It was a very hot summer day in the middle of Covid when I first got to meet my lovely cat. My mother was outside doing yard work under my window, and I was lying inside trying not to die from a heatstroke when she called my name. As I approached the window, she eagerly pointed to a small black shape lounging about nearby; a cat. I rushed outside, because who am I to ignore a cute cat, and slowly tried to approach it. He was very thin, and not quite fully grown. He was also very cautious as I approached him, preparing to leave at any moment. But, as I crept over, slow and quiet, he let me scratch his head, and even purred. He was a very good natured and friendly cat, despite his skittishness. My mother informed me that he ran out of the bushes to approach her, and that he had been hanging around for a bit of time. We went back to sit on the porch, and I gave him lots of pets. I was scared to go back inside for anything because he got very scared anytime the door opened. My mother was adamant that we would not be keeping him, and that she would ask our neighbors if he was theirs. She said she wouldn’t feed him, or else he would stick around. You see, this cat had some of the best (or worst) timing, as that day just so happened to be my father’s birthday and, fun fact about my dad, he possesses a strong dislike of cats. What a wonderful present that would be; to come home from a long day of work on your special day to find a new animal in the house. But, as no one decided to claim the cat, my mom began to feel bad. He was definitely hungry, and so she did the thing she swore she would not do under any circumstances: she fed him. He was quite happy with this arrangement, and he did the very thing she said he would. He decided our house wasn’t such a bad place to hang out at. As you can imagine, my dad wasn’t thrilled, but as the cat hadn’t invaded the house yet, there wasn’t much of a fight he could put up. Anyway, long story short, the cat has very much made himself at home at our house, and he is now fat, lazy, and adored (by me).

One of the most challenging things you can do in life is juggle mental health with other commitments. It turns something that is already difficult into a complete nightmare. As someone with mental health issues, this is a problem I have become all too familiar with, and it has had a big impact on my academic and personal life, but I have been doing my best to take care of it. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, has had a major impact on my life and functionality. At one of my lowest points, all I could do was stare blankly at a wall, without thinking or feeling. Needless to say, OCD and anxiety have definitely had an impact on my day to day life. And while I am still struggling, I refuse to back down and let it have my life. I have gone through many efforts to prevent this, including taking an anxiety medication, despite the fear it causes me, and going to school everyday, even though leaving the house is a stressor that can leave me worried for days in advance. With that in mind, it is easy to see where this can have a big effect on my social life. It has been so hard for me to spend time with friends and enjoy any of my time spent with them at school. And, while there, I also need to balance all my school work, which piles on more unneeded stress. But, my education is something I highly value, so I have worked hard regardless, making sure my grades remain good while I am struggling. Time and again, I have refused to let my disorder take away my dreams. I have taken many steps in the past few years to take care of myself. The biggest one, as I mentioned previously, has been taking medication. While I was initially opposed, this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself, and I am much happier now. But there are other things I have done, too. I have always made sure to carve out a little time for myself each day. I do something I enjoy, whether it's just listening to music or reading, I make sure I get me time. I also do my best to do my work in advance. I do things in a timely manner, that way I can minimize the amount of stress my assignments cause me. Overall, I have gotten good at doing small things to help my mental health. While my mental health has done a lot of damage to my academics and social life, I have been doing what I can to prioritize myself and my health. Mental health is something that makes life so unmanageable, but what is important is to never give up, and to never let it take away your dreams.

Education is a basic right that people have spent generations fighting for. Thankfully, it is significantly more accessible than it was in the past, and I have the opportunity to learn all I can about the world. Education is very important, and without it, it is unlikely I will be able to leave any sort of impact at all.. One of the most important aspects of education is the ability to grow. Being young is very difficult for many kids, including myself, and lots of kids are put into a box. This is what they are expected to be by their peers for their entire high school career, leaving little room for growth. College is an environment without those problems; a place where you can work on yourself. You can try new things stress free, and be who you want to be, without the scorn of others. College can also challenge your beliefs. Children often share their beliefs with their parents, as that was what they were taught was right. But rarely do they step back to reflect on these things, or take the time to see if that is what they really think. College is meant to stop people from speaking into an echo chamber, and instead seeks to expose people to new ideas. In addition, having an intelligent conversation with one of your peers can completely change your world view. I have realized that there are many views I don’t share with my parents, and I believe going into an intellectually stimulating and challenging environment can be very beneficial for people. I value education because of the change it encourages. I have many lofty dreams for the future, and I would like to leave a legacy of hope behind. For my entire life, I have loved stories. From books to movies to everything in between, I have always wanted to create something. I plan on using college to fuel these dreams, even though I know the journey will be long. My main goal with my writing is to shine a light on the main issues of the world, and the issues real life people are facing everyday. I want to help people see that they are not alone, while also teaching others to be more empathetic. I want people to be able to look back at my work and remember me for how I inspired them in dark times. That is the legacy I wish to leave behind. Education is something I greatly value, and my education will help me to achieve my dreams and leave behind a legacy that will be forever remembered. Not everyone has the blessing of learning like I do, and I plan on making the most out of it so I can leave a lasting mark on the world.

First-generation college students often face many additional challenges that other prospective students do not. With college comes so many questions, and not having proper guidance can make things so much harder. Yet, despite these hardships, college is something I value deeply, and I have taken many steps to make sure I don’t fall behind. Ever since I was a young girl, college has always been a dream of mine, though I was never quite sure what I wanted to study. That desire has only gotten stronger with age. Growing up in a small town with the same people for your entire life makes it very difficult to change as a person, and I feel as though I have outgrown this place. College will be a wonderful chance for me to escape, but I am also excited to learn. I find everything in the world fascinating, and if I had the money, I would just stay in college for the rest of my life, collecting all the knowledge I can. There are so many things I don’t know, and I want to decrease that ratio as much as I can in this life. Another big reason why I am interested in college is the connections. College is a very good opportunity to meet new people who can get you into your field. As someone who wants to go into the creative field, which is rife with uncertainty, I will need all the help I can get, and going to college is a very important aspect of that plan. Without college, I would be unable to actualize any of my dreams, so college is very important to me. Going to college takes a lot of additional planning when you are a first-generation student. The people I usually turn to for answers seldom have any, and so I need to do my best to be prepared. I have done a lot to keep myself informed. I have gone to visit and do special events on college campuses, and I am doing my best to make informed decisions. I have kept in touch with different admissions counselors to help me with my questions, and I am constantly looking into my options. In addition, I have put a lot of time and effort into scholarships. College is expensive, and I can use all the help I can get, so I have dedicated hours of my day for months to writing essays and searching for more. I have been working hard to ensure that this opportunity does not pass me by. As a first-generation student, college is something that is very important to me, so I have put in the effort to make sure I will be able to attend. There have been many obstacles blocking my path to success, but this is something I need for the future, so I am going to ensure that nothing can stop me.

One of the biggest blessings of this era we live in is the many opportunities that women have to shape the world. Of course, there are still many improvements to make, but I am happy that I have had so many chances to help take charge and lead my peers. Leadership is something that is very important to me, and guiding others has always been a passion of mine. Therefore, empowerment is very important to me and it has had a big impact on my life. Empowerment can mean many different things to many different people, but to me, it is about being able to speak out and spark change. Women have historically been shut away and ignored, often seen as less than men. But there have been so many amazing women in history that have continued to innovate in spite of this fact. So many inventions and stories created by women were done in spite of the times. They have done far more than just that, though, as so many women have and continue to fight for their rights, even when they are suppressed. From women’s suffrage to abortion, women have continued to lead by example and fight for what’s right. I find these actions empowering, I also aim to be like these women. To be brave, intelligent, and to continue to fight regardless of fear is what makes up empowerment, and this is what I aspire to be. Empowerment has greatly influenced how I live my life. Because of these amazing women that have come before me, I feel both empowered and inspired to take charge in my own life, though often on a smaller scale. I never shy away from a challenge or give up when times become tough. I have taken on many responsibilities, including being class president, co-editor of the yearbook, president of the National Honor Society, and being a part of many additional clubs. I always want to reach greater heights, and I also try to lead by example. I am a high honors student taking four AP classes on top of the many other clubs and competitions I participate in, and I am working hard to excel in everything. I feel empowered when I am the best I can be, and I work hard to always put my best foot forward. Empowerment has been very important to me throughout my life and it has left its mark on me. I find myself so inspired by the groundbreaking women who have come before me, and I hope that, one day, I will be able to lead to change, just like they have.

The beauty of art is how it is subjective. One person can look at it and see a completely different thing than another. This is part of what makes art so magical. Art, more specifically writing, has had a big impact on my life, and it is what I want to do with my future. The art of storytelling has had a big impact on my mental health, it can help others, and these things have greatly affected the content of my works. I have had a lot of hardship in my life. From having severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to several other anxiety disorders, I have been trapped by fear for almost the entirety of my life. There have been long periods of time where I was trapped in my bed, and I missed out on most of the opportunities associated with youth. Stories and writing have served as both a comfort and outlet for me. At my lowest, the only thing I could do was read and watch shows. I completely immersed myself in stories because I was stuck in my own mind, and they were the only thing that brought me joy. Stories still mean a lot to me, and writing is a big outlet for my struggles. My everyday problems bleed into my writing, and it has become a way of expressing myself when I have no one else. The art of storytelling is very important. There are many ways for art to help other people, and I know this because it has helped me. Art can serve as an escape. To become completely immersed in a fictional world where your real problems can’t be found can be very therapeutic. On the flipside, fiction can also help heal you when you see your problems represented. Seeing other people struggle with the same things and slowly heal can serve to comfort and guide someone in need. Writing and storytelling can provide support for people on the healing journey. Part of what inspires me to write is all that I can do with my writing. The ability to represent real life issues and change perspectives is part of what drives my writing, while also using it as a way to express my emotions about my own life. My piece called “Sandy Beach” is about the extreme paranoia I face every day, and how that can spiral into a place of hopelessness. “Do You Love Me Too?” highlights a very different issue. It is a piece about emotional abuse and how that affects the children involved. It is a piece I wish to use to represent those who have been in similar situations, and to showcase the pain that arises with parents with volatile emotions. My last piece, “A Lone Star” is all about the pain of lies and being taken advantage of. The main character is put into a situation where people mainly want to use her, and that is a theme many people including myself can relate to. All of these works feature complex emotional issues, all of which I have experienced, and that is what makes me passionate about it. The self-expression and ability to inspire others is what makes writing worth it. Writing and storytelling have had a big impact on my mental health, have the ability to help others, and all of these factors have influenced my works. Art is subjective, and people are sure to get different things out of my writing than I am. But, I hope that in the end, I am able to positively affect the lives of even just a few.

How Mental Illness Has Shaped My Beliefs Life is full of challenges and struggles. Some are caused by your decisions, while others suddenly appear into your life without your control. My life has been deeply affected by a problem of the second nature. A year ago, I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which has become a major obstacle in my life. Both a blessing and a curse, I have worked hard to move past it, and it, in turn, has led me to have many new realizations. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, has had a major impact on my life and functionality. At one of my lowest points, all I could do was stare blankly at a wall, without thinking or feeling. Needless to say, OCD and anxiety have definitely had an impact on my day to day life. And while I am still struggling, I refuse to back down and let it have my life. I have gone through many efforts to prevent this, including taking an anxiety medication, despite the fear it causes me, and going to school everyday, even though leaving the house is a stressor that can leave me worried for days in advance. Time and again, I have refused to let my disorder take away my dreams. Those dreams have changed over the years. As a little girl, all I wanted was to be famous. So, naturally, when asking about careers, I would say I wanted to be a movie star, or an artist. Even though those dreams have changed, I have carried that love of the creative arts with me to this day. Now, I wish to use writing to help people by exposing the darker side of mental illness, especially OCD, through the creation of stories. And it is my hope that people afflicted with these struggles will find my works comforting and relatable. If I can help even one other person who is currently suffering with my writing, I will be fulfilled and satisfied. So, my disorder has changed who I am for the better, and made me realize my true dream: helping others. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been trying to ruin my life for a long time, but I have refused to let that happen, and instead have only acknowledged the change in my perspective. I am lucky to be as functional as I am, and the best way for me to repay my good fortune is to help those who are still suffering find the happiness they deserve.

One of the most important aspects of any school are those who teach inside it. An interesting teacher can make even the most boring subject fascinating, and a bad teacher can ruin a subject forever. At my school, I have fortunately had many of the former, with many having had a big impact on my life. But, the teacher that has helped me the most has to be my chorus director, Mr. Fiore. He is a very kind and supportive teacher and he has given me many opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I have always had a love for music, but he has done so much to enhance it. He has exposed us to so many different types of music, and allowed us to perform songs we really love for our concerts. He cares about his students a lot; never yelling and always humoring our silly tangents. He is one of the most supportive teachers in the school, and it is clear he enjoys working with us. One of the most exciting things for me in my high school career has been participating in choral competitions. These require hours upon hours of dedicated practice to even have a chance at moving forward, and he has helped me to succeed at these. Whether it was staying after school to practice, making recordings, or anything else, he always took the time out of his busy schedule to help me and give me the best chance at success. Without his constant guidance, I never would have made it as far as I did, and for that I am forever grateful. As someone who has had severe anxiety my entire life, it can be very difficult for me to get to have normal experiences and still enjoy them. My choral competitions have been no exception, especially when I have had to stay away from home overnight. But, Mr. Fiore has always been understanding of my issues and worked with me to find manageable solutions, even when it involves overcomplicating things that should be simple. These competitions have been a highlight of high school for me, and I’ve always wanted to participate in them. Without him, I would have missed out on so many valuable experiences. My chorus director Mr. Fiore is a very supportive teacher who has always wanted the best for his students, and he has dedicated extra time to helping me achieve my dreams. Good teachers make the school day less of a chore, and having him has turned my school into a better place.

One of the most important things a movie can do is leave an impression on your soul. To truly drive home its message, and to completely change your perspective on life. The movie that has managed to affect me in this way is A Silent Voice. This movie is about a teenager named Shoya Ishida trying to reconcile with the deaf girl he bullied in middle school, Shoko Nishimiya. It is a story that deals with many heavy themes. This movie teaches the audience that there are many layers to people, and that things will get better. A Silent Voice shows that people are rarely completely bad, and are instead layered individuals. Shoya was a part of a large group of people who were bullying Shoko. But, when it came time for punishments to be doled out, everyone turned on him, making him the new target. He learned how horrible it feels, and he set out to better himself, even learning sign language. He realized that what he had done had hurt others, and did his best to become a new person. He was not solely his original actions, and he was not just a bad person. Many of his actions were a product of his environment, and while that doesn’t justify what he did, it proves that people are very complex, and that people can change. This movie has helped me to step back and look at people, and to understand there will always be more there than meets the eye. As mentioned before, A Silent Voice deals with a lot of heavy topics, including depression and suicide. Both Shoya and Shoko go down dark paths because of the past, and yet they manage to find peace through their newfound friendship. They become close friends and support each other, and they forge even more connections in the process. They save each other, and that is a wonderful take home message. Suicide will never be the answer, and there will always be something to look forward to down the road. As someone who has also struggled with mental illness, these lessons are important to me, and they have helped me look forward to the future. This movie inspires people to keep going, and assures the audience that there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it takes a long time to reach it. In the movie A Silent Voice, there is a clear lesson that people are very complex, and that things will always improve. These are very impactful lessons that can help people view the world differently, and they are things that myself and others need to hear. Movies are a very valuable form of entertainment, and the lessons they can impart are powerful indeed.

How Mental Illness Has Shaped My Beliefs Life is full of challenges and struggles. Some are caused by your decisions, while others suddenly appear into your life without your control. My life has been deeply affected by a problem of the second nature. A year ago, I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which has become a major obstacle in my life. Both a blessing and a curse, I have worked hard to move past it, and it, in turn, has led me to have many new realizations. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, has had a major impact on my life and functionality. At one of my lowest points, all I could do was stare blankly at a wall, without thinking or feeling. Needless to say, OCD and anxiety have definitely had an impact on my day to day life. And while I am still struggling, I refuse to back down and let it have my life. I have gone through many efforts to prevent this, including taking an anxiety medication, despite the fear it causes me, and going to school everyday, even though leaving the house is a stressor that can leave me worried for days in advance. Time and again, I have refused to let my disorder take away my dreams. Those dreams have changed over the years. As a little girl, all I wanted was to be famous. So, naturally, when asking about careers, I would say I wanted to be a movie star, or an artist. Even though those dreams have changed, I have carried that love of the creative arts with me to this day. Now, I wish to use writing to help people by exposing the darker side of mental illness, especially OCD, through the creation of stories. And it is my hope that people afflicted with these struggles will find my works comforting and relatable. If I can help even one other person who is currently suffering with my writing, I will be fulfilled and satisfied. So, my disorder has changed who I am for the better, and made me realize my true dream: helping others. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been trying to ruin my life for a long time, but I have refused to let that happen, and instead have only acknowledged the change in my perspective. I am lucky to be as functional as I am, and the best way for me to repay my good fortune is to help those who are still suffering find the happiness they deserve.

How Mental Illness Has Shaped My Beliefs Life is full of challenges and struggles. Some are caused by your decisions, while others suddenly appear into your life without your control. My life has been deeply affected by a problem of the second nature. A year ago, I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which has become a major obstacle in my life. Both a blessing and a curse, I have worked hard to move past it, and it, in turn, has led me to have many new realizations. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, has had a major impact on my life and functionality. At one of my lowest points, all I could do was stare blankly at a wall, without thinking or feeling. Needless to say, OCD and anxiety have definitely had an impact on my day to day life. This disorder has also had a big impact on my relationships. One thing I absolutely could not do was communicate about anything that my brain deemed as "contaminated." This meant I couldn't talk about my day, or really even talk at all, without performing rigorous rituals. I slowly cut myself off from everyone because of this, and I felt very isolated. And while I am still struggling, I refuse to back down and let it have my life. I have gone through many efforts to prevent this, including taking an anxiety medication, despite the fear it causes me, and going to school everyday, even though leaving the house is a stressor that can leave me worried for days in advance. Time and again, I have refused to let my disorder take away my dreams. Those dreams have changed over the years. As a little girl, all I wanted was to be famous. So, naturally, when asking about careers, I would say I wanted to be a movie star, or an artist. Even though those dreams have changed, I have carried that love of the creative arts with me to this day. Now, I wish to use writing to help people by exposing the darker side of mental illness, especially OCD, through the creation of stories. OCD is so often misrepresented and reduced to being a clean freak, so being able to bring light to this disorder as well as many others would bring me a lot of happiness. And it is my hope that people afflicted with these struggles will find my works comforting and relatable. If I can help even one other person who is currently suffering with my writing, I will be fulfilled and satisfied. So, my disorder has changed who I am for the better, and made me realize my true dream: helping others. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been trying to ruin my life for a long time, but I have refused to let that happen, and instead have only acknowledged the change in my perspective. I am lucky to be as functional as I am, and the best way for me to repay my good fortune is to help those who are still suffering find the happiness they deserve.

How Mental Illness Has Shaped My Beliefs Life is full of challenges and struggles. Some are caused by your decisions, while others suddenly appear into your life without your control. My life has been deeply affected by a problem of the second nature. A year ago, I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which has become a major obstacle in my life. Both a blessing and a curse, I have worked hard to move past it, and it, in turn, has led me to have many new realizations. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, has had a major impact on my life and functionality. At one of my lowest points, all I could do was stare blankly at a wall, without thinking or feeling. Needless to say, OCD and anxiety have definitely had an impact on my day to day life. And while I am still struggling, I refuse to back down and let it have my life. I have gone through many efforts to prevent this, including taking an anxiety medication, despite the fear it causes me, and going to school everyday, even though leaving the house is a stressor that can leave me worried for days in advance. Time and again, I have refused to let my disorder take away my dreams. Those dreams have changed over the years. As a little girl, all I wanted was to be famous. So, naturally, when asking about careers, I would say I wanted to be a movie star, or an artist. Even though those dreams have changed, I have carried that love of the creative arts with me to this day. Now, I wish to use writing to help people by exposing the darker side of mental illness, especially OCD, through the creation of stories. And it is my hope that people afflicted with these struggles will find my works comforting and relatable. If I can help even one other person who is currently suffering with my writing, I will be fulfilled and satisfied. So, my disorder has changed who I am for the better, and made me realize my true dream: helping others. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been trying to ruin my life for a long time, but I have refused to let that happen, and instead have only acknowledged the change in my perspective. I am lucky to be as functional as I am, and the best way for me to repay my good fortune is to help those who are still suffering find the happiness they deserve.

What Creative Writing Means to Me The magic of putting words on a page is a feeling that is hard to describe. Energy, excitement, and a sense of giddiness all course through my body when I know I am writing something good. This joy that I feel when writing is incomparable to anything else, and it is in part why I have chosen to pursue creative writing in college. But, there is so much more to it than that, as the truths I can tell, the people I can inspire, and the personal enrichment it brings me all factor into it, too. Writing is oftentimes used as a way to point out flaws in the world, and that is an aspect I greatly enjoy. Books like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and The Hunger Games all detail dangers in society and how easily we can be led astray. Stories with themes like this fascinate me, especially with how much truth can be found in them, and as someone who sees the world as a very flawed place, I too would like to try my hand at this. Using fiction as a lens to see the future is hard to accomplish but very rewarding, especially when people aren’t always receptive to new ideas. Introducing people to problems that haven’t yet come to fruition may allow me to make the world a better place, or at least to commentate on the world as I see it, and this ability is one of the highlights of writing. To express these thoughts, no matter how troubling, is very important indeed. Through words, there are many ways to help people. The first, more dramatic way is to point out injustices in our world, or to showcase the misunderstood. To change perspectives is one of the joys of writing, and it is a reason why I am so passionate about it. The other way is much simpler, and it is to bring joy to people’s lives. Since we were cavemen, humans have been telling stories, and today we are no different. People still love to be entranced by a riveting tale, and in this day and age, a distraction from the real world can serve as a wonderful escape. Writing can help those who are struggling, which is not something every profession can do. Stories and writing have had a profound impact on my life. As someone who has struggled with mental health, there have been days where life was a challenge. But, throughout everything, I always had stories to fall back on. When I couldn’t get out of bed, I could read or watch TV. I have always been engaged with fiction, and these fake worlds always kept me going. I have also always loved creating fictitious worlds of my own, and it brings me great joy when I think about my stories someday helping someone else through a dark time. One day, I hope to inspire the world with my words. I am passionate about creative writing because of the ideas I can communicate, the people that my work can speak to, and because it has been my light in the dark. Writing brings me immense joy, and I hope I can continue to create, so that one day people will read my stories and smile.

What Music Means to Me One of the most beautiful things you can experience is the chills that come with creating something truly spectacular. The very first time I got to experience this thrill was singing in my state’s district chorus competition. I attend a very small school, so singing with 160 highly talented individuals was truly magical. This is part of why music means so much to me. Through the people I have met, the experiences it has given me, and the parts of myself I am able to express, music has had a monumental impact on my life. Music is so much more than just the sound; it is a language, and it has connected me to many individuals who are also fluent. One such person is my chorus director. He is such an amazing person to work with, and he has inspired me to keep singing even after I go to college. He has exposed me to so many new songs and ideas, and I am so grateful for everything he has taught me. But singing isn’t just an individual thing; it is very much about the community. Through both my school’s choir and the many competitions I’ve attended, I’ve met amazing people and learned so much more about singing. So many of my happiest memories are of when I was creating a beautiful sound with a group of people; all so different, but united by a love of song. The people music has connected me to are some of the ones I cherish the most. Song is vital to the human experience. We’ve been creating them for ages, and everyone has lived a life full of music, whether they realize it or not. And while music is beautiful to listen to, it’s even more impactful when you are performing it. Dynamics, tone, harmony; they all come together to form something beautiful, and I can’t help but get chills when hearing it. There is so much that goes into it, and putting in all that hard work to produce such a pristine sound is ethereal. It is an experience I wouldn’t want to live without. Music has given me so much joy because of the reasons above. I, like many others, have had a very difficult time in high school, but music has been one of my escapes. It has helped me to express my feelings and has served as an outlet, while also improving my mood. Music has been one of the few things I have had to fall back on, and had I not had the experiences and connections listed above, I would have been in a much darker place. Music gave me a healthy way to express my emotions. Through people, experiences, and expression, music has had a very big impact on me throughout high school, and it is a very important part of my life. I am so happy I will have the opportunity to participate in chorus in college, and I hope to create many more magical moments by means of sound.