yourself out there is fun and generally stopped caring what others perceive me as. After singing "Style" I began to join in with others as they took their turn with karaoke. I clapped, sang, and twirled around with them. I had never felt what I felt that night before. It was a transformative experience. When Casino Night came around, I was the one who dragged my friends to the dance floor, while it used to be the other way around. I danced for three hours straight to every song that came on not caring that over a hundred people could very visibly see me. Next only to when I saw Taylor Swift in concert, it was the second-best night of my life. When I tell others back home about how I lead the wobble or would sprint to get water so I could get back to the dance floor, no one believes me. The truth of the matter though is I have never been the same since that very night. Now, I automatically perk up whenever "Style" comes on and cannot stop myself from smiling. As silly as it may seem, "Style" by Taylor Swift changed my life. While I continue to have introverted qualities, they have lessened, and my confidence has increased. People have always told me I need more confidence, but because of that karaoke night I, someone who has not one ounce of rhythm of my body, was genuinely told I am a good dancer because of my confidence. As backhanded as that may seem, the truth is at that moment I realized there was a shift in me. I realized confidence makes all the difference in the world. I love every song on Taylor Swift's 1989 album, but none will ever surpass "Style" because it genuinely transformed me.

Terror reigned through my body as I was told I must enroll in virtual school for my junior year. I knew it was the only option as my absences piled up due to my chronic illness, but it did not make the choice any easier. Not only would I rarely see my friends, but I would be forced to learn all the material on my own with little help from others. Four AP and two honors courses would have to be driven by myself all while missing out on the typical high school experience. As I experienced my first day of virtual school, my fears worsened. As I looked at the average of 150 assignments for each class in a semester, I thought this was the year my unweighted 4.0 GPA would come to an end and nothing scared me more. Some tell me I have it easy being virtual, but they could not be farther from the truth. School consumes every aspect of my life. I create a spreadsheet for all my assignments and do not stop for the day until each assignment for that day on my spreadsheet is finished, despite my parents telling me to call it a day. I begin my work at 7:00 A.M. and am lucky to stop working by 7:00 P.M. I force myself to have discipline. I study hours upon hours for each test. I proofread each assignment a dozen times, restarting the first time I find a mistake. I go over the material until I understand it to its full extent. I also research ways to lessen my symptoms of my chronic illness to attempt to not allow my illness to control me. Essentially, the only time I am not working on schoolwork is when I am participating in a school-based activity, such as volunteering with one of my clubs or honor societies. Though I am virtual, it does not stop me from being heavily involved with my school. I join every honor society I am eligible for and every club I can. I ensure those at my school have the best high school experience possible, even though I cannot. I am told over and over again by teachers, secretaries, and the principal that they've never seen a virtual student be involved at my school like I am. Because of virtual school, I learned my strength and perseverance. My fears did not become reality. I ended junior year with a weighted GPA of 5.0 for the year and an unweighted 4.0 overall. I received two fours and two fives on my AP Exams, earning me AP Scholar with Distinction. I did not allow my illness to get in my way as I found ways to manage it. I also learned my independence. I independently allowed for my academic success as I was essentially alone in navigating my courses. I learned that I am prepared for any challenge that comes my way as I determined I control my own fate and have the abilities to overcome anything thrown my way. I thought virtual school would be the worst experience of my life, but it ended up being an experience I continue to be grateful for. Though I must navigate it myself, the education itself is better than when I was in person as I learn a greater amount of material. I managed to become more involved with my school than I was when I went in person. I stopped defining myself by my illness. My greatest weakness was turned into my greatest strength as my perseverance and independence continue to be shown.

The dream version of my future self would be successful and not held back by my gender, while also being able to travel and explore the beautiful cultures of the world.

Over this past month, I have deliberated over what I should do for the rest of my life. While I have wanted to be a criminal lawyer since I was eight, my recent struggles with anxiety made me give up on this dream. I switched my career path to the economic field, specifically a stockbroker. Did I enjoy economics? Not in the slightest, but it was a steady job. When I was looking through the course load the other day it really hit me that I couldn't do economics for the rest of my life. I did more research on careers, trying to find things I am passionate about, but I kept coming back to law. I decided to go back to my old dream, but slightly change it. I have always loved writing, reviewing, and going back and forth with someone. I even wrote contracts when I was in elementary school. When I dove deeper into my research, I found the perfect job for me, a corporate lawyer. I have many dreams for this career. I dream of working in a city. I dream of working for someone who knows my potential. I dream that one day I will have clients who call for me by name because they know my track record. One of my biggest dreams is to work for a big law firm and to have big business clientele. While it may not seem like I am making the difference I would make if I were in criminal law, I disagree. My work will affect many people's lives. I want to be a lawyer that cares, but I dream that that does not make me seem weak to others in this cut throat industry. I dream that I will make my eight year old self proud.

When I sat down to write this, I planned on writing a grand sob story, a story filled with all of my trauma. However, when putting my words to paper, I realized something. I realized I am more than my trauma. I realized my chronic illness, mental diseases, and trauma doesn't define me. So this essay is not about me overcoming my trauma and my hardships, this essay is about the realization that it's okay to not be okay. It's about demonstrating that my life is about more than just overcoming difficulties. Learning that I do not have to be perfect and accepting who I am is valuable. I have spent so much time trying to become perfect. I have tried again and again to overcome, to persist, to push through, but the truth is I do not always need to. Once I realized this, it felt like the weight of the world started to lift off of my shoulders. One would think that this simple realization wouldn't affect someone's life that much. Some might even think it's corny advice, but it's true and it worked for me. I am happy. Happier than I thought I would ever be. I am the real me. I do not spend hours pondering over why I can't be perfect, why I can't be "normal". I spend my time focusing on the good things about me. I think about how I always lend a helping hand, how I am there for those who need me, how I never give up on others. I remember that by being the real me, by not only focusing on the things I wish I didn't have and didn't experience, I can love myself. This information and realization has been more than valuable to me.

Generosity, everyone has a different definition for it. Some people think to be generous you have to donate money. Some people think it comes from the heart. I think being generous means giving a part of yourself to someone else. It means giving something, no matter how big or small, that has value to you to someone else without expecting a reward or praise. People in this world tend to think they should be rewarded for their action. They think that if they do something good they should get something in reward, but those who truly embody generosity expect no such thing. To give somebody anything that has value to you is a great feat. This doesn't always mean it has to be something you can hold in your hands, something you can see with your eyes. It includes words as well. Not everyone has the privilege to give somebody something and not everyone has the gift of being good with words, but what matters is caring. Caring enough for somebody to be vulnerable with them. To open yourself up to them. To trust them with the things that matter so deeply to you. Generosity isn't something you can buy at a store. It is something that is a part of you. It comes from so deep inside of you some people don't know how to truly access it until their adulthood. Generosity is a gift. A gift to yourself. A gift to the world. Nobody has to be generous. You can live your entire life without an ounce of generosity and nobody would know otherwise. Those who are truly generous don't do it so other praise them. They don't do it expecting something out of it. They do it out of the kindness of their heart.

My ears were ringing, my vision was going in and out, it was clear what was about to happen, but the impact it was about to have on my life wasn’t. I passed out one day randomly. I was going in and out of consciousness, so my parents rushed me to the emergency room. The doctors scanned my head, monitored me, and completed other tests, but everything looked “normal”. I went home and I thought that was it, that everything would go back to normal now. This couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Every since that day, I have had a condition called Visual Snow Syndrome. I have had migraines, dizziness, ringing in my ears, and spots in my vision as if you were looking through a TV everyday. It’s severely impacted my life, from going to more doctors than I can count to being misdiagnosed to having tests I didn’t even know existed. It’s forced me to missed school. It’s made me lose friends. It has severely made my mental health decline. It’s made me become a different person than I was the day before I passed out. I’ve had to persevere through this disease. While I now know it will never go away, I didn’t at first. I was so desperate to get better, I did anything and everything my doctors told me to do, but it never worked. I was discouraged, I was depressed. I realized being upset over nothing working wasn’t going to make it better. I had to find other solutions. I now fight every day to make the next one better. To at least make my symptoms, if nothing else, bearable. It might not have gone away, but I persevered. I helped my mental health and my symptoms be better. I fought back.

Since I was nine I've been diagnosed and medicated for anxiety. Since I was eleven I've been diagnosed and medicated for OCD. Since I was thirteen I've been diagnosed and medicated from depression. Throughout the years my mental illnesses have worsened. They have become more severe. My medications' dosages have been increased time and time again. I've been put on more medication than I can remember, most having extreme side effects. I was even once hospitalized for a bad reaction to one of my medications. Mental illnesses aren't like what those who aren't diagnosed treat it like. Just because you're nervous about a test, doesn't mean you have anxiety. Just because you organized your pens doesn't mean you have OCD. Just because your were upset one time doesn't mean you have depression. My anxiety causes me to rarely leave my house, to miss multiple days of school, it has costed me friends. My OCD has made it impossible to sleep, makes me do something three times or I fear something terrible will happen because i didn't. My depression made it hard to get out of bed, to do basic everyday tasks. It isn't what TV glamorizes it to be. It's hard, it's painful, and it not something that just lasts a day. I want to use this experience to let others know they are valid and they are heard. I want to let others know they aren't "crazy". I want to ensure them that what you see on TV isn't real, it's not an accurate representation. Sharing my experiences could let others know they aren't the only one with these struggles. To let them know they have so many people behind them, so many supporting them. I hope I can let others battling mental illnesses know what others say about mental illnesses does not matter. I wish to let them know they are some of the strongest people out there. If you can battle mental illness, you can take on the world. I desire to tell them the smallest step forward should be celebrated, how we are valid and resilient.

Women are still not treated equally among men in today's world. Yes, women have the right to vote and can buy property, but society still treats women unfairly. Sexist remarks are constantly thrown at women, and it is normalized to the point where nobody speak up about it. Remarks such as “You’re just on your period”, when a woman stands up for herself or others, while men are told “they didn’t mean it” when they punch a hole in the wall over something little. Sexist remarks like these inspire me to stand up for others. For those who are scared to speak their voice in fear of being harassed over it. For those who want to speak up, but immediately get shut down just because they are a woman. For those who also stand up for women’s rights but are torn down for it. I am driven by the idea of helping empower other women and it’s a big reason my dream is to become a lawyer. I'm a feminist. Many try to use this against me, saying modern day feminism is anti-men and a horrible thing. While they don’t realize it is the complete opposite. Feminism stands for equality among all regardless of your gender. It fights against a system that tears down women, but people think that means feminists hate men. I want to help fight the system that tears down women. I am driven by the idea of helping women as much as I possibly can. I want to help women finally have a voice. I want to be a part of fixing our messed-up system. Most importantly, I want equality among all. My greatest inspiration is those who want me to fail. The sexists who think women cannot do anything a man can do. The sexists who think that simply because I have ovaries, I can’t make it in this world. The sexists who hate I am a feminist trying to empower others. I am inspired by these misogynistic, sexist men to stand up for every woman out there, whether they have a platform or not. The reason I am so driven is because not all women can speak out against out sexism because they do not have the platform to, and I want to give them a place where they can speak out. I am inspired to become a lawyer because of all the reasons I just listed. As a lawyer I would be able to fight on women’s behalf against the men that assaulted, harassed, raped, or even murdered them. I want to give justice to every victim out there. I am driven by these ideas, and I will not give up until I succeed. The ones who fight against me inspire just as much as, if not more, than those who are fighting alongside me.

My favorite movie is much more than a chick flick, it’s a feminist icon that inspires women across the world. Legally Blonde may be advertised as your normal chick flick movie, but it is so much more than that. Legally Blonde empowers women around the globe, reminding them they are so much more than just a pretty face. It shows women that even though you may not realize it at first, you don’t need a man to be happy and complete. Elle Woods is an inspiration to all young girls out there. The movie Legally Blonde demonstrates how women get looked down upon in the academic world, but it does more than just that. It shows women how to fight that, how to prove how much they are worth. In the beginning of the movie Elle is only there to get her ex-boyfriend back, but by the end of the movie she turns him down. She teaches women it’s okay to be independent and it’s okay for your priorities to change. She also demonstrates you can still be feminine while being an academic. Elle doesn’t change her bright, perfectly matched outfits. She doesn’t change her personality. She is still the same Elle Woods she was when she was back in California. Legally Blonde also proves you don’t need to compete with other women. While at first, she was in a competition with her ex’s new fiancé, in the end they become best friends. This also shows you can make up with somebody and other girls aren’t the enemy. It teaches women to stand their ground. To show others what you're made of. To prove to men, you’re more than just a “dumb blonde”. Legally Blonde shows women and men can be equal and that women can and should prove that.

“The older I grow, the more I value Pawns.” This quote is referring to a game of chess, but it can also be applied towards life. In chess, a pawn is seen as something small, not as important as the others. When applied to life, it tells you to value the little things. It tells you to not look down on anything or anyone because everything and everyone is valuable in some way. This is just one example of the parallels between life and chess. Chess influenced my life and the way I live it. I was taught chess at a young age and it has impacted my life since. Chess has even influenced my career goals. My life would not be the same without chess and for that I am thankful for it. “White goes first” said my first-grade teacher to me. I stared down at the board unsure on how to begin. There are so many pieces, I wondered “which one do I move?” I couldn’t bare the idea of letting her down, after all she is the reason, I was here. I was only a first grader when I started to play chess. I had a passion for knowledge and my teacher recognized that. She started a chess club and told me I should join, so I did. Many children go outside and play tag or other games, but I stayed in and played chess. Once a week from first to second grade, I went into her room after school and played with her and a few other kids. She taught me the basics of the game and had me play the other kids. It was amazing. There were so many different moves I could make, so many different paths to success. Chess taught me many things and overall influenced my life. Chess taught me to not let go of something until you are a hundred percent sure you want to. In chess, the moment you set your piece down and let go of it there is no going back. This is a lot like life. Once you let go of something or someone you cannot go back in time and change it. Chess also taught me you must make sacrifices to get to your overall goal. During a game of chess, you must sacrifice some pieces in order to win, just like in real life. In life, there are many sacrifices you need to make for different reasons. Sometimes you must give up something even if you don’t want to in order to reach your dreams. Another thing chess taught me is to never give up. During chess, there are many times where you think there is no chance you can win, but then you do. Life is very similar. Everybody experiences hardships, some harder than others, but chess taught me to never give up. It taught me I will get out of this and I will flourish, this is just one stop along my journey to success. I apply all this knowledge I learned from chess in my everyday life. Every day I make sure of the decisions I am about to make, to ensure I don’t mess anything up. I remember the sacrifices I need to make to reach success and don’t stress over them. Even when I want to give up, I don’t, and I got that from playing chess. My dream job is to become a lawyer. Throughout my life, I have always gone back and forth between deciding what I want to do with my life. I have always said I had a career in mind, but I never really felt connected to it. I never felt any of them were my true passion. This changed this year. I found my true passion is to become a lawyer and to help others. While they may not seem connected, chess influenced my career choice. The whole point of chess is to protect the king because once they get your king the game is over, and they win. This influenced my career choice. I want to protect others like my pieces protected the king. Protecting people is what I want to do with my life. I want to dedicate my life to helping and protecting those who need it the most. Without chess I may not have realized this. Chess is the reason I found my passion in life. From protecting game pieces to protecting those who are incarcerated. All in all, chess has changed my life and it will continue to change it as my life goes on. It made me think hard before I do anything. Chess caused me to learn I need to make sacrifices in my life in order to reach my goals. I was taught to never give up no matter what because you never truly know what will happen next by chess. I stopped stressing over the little things because the big picture is all that matters and I know that because of chess. Without chess I wouldn’t know my dream job of becoming a lawyer. Who would have thought my first-grade teacher introducing me chess would change my life forever? I sure didn’t, but I will forever and always be thankful for chess because of everything it has taught me.

The picture of my dog, Dixie, I am submitting was taken on the anniversary of the day we got her. It is one of my all time favorite pictures because it brings back every memory we’ve made and all the ones we will make in the future.