While in high school, I involved myself in advocacy marches in Washington, DC, LGBT+ pride events in my hometown, and supported several animal rights, human rights, and queer rights groups via their online platforms. In more recent years I have shown much of my support for that cause through art. As a theatre major and actor, I have a unique platform to raise awareness on. A platform that I have taken advantage of many times, including performing a self-written spoken word essay regarding the disproportionate effects of climate change on communities of color in the United States. As part of that same performance, I was able to take part in/help devise other scenes that spoke to racial inequity and harmful ideologies against the queer community. In the future, I plan to continue using art as a way to spread awareness and further advocate for the issues that I am passionate about. After graduating college this coming June, I intend on working professionally in my field, as well as finding colleagues in the artistic community to devise pieces with. I think that advocacy through art is vital to the advancement of any cause. It creates a more easily-digestible method for audiences and passersby to learn about these topics. Theatre, in particular, allows for the creation of characters and stories that resonate with the audience in a variety of ways. It allows them to see the issues personified; creating a space for empathy, sympathy, and understanding that may not have been there when observing protests and demonstrations or reading a news article. I feel that I will be able to use my voice as a queer woman to amplify other queer voices and stories, a dream of mine being to create a devised piece exploring the real lives of queer people drawn from the lives of the cast, crew, and creative team. It is a true dream to be able to take part in a project like that. I hope that in the future I will be able to advocate and support the issues I care about through art. I hope to continue marching and protesting when I am able and when it is safe to. I feel that helping to spread the word about these important topics is vital. We have a duty to our fellow humans and our communities to create the best world we possibly can, a world with a little hatred, inequality, and global problems as possible. We owe it to future generations to leave the world better than we found it.

Iced coffee with pumpkin cold foam is my go-to! I first started getting it with my best friend every Sunday at college during my freshman year. We had our weekly routine of going to our on-campus Starbies on Sunday mornings and sitting outside on the benches or in my car for hours just chatting. It was a moment of peace between the two of us at the end of a long week of classes and before the start of another long week, a nice break from the craziness of college. Going to school in Ohio, the weather turned cold quickly, by the time October hit we were often bundled up chattering our teeth while we were outside. Despite that, the two of us never budged on our drink of choice. Even if it was 10 degrees outside, we were going to get our iced coffee. Slowly we migrated to my dorm room as it got colder and colder, still enjoying each other's company all the same. When I look back at the insanity that was my freshman year, I look back at our Starbucks trips the fondest. I got to spend time with my best friend, spend time outside at my beautiful campus, and have meaningful conversations, all over a yummy coffee. Every time I have my iced coffee with pumpkin cold foam I immediately think of my best friend, I think of all the conversations we had during that time, I remember the simple joy we both had in completing our ritual weekly. It makes me incredibly happy to look back on that time in my life, and that time with my best friend. I loved my time at my college, but those moments with her were truly some of my favorite and they have easily become some of my most cherished memories with her. This fall, I will be studying abroad. I will be far from my best friend, and far from our weekly ritual. Despite that, I have a drink that is tied to those moments and memories, one that I can get even in another country (hopefully)! I know this coming fall will be different, but I am content with the memories I have created and looking forward to the new experiences I will have as I take on this adventure. When I get back, I certainly plan on starting up our weekly routine once more!

I was diagnosed with a severe case of ulcerative colitis after my freshman year of college. I was stuck in a horrible flare for nearly a year until I finally started to feel better. I was sent to multiple doctors, had more tests done than I could count, and was finally diagnosed after 4 months. It took another 8 months for my doctors to find a medication that worked for me. I spent most of that year in bed, unable to do anything more than get up to use the restroom. I was fragile and frail, mentally exhausted, and physically in tremendous pain; I was at my breaking point. I fell into the worst depression I have ever had, I further isolated myself from my friends and family, and I struggled to keep up with the physical demands of my classes. I study Musical Theatre. I'm in my senior year and I couldn't be happier with my decision. After graduation, I plan to pursue performing professionally and go back to school to get my master's. Eventually, I want to be able to teach kids, young adults, and potentially college students. In the past two years, my interest in teaching has grown exponentially. I know that I want to pursue theater education in the future, but I want to be able to have a performance career before I start that journey. I believe that the best method of learning is through doing. I feel that having the professional experience will give me the additional knowledge needed to aid my teaching credentials, and the quality of education I will be able to provide. As of now, I am taking my college classes, in addition to a few extra classes in dance and acting on the side. I also participate in various acting workshops/master classes. As an actor, my education will never end. I will be learning from my peers and colleagues, from classes, and from the experiences I have. After graduation, I plan to take acting and dance classes when I can. I believe that this will help me to continue to refine my talents and support me in the jobs I get. My education has given me valuable life experience, practical performance experience, and professional training. This will all benefit me in my future career, as it is setting me up for success. Performing is the area I am most passionate about. I am grateful I found this field when I did, and even more grateful that I decided to stick with it even when it became near impossible due to my condition. I had often thought about changing majors to study psychology, I knew it would be less hands-on and lead me to a career I would still enjoy. But, I knew that searching for ease in the moment would not leave me completely satisfied in my future. By pursuing higher education, I have opened my world wider than it would have been otherwise.

My first experience with theater took place during my freshman year of high school. On a whim, I decided to join the drama club at my school and subsequently performed in the musical that winter. Immediately I felt something spark in me. I had never felt so enthralled by an activity before, I knew it was something I needed to explore further. So, I auditioned for theaters in the local area as well as student films and short films. Initially, I had intended on pursuing psychology to become a clinical psychologist or social worker, but after about a year and a half of performing, I knew I needed to pursue performing instead. It was finally something that I was completely content with when imagining my life. I've never wanted to be stuck at a desk working 9-5 every day, I wanted something more that would allow me to truly live and enjoy life. When it came time to apply and audition for college programs I spread myself incredibly thin. I auditioned for over 40 schools, seeing good results in the end, but the entirety of my senior year was packed with auditions and prep. It was exhausting. I chose to attend a BA Theater course, but I found that it was not really what I was looking for. During the late fall/early winter of my first year of college, I began applying and auditioning for transfer programs. This time I was smarter about my choices and was accepted into nearly every program I applied to, even as a transfer student! Now, I am a senior at University Centre Colchester at The Colchester Institue in England in their BA Musical Theater degree. I can confidently say that this was the best decision I could've made for my future. I feel secure in this choice. My parents have always said that I am as stubborn as they come. Growing up, they joked that if I set my mind on something I was going to do it no matter what. This was more and more evident the older I got. I decided I would pursue a career as a professional performer, and there will be no stopping me. Over the past four years, I have gone through quite a bit in my personal life, however, I have not let that impact my schooling or my future career. My motivation is myself. When I imagine my life 10 years from now, I imagine myself performing wonderful plays and shows; having the freedom to explore the world around me and create pure connections with the people I meet. Seeing that future for myself makes me ecstatic. I am beyond excited to see what the future holds for me!

As a 21-year-old, I have seen our beautiful planet starting to deteriorate in the few decades I've been alive. It's heartbreaking to see the global governments not take the climate crisis seriously, and disappointing to see companies take prescient over the creatures of the planet, including us humans. My first venture into climate activism started with vegetarianism. I was a vegetarian for years until my chronic illness began to dictate the needs of my diet. During that time, I began researching the impacts of meat and dairy farming as well as commercial fishing on the planet as a whole. The numbers I saw were shocking, enough to turn a sane person away from their old habits for the sake of the Earth. That is when I started taking every step possible to reduce my individual impact on the environment. I looked into eco-friendly, sustainable, and plastic-free products, switching out many of the everyday products I used. I became more conscious of what I was eating, being sure to purchase from sustainable brands that catered to my dietary needs. I found these switches made me feel better about my own impact, however, I knew large sums of people making the switch wasn't possible due to the often high prices of these items. Items that are designed to last longer, whether it is an appliance, bottle, or an article of clothing, they can all be made cheaper by using plastic and other non-bio materials. This makes it widely inaccessible for the majority of people, even myself as I have moved out to be on my own. I find myself having to make difficult decisions and compromise on my ideals because I simply cannot afford to purchase the products that I feel are necessary. Social media is important in my generation. The use of it has been vital in encouraging change, starting movements, amplifying voices, etc. We can communicate with others around the world at the click of a button. Social media is not without its faults, including many climate-based issues that need to be addressed, but for the time being it has been an excellent tool for spreading the word. I use social media to help build audiences for brands and creators that exist sustainably in the online and/or brick-and-mortar workspace. I use the internet to search for petitions to sign, as well as to research politicians to better inform my vote. When I reach the top of the mountain, my message will be simple. "Stop and take in the world around you." It's not often that we allow ourselves to truly take in and experience the world around us. In the crazy, fast-paced, tech-heavy society that we live in, it can be difficult the appreciate the Earth for all that she gives us. Even while taking beautiful hikes in the mountains, spending time on the shores, or staring up at the night sky we tend to forget to take in the beauty around us and to truly appreciate how amazing nature is. I believe that the main factor in creating change regarding the deteriorating climate is to ensure that everyone learns to appreciate and love the Earth. We only have one home, we need to make sure she doesn't just survive, she thrives.

I would pick The Martian by Andy Weir. As an avid reader, this has been one of my favorite books since I was in high school. I honestly wish I had a more scholarly and sophisticated answer for you, as novels in those categories tend to have important values, lessons, and hidden meanings in them. The Martian, in my opinion, appeals to the masses. Despite being a book about a NASA astronaut trapped on Mars, the scientific jargon in it is not hard to understand. The main character is funny and charismatic, you get to read the story through his eyes. He records his days in the log on the ship in addition to taking the audience through his thoughts. You live through everything the way he does. We rarely get to see a view from the outside, and when we do we're made to feel slightly alienated. I believe that this novel would be readable by the majority of people on Earth. It's been translated into a variety of languages, but even if the technicality of language was not a barrier and everyone could read it despite their language differences, it would still be easy to understand for most. The Martian is a novel that has the ability to become a classic within my lifetime. To me, it has every necessary quality needed to fall within the "classics" category. It's an easy, enjoyable, funny, entertaining book that keeps the reader engaged in the story the whole time. For those reasons, I would choose The Martain. I believe it's a novel that was made for a wide audience, what's a wider audience than everyone in the world?

I am a senior in a BA Musical Theatre program. After graduating from this program, I am going to go back to school to get teaching credentials. I am undecided whether this will be a MA or MFA, as I want to teach theatre and creative arts classes. I hope to teach teens and young adults, as that is when I first found theatre. I was majorly impacted by my teachers in school to explore performing and encouraged by them to study theatre in college. I feel that outside of our early years, our true development happens in our teenage and young adult years. The experiences we have in that time go on to impact the rest of our lives and shape who we are as adults. That is why I feel so strongly about teaching theatre and creative arts to that age group. Originally, I intended to study psychology to become a clinical psychologist or social worker. I had planned on following that path up until my junior year of high school. That is when my teachers started encouraging my growth as a performer, and ultimately what made me decide to switch gears. I saw the impact that was being made on me, (confidence in my abilities, the determination that accompanied that, the satisfaction that I saw my teachers have when their students accomplished something, etc). I knew that in either career path, I would be able to positively impact the lives of others, it was just a matter of how. This made me feel secure in my decision, as I know I have not chosen a conventional path in life. Overall, my psychology and arts teachers were the ones that we the most passionate about their jobs. From my perspective, they were some of the only teachers in my school that could help ignite true and pure ways of thinking, spark ideas, inspire creativity, and so much more. Psychology and art are the only teachers that I have encountered in my entire educational life, including college, that have shown true passion, excitement, and joy in teaching their subject. On the arts side, I have felt that firsthand. I have helped out many of my classmates with monologue, dialect, and scene coaching. The moment when you are able to help guide them to a new idea or new way of doing things that lead to a breakthrough for them is one of the best feelings I've felt. I am inspired to become an educator because of my experiences with past teachers. I have always wanted to do something in life that positively impacts others, and I believe I have found the perfect way to do that whilst still pursuing my passion. My education is a part of who I am, it has impacted me in ways I will never fully understand. I think it is beautiful to be part of someone's life like that.

I am a senior in a BA Musical Theatre program. After graduating from this program, I am going to go back to school to get teaching credentials. I am undecided whether this will be a MA or MFA, as I want to teach theatre and creative arts classes. I hope to teach teens and young adults, as that is when I first found theatre. I was majorly impacted by my teachers in school to explore performing and encouraged by them to study theatre in college. I feel that outside of our early years, our true development happens in our teenage and young adult years. The experiences we have in that time go on to impact the rest of our lives and shape who we are as adults. That is why I feel so strongly about teaching theatre and creative arts to that age group. Originally, I intended to study psychology to become a clinical psychologist or social worker. I had planned on following that path up until my junior year of high school. That is when my teachers started encouraging my growth as a performer, and ultimately what made me decide to switch gears. I saw the impact that was being made on me, (confidence in my abilities, the determination that accompanied that, the satisfaction that I saw my teachers have when their students accomplished something, etc). I knew that in either career path, I would be able to positively impact the lives of others, it was just a matter of how. This made me feel secure in my decision, as I know I have not chosen a conventional path in life. Overall, my psychology and arts teachers were the ones that we the most passionate about their jobs. From my perspective, they were some of the only teachers in my school that could help ignite true and pure ways of thinking, spark ideas, inspire creativity, and so much more. Psychology and art are the only teachers that I have encountered in my entire educational life, including college, that have shown true passion, excitement, and joy in teaching their subject. On the arts side, I have felt that firsthand. I have helped out many of my classmates with monologue, dialect, and scene coaching. The moment when you are able to help guide them to a new idea or new way of doing things that lead to a breakthrough for them is one of the best feelings I've felt. I am inspired to become an educator because of my experiences with past teachers. I have always wanted to do something in life that positively impacts others, and I believe I have found the perfect way to do that whilst still pursuing my passion. My education is a part of who I am, it has impacted me in ways I will never fully understand. I think it is beautiful to be part of someone's life like that.

I study musical theatre, something I was exposed to in high school through the drama club. On a whim, I decided to audition for the winter musical and join the drama club. I had no idea the passion it would set off in me. Almost immediatley I was hooked; I began to audition and perform in the community and later chose to go to college for musical theatre. After graduating, I hope to work professionally for a few years in plays, musicals, films, and new works. In a few years time, it is my hope to go back to school to get teaching qualifications. I love kids, and have found a true passion for teaching over the past few years. I have had opportunities to help my fellow classmates in monologue coaching and dialect work. In helping my classmates, I have gotten to see first-hand the moment when the ideas click for the actor, and felt the joy associated with that. Being able to facilitate those moments for artists over the course of a teaching career would be more than rewarding. Additionally, I wish to venture into directing and divising. I have worked on several devised productions, as well as a truly special production of Men on Boats with an all female and gender queer cast and creative team. The environment was nothing like I have ever been a part of before, and I strive to experience it again in my career. In a directorial position, and/or as part of a devising team, I will be able to find an environment like that once more. Creating safe, diverse spaces in the industry is vital. It is difficult to create in a space where you do not feel truly free to be yourself. Ensuring that all artists can find spaces to express their creative minds is vital. I hope to positively impact the artistsic community through my work. By working with as many other artists as possible, I will be able to communicate these ideas in a broader sense. By working with students and younger performers, I would have the opportunity to press the importance of a safe creating space from the start, rather than leaving them to discover that later in their careers. In directing and being part of new work, I can use my abilities to communicate these ideas effectvely in working artistic spaces.

I am heading into my final year of college. Over the past 2 years, the financial burden of paying my tuition and living expenses has fallen on me. I work part time during the school year, and full time on term breaks, holidays, and the summer break. Despite that, I have found myself in a position of need. I do not have the funds to complete my final year, and I am unable to defer. My degree is a specialized program, and the funding at my university has been cut; making my class the last class to graduate. I grew up in Virginia, where I haved lived for most of my life. In high school, I took classes through the community college to lessen my course load when I went to college. After graduating, I went to school in Ohio for a year, receiving scholarships from my university as well as local foundations and companies. I have since transferred to my current school, where scholarhsip funding is not available to me, nor are FAFSA or other government loans. I study musical theatre. I intended to study psychology to become a clinical psychologist or social worker, however, when I began performing in high school I had a gut feeling that I knew I needed to pursue a career in the feild. When the time came, my desicion for college was almost entirely based off of cost, especially when I transferred. I knew my first year at school would be handled with the scholarships and awards I won, but I knew the rest of my education would not be. I began working part time during my second semester and have been working part time during each semester since. Going into a feild where work is not guaranteed is a huge risk. I fully understand that I will not live in luxury. I will likely have to juggle multiple jobs to support myself, in addition to working within the feild of performing arts. On top of possible financial instability, it is likely that I will have to take out personal loans this year to pay for my education. Something that accrues interest quickly, leaving me with a lot of debt to begin paying off immediatley. That is something that I do not know how to handle, it's something that just will not be a possibility for me. Even living as frugly as possible, I fail to see how I will have the money to support myself and pay off those debts. I aspire to become a theatre teacher. I have found through helping my peers, that I love teaching. However, certifications and degree are incredibly expensive. As it stands now, I will not be able to afford those qualifications; meaning I will not be able to teach and pursue that area of my passion. In my position, any amount helps. I am hopeful. I am hopeful that I will be able to complete my degree and finally graduate this May. I am hopeful that I will one day be able to afford to get teaching certification. With an award like this, the trajectory of my life will be vastly different. I would be able to freely pursue my passion without the weight of financial burden, without having to pay off extravagant loans for the rest of my life, without having to set my passions aside to survive. I am grateful for the support that I may receive from your scholarship. It would be help more than I am able to express within the word count.

I believe that healthy is a subjective term. It has a different meaning for each and every person, resulting in different eating habits for everyone. All of our bodies and minds are different, so the things that make us each feel good are different. To me, being healthy and feeling good are synonymous. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness that effects the foods I can eat was one of the most difficult things to deal with in terms of my body. These foods that I had been eating because I thought they were healthy, were no longer accepted by my body. I've had to figure out what foods my body can tolerate through trial and error. I had been a vegetarian for two years, eating lots of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains. My diet was well-balanced. Having to change my entire diet came with many challenges, including being able to see how different the state of my body was. I was sluggish, had no energy, felt weak, my mood was poor, and I fell into a period of depression. For my individual body, eating healthy looks like a lot of lean protein, a small variety of fruits and vegetables, and simple carbohydrates. Anything more and my body rejects the foods and I am in immense pain on top of the other effects I listed above. When I eat foods that are healthy for my body, I feel good. I am able to eat fulfilling, tasty meals, have the energy to participate in the sports I like, spend time with friends and family, and take time to work on my mental well-being. When I eat foods that are not healthy for my body, I cannot do those things. Instead, I am in pain and cannot stomach even the most basic foods. Mentally, I become worn down, and it affects my relationships with my family, friends, and myself. Since being diagnosed, I have seen what a difference healthy eating can have on a person. You can tell when someone's diet suits their needs, and when it does not. It can manifest itself in poor mental health, bad sleep habits, sluggish behavior, antisocial behavior, and a lack of physical activity. It's incredibly easy to know when a person close to me is not fueling their body in the way it needs. It is vital that we all take the time and energy to figure out what works best for our bodies. We all function in different ways, so our bodies need to be fueled in different ways. Healthy eating habits are important to maintaining a healthy and happy life.

I grew up in rural Virginia. My access to the arts was limited, outside of a few classes in school, there wasn’t much around. My parents were always very dedicated to ensuring my sister and I saw the world through as broad a lens as possible; this included exposing us to art in all forms. We had your regular craft supplies at home that we colored and played with, always further encouraged by our parents. On family trips, even just day trips, my mom and dad would find art museums to take us to because they knew the impact it would have on our view of the world. Learning about and appreciating art in every form is something that I find incredibly valuable in life. The lack of formal arts education growing up delayed my decision for college. Up until my senior year of high school, I intended on getting a BS, MS, and potentially a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Social Work, as I had found an incredible interest in those fields through classes at school. It wasn’t until I heard friends talking about applying for degrees in the arts that I realized I wanted to pursue this as a career. From there, everything flipped. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, how to get to where I needed to go, and what kind of things I was looking for in a program. As I enter my final year of college, I am so grateful I have chosen this path. Every so often, I find myself wondering what could have happened had I chosen to study psychology or something else, but I know that I would not have been fulfilled creatively, or satisfied in my personal life in a field like that. As you may have guessed, my parents have been my biggest supporters. Alongside my sister, they are my support system, and I couldn’t be happier to have them. They encouraged me to take the “unconventional” path in life because they knew it would make me happy, they knew that this was the road I was meant to take. I am so appreciative that their love, support, and their appreciation for the arts have led me to where I am today. I am incredibly grateful that I can follow this path in life, as I know it is the one I am meant for. After receiving my BA, I hope to go back to school in a few years’ time to pursue an MFA so I can gain teaching credentials. I am hoping to become a teacher for teens and young adults to help inspire them to pursue the careers they know they are meant for.

Like many other applicants, gender is something I have struggled with for quite some time. Once I hit puberty, I haven’t felt at home in my own body. I don't like many of my feminine features, however, I do not feel particularly masculine. I don’t like what I see when I look in the mirror. I hate enhancing the features I have, I don’t like drawing attention to them when I feel so uncomfortable and out of place in my body. In all honestly, I have no clue what my gender is. I don’t identify with femininity or masculinity, but I also do not feel that I lie in the middle. I prefer to just be known as female, as that is all I have known and, frankly, it is easier to do even though it does not feel correct. I grew up in rural Virginia. My family was always very supportive of me in every aspect, but I did not have community resources available to me. In high school, there was an attempt to create a GSA, but it fell through and faced a lot of backlash and harsh words from other students while it was up and running. I am fortunate enough to be in a college program that is incredibly supportive of me, and to have friends that are equally as supportive of me. I am pursuing a degree in musical theatre. I’m entering the final year of my degree, and I couldn’t be more excited! I am planning on going out into the field of performing arts to try my hand at working professionally in the industry. My hope is that I will be able to make enough to live comfortably by being a working professional, however, I do have the desire to teach acting and theatre. I would like to eventually go back to school to get a master’s degree in acting as well as teaching credentials so I may teach at the high school and collegiate levels. It is my belief that the arts have a major impact on society and culture as a whole. Throughout the last few years, there has been a major push to accept artists of every background simply because they are the right person for the job; the people doing the hiring are no longer sticking to the strict, arbitrary rules of the past. As an aspiring actor and part of the LGBT+ community, I have found that it is important to me to see myself represented on stage and screen. To see that who I am is becoming more and more normalized within our current culture, and most importantly, that these traits are not always the main personality trait or focus of the character. I hope that in the future I can be the one up on stage representing others like me, I want to be someone that people can see and feel a connection with. I want to be a part of storytelling that will affect the audience, whether they are like me or not. I feel that affecting audiences is the way I can personally make an impact on my community.

I have ADHD and Autism. My brain works a little differently than most, plain and simple. I was undiagnosed until the summer after my first year of college. Growing up, I considered myself to be a pretty good student. I had As and Bs consistently until high school. In my sophomore and junior years, my brain just could not keep up anymore. I could not focus in my academic classes to save my life. I had horrible grades on my tests, could not take notes during lectures, and had trouble paying attention to anything my teachers were saying. I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I was becoming a "bad student" in my eyes. I was embarrassed about my grades and had no clue what was going on in my classes at any given point. I tried to figure out how to help myself. I tried fidget toys, drawing, doodling, coloring, and doing other mindless things to attempt to pay attention in class. I thought that maybe I just needed something on the side to get through, rather than just having to sit there listening and trying to take notes. It helped to a certain extent, but nothing lasted. I again had no idea what to do. I tried to apologize to my teachers and acknowledge that I was struggling but trying to fix it but was told I was doing so out of selfishness and out of a want to feel better or justify my habits. That felt horrible. Looking back, I realize that this was me asking for help. I was at my limit and could not fix this by myself. Only one teacher offered to help. He gave me stricter deadlines (which helped with my time blindness), allowed me to come up and ask questions as much as I needed over and over, did not make me respond to class discussions, etc. That was the only class I saw improvement in. In my senior year, I gave myself an easier course load. I continued in my art classes, but only took the academic classes that were required. It just so happens that Covid hit that spring and alleviated me of much of the troubles and stress I had whilst sitting in class. I knew I wanted to go to college. It just felt right. I study musical theatre in college and I am entering my final year. I love it! Most of my classes veer away from the academic environment I am used to. I take mainly practical classes, getting to dance, sing, and act while I learn, rather than be stuck at a desk taking notes. Sometimes I find I struggle with paying attention still, however, I am medicated for my ADHD, and learning how to navigate my autism in this new learning method. I acknowledge that I have privilege while still being at an academic disadvantage compared to my peers. I know that my learning disabilities have not inhibited me for much of my academic career and that I am fortunate in the way my course is structured. That being said, this is still something that I struggle with greatly and have continued to struggle with as my education goes on. I believe I am a good candidate for this scholarship because I am myself. It is not easy to write this, to think of what to say, or even to read it back. I think anyone that is brave enough to write about their disabilities and submit them to strangers is a good candidate.

I personally classify my wellness into two categories, as I am sure many others also do. I think of my wellness as mental and physical. When you look at me you may not have an opinion of my body, or think much of me at all. You would see a girl of average build, not leaning too much to either end of the spectrum. However, I suffer from a chronic illness, joint issues, and a slew of mental health problems. These are all things that you do not see as a passerby, but they are real things that I have had to learn to deal with. Physically, my body is aged. Despite being twenty-one, I constantly have aches and pains all throughout my body on top of my chronic illness, ulcerative colitis. While I have been able to manage the symptoms of ulcerative colitis with medication, the effects it has had on my body are still very evident. The ligaments and tendons in my knees and ankles are weak and do not function as they properly should, leaving me with extreme knee and ankle pain after physical activity. This has also led to a weakening in my ankles causing me to severely sprain both ankles over the past year. My degree is comprised almost entirely of practical courses, meaning I am in dance or movement classes the majority of the time each week. There are precautions I take when gearing up for those, such as ankle wraps, knee supports, and other joint supports. I ensure I warm up and cool down, as well as listen to my body and take breaks when necessary. I would say that my physical well-being is managed much better than my mental well-being despite the issues I may have. My mental health has been something I find myself struggling with in recent years. Over the past few months, I have developed many neurological symptoms that have only stood to worsen the effects of my anxiety and ADHD which were both once easily managed with medication. I opted to try the medicinal route before therapy, something that may not have been wise in the long run. However, I have acknowledged now that I do need counseling or therapy to better help myself. Prior to accepting this, I began having, for lack of better words, incredibly scary symptoms associated with my anxiety. I developed a stutter, had non-verbal episodes, bad panic attacks, and became overstimulated very easily. All of these let me know that something was wrong and that I needed to get help right away. I decided to take up counseling through my university. It was great to have someone to talk to without worry or fear that I would be looked at differently. My journey with my physical and mental well-being has not been smooth. It has been incredibly difficult for me to keep up with it at times, which has created problems in my personal and academic life. As I move into my final year of college I know what to look out for, and I know how and when to help myself. For me, managing my wellness has been about finding ways to get help, whether it is via counseling or physical aid.

I personally classify my health into two categories, as I am sure many others also do. Health to me is both physical and mental. When you look at me you may not have an opinion of my body, or think much of me at all. You would see a girl of average build, not leaning too much to either end of the spectrum. However, I suffer from a chronic illness, joint issues, and a slew of mental health problems. These are all things that you do not see as a passerby, but they are real things that I have had to learn to deal with. Physically, my body is aged. Despite being twenty-one, I constantly have aches and pains all throughout my body on top of my chronic illness, ulcerative colitis. While I have been able to manage the symptoms of ulcerative colitis with medication, the effects it has had on my body are still very evident. The ligaments and tendons in my knees and ankles are weak and do not function as they properly should, leaving me with extreme knee and ankle pain after physical activity. This has also led to a weakening in my ankles causing me to severely sprain both ankles over the past year. My degree is comprised almost entirely of practical courses, meaning I am in dance or movement classes the majority of the time each week. There are precautions I take when gearing up for those, such as ankle wraps, knee supports, and other joint supports. I ensure I warm up and cool down, as well as listen to my body and take breaks when necessary. I would say that my physical well-being is managed much better than my mental well-being despite the issues I may have. My mental health has been something I find myself struggling with in recent years. Over the past few months, I have developed many neurological symptoms that have only stood to worsen the effects of my anxiety and ADHD which were both once easily managed with medication. I opted to try the medicinal route before therapy, something that may not have been wise in the long run. However, I have acknowledged now that I do need counseling or therapy to better help myself. Prior to accepting this, I began having, for lack of better words, incredibly scary symptoms associated with my anxiety. I developed a stutter, had non-verbal episodes, bad panic attacks, and became overstimulated very easily. All of these let me know that something was wrong and that I needed to get help right away. I decided to take up counseling through my university. It was great to have someone to talk to without worry or fear that I would be looked at differently. My journey with my physical and mental health has been anything but smooth. It has been incredibly difficult for me to keep up with it at times, which has created problems in my personal and academic life. As I move into my final year of college I know what to look out for, and I know how and when to help myself. For me, ensuring that I stay physically and mentally healthy means that I know how to ask for help, whether it is via therapy or physical aid. Making sure my mind and body are there to support me throughout my journey in life is incredibly important.

I personally classify my wellness into two categories, as I am sure many others also do. I think of my wellness as mental and physical. When you look at me you may not have an opinion of my body, or think much of me at all. You would see a girl of average build, not leaning too much to either end of the spectrum. However, I suffer from a chronic illness, joint issues, and a slew of mental health problems. These are all things that you do not see as a passerby, but they are real things that I have had to learn to deal with. Physically, my body is aged. Despite being twenty-one, I constantly have aches and pains all throughout my body on top of my chronic illness, ulcerative colitis. While I have been able to manage the symptoms of ulcerative colitis with medication, the effects it has had on my body are still very evident. The ligaments and tendons in my knees and ankles are weak and do not function as they properly should, leaving me with extreme knee and ankle pain after physical activity. This has also led to a weakening in my ankles causing me to severely sprain both ankles over the past year. My degree is comprised almost entirely of practical courses, meaning I am in dance or movement classes the majority of the time each week. There are precautions I take when gearing up for those, such as ankle wraps, knee supports, and other joint supports. I ensure I warm up and cool down, as well as listen to my body and take breaks when necessary. I would say that my physical well-being is managed much better than my mental well-being despite the issues I may have. My mental health has been something I find myself struggling with in recent years. Over the past few months, I have developed many neurological symptoms that have only stood to worsen the effects of my anxiety and ADHD which were both once easily managed with medication. I opted to try the medicinal route before therapy, something that may not have been wise in the long run. However, I have acknowledged now that I do need counseling or therapy to better help myself. Prior to accepting this, I began having, for lack of better words, incredibly scary symptoms associated with my anxiety. I developed a stutter, had non-verbal episodes, bad panic attacks, and became overstimulated very easily. All of these let me know that something was wrong and that I needed to get help right away. I decided to take up counseling through my university. It was great to have someone to talk to without worry or fear that I would be looked at differently. My journey with my physical and mental well-being has not been smooth. It has been incredibly difficult for me to keep up with it at times, which has created problems in my personal and academic life. As I move into my final year of college I know what to look out for, and I know how and when to help myself. For me, managing my wellness has been about finding ways to get help, whether it is via counseling or physical aid.

I first found theatre at 14 years old during my freshman year of high school. I grew up in a fairly rural area and did not have much access to the arts within a decent radius. My middle school had choir and band, which I took part in, but no theatre program or anything similar. There were pay-to-play programs during the summer holidays at the community theatre in town, but it was not anything my family could really afford to put me through. My band director took over the theatre program (drama club after school and the annual musical), and he invited us to audition in hopes of filling out the cast. I tried my luck and was cast in the ensemble, after that I was hooked. From there on, I took up every opportunity I could to audition and perform. My high school did one musical a year, and I was able to audition for a few plays and staged readings at the community theatre. I certainly was not very good at first, but, as time went on my skills developed and I found more success in my auditions. When my senior year rolled around, I knew that I wanted to study theatre. I went through the whole BFA and BA audition process that fall and winter and did not end up with the results I really wanted. I was accepted into a BA theatre program at a school I loved, so I decided to attend. I transferred to my current school after that first year, as I found I wanted more specific training in musical theatre rather than the broader education I was receiving there. Now, I am entering the final year of my degree and I am so beyond happy with my decision to switch schools. My skills and abilities have improved and developed so much in the three years I have been at college. I can see what my future holds more clearly than I have before and it excites me so much. I have always had a passion for music and singing since I was a little kid, that passion has only grown as I have gotten older. I had originally intended to study psychology, but when I found theatre that changed. It was like a switch flipped in my brain and everything just made sense. I just had this feeling that I am supposed to After graduation, I want to act professionally. I love performing and it is what I am truly passionate about. I cannot see myself doing anything else, I believe I am meant to follow this path in life.

I first found theatre at 14 years old during my freshman year of high school. I grew up in a fairly rural area and did not have much access to the arts within a decent radius. My middle school had choir and band, which I took part in, but no theatre program or anything similar. There were pay-to-play programs during the summer holidays at the community theatre in town, but it was not anything my family could really afford to put me through. My band director took over the theatre program (drama club after school and the annual musical), and he invited us to audition in hopes of filling out the cast. I tried my luck and was cast in the ensemble, after that I was hooked. From there on, I took up every opportunity I could to audition and perform. My high school did one musical a year, and I was able to audition for a few plays and staged readings at the community theatre. I certainly was not very good at first, but, as time went on my skills developed and I found more success in my auditions. When my senior year rolled around, I knew that I wanted to study theatre. I went through the whole BFA and BA audition process that fall and winter and did not end up with the results I really wanted. I was accepted into a BA theatre program at a school I loved, so I decided to attend. I transferred to my current school after that first year, as I found I wanted more specific training in musical theatre rather than the broader education I was receiving there. Now, I am entering the final year of my degree and I am so beyond happy with my decision to switch schools. My skills and abilities have improved and developed so much in the three years I have been at college. I can see what my future holds more clearly than I have before and it excites me so much. I have always had a passion for music and singing since I was a little kid, that passion has only grown as I have gotten older. I had originally intended to study psychology, but when I found theatre that changed. It was like a switch flipped in my brain and everything just made sense. I just had this feeling that I am supposed to After graduation, I want to act professionally. I love performing and it is what I am truly passionate about. I cannot see myself doing anything else, I believe I am meant to follow this path in life.

I moved halfway across the world on my own after being diagnosed with a chronic disease to pursue the thing that I love. That is the basic gist of my story this past year. I will not lie and say it was easy, say I was not scared out of my mind, or say that it has been a good experience for me. In August 2021 I was diagnosed with a severe case of Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic gastrointestinal disease that has no cure. I was put on treatment that did not work, and was made to stay on it for 6 months despite expressing to my doctor that I did not want to be on it. It was an incredibly isolating experience to be so far from home and to be so sick. When I felt okay, I loved where I was. I loved that I got to go to school in a beautiful place and study what I love. I have been told by almost everyone around me that I am incredibly brave for doing what I am doing. During the year, I never really saw that. But, I certainly do now. I am doing something that so many people dream of, but are too scared to actually go and do. I am proud of myself that I get to exhibit bravery and show myself that I am capable to doing these "crazy" things in my life because I truly want to do them. This year has taught me to not be afraid of a big adventure, and now that I am on a treatment that works for me I am excited to go on this adventure again this year!

While I do not come from a particularly disadvantaged background, I have had many person struggles in the past few years that have impacted my education. From mental health, neurodivergence, to being diagnosed with a chronic disease, it has not been the easiest for me to excel in school like I am used to doing. I am currently entering my second year of school for Musical Theatre, something that I have so much love for. I have been "musically inclined" for many years now, and have enjoyed performing since I began in my freshman year of high school. Up until the middle of my junior year, I was setting myself on a tradition path for school by looking at anthropology and psychology programs. I knew they were areas that I was interested in, but I also knew I could not see myself actually working in those fields. When looking at the different university's websites I stumbled upon a theatre program on a degree list and something clicked in me. I knew that this was what I had to do. I spent hours and hours pouring over 100s of programs at 100s of schools to see what I wanted, where I wanted to be, and if it was even possible. After compiling my ridiculously long list of schools, I began working on my audition materials. When applying for theatre, musical theatre, or acting programs you have to audition in addition to applying to the schools. This was an added stress for me. I was fortunate to be accepted academically to most of the schools I applied to, but being accepted into their programs was a different story. Right before school started my senior year, when I would need to start applying and auditioning to universities, I became sick with mono and tonsillitis so bad that I had to go to the hospital. It wrecked my voice and make me so tired and weak. I still did my best to complete my auditions, but they were nowhere near the level that I knew I could perform at. Short story long, I was only accepted into a handful of universities and chose to attend a general theatre program. After being there for a year, I decided it was not what I wanted at all. I knew I wanted to be in a rigorous and intense musical theatre program, so I chose to go through the whole process again as a transfer student. I had much better luck this time, and ended up choosing the wonderful program I am in now. But, my body had other ideas. In August, right before starting at my new school, I was diagnosed with a severe case of Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic disease that affects your gastrointestinal system. I had been in a flare for months, but finally got a diagnosis. I started on medicine right away, but it didn't help. I was in and out of my flare-state for the better part of 6 months, hindering my ability to go to school. Most of my first semester was spent in my bed unable to move because of the pain I felt. I am very fortunate that my professors and my university has been incredibly accommodating and understanding in regard to my illness. In December I was put on a medication that made me start to feel better. Finally, now that my symptoms are mostly under control, I can turn my focus to my studies! As I mentioned, I study musical theatre. I am getting my BA and will be graduating in 2024. After graduation I want to work professionally as an actor in New York, Chicago, or London. While being on Broadway is the dream, it is not to goal. I am realistic with myself and I know that in my first few years it will be difficult. I will be looking for professional acting work in musicals, plays, tv, and film. Hopefully, I will be able to find some kind of steady work in my field. I know that I would like to get a MFA or MA in Acting, but I am not sure what age I will do that. I want to have a graduate degree to gain a true understanding of this artform, to boost my connections and experience within the professional world, and to be able to teach when I am older. I have always liked the idea of teaching, and why not do it in a subject that I adore! The professional theatre community has had its fair share of problems and troubles throughout the years. While it is seen as a safe-haven for people that do not fit in with the "norm" of society, it can be anything but. There is homophobia, transphobia, and racism all over the theatre community both professionally and locally. I am interested in doing forms of experimental theatre, new plays and workshops, and helping to tell the stories of those who have faced discrimination in our community and the world at large. I believe that if more and more people take on this mindset, then the theatre world will see true change. It will move from smaller productions in make-shift performance spaces to regional theatres to the big Broadway and West End stages. Another way for me to aid in boosting this mindset is by teaching the next generation of theatre artists. Whether they are young kids or students as old as I am now, I can help change the theatre community by teaching. By coming through my own struggles, I have gain a great deal of knowledge as to how to succeed in my field. I have learned what it is I truly want to do with my life, and I know how I am going to get there. I am not deterred by being one person among a sea of thousands, because I believe that every person has the ability to enact change in the world around them. I am excited to see what the world will hold for me, and elated to help change my industry into one of true acceptance and inclusion.

I know this sounds cliche because this is a scholarship application, but I would stick it right into my savings account. Yes, it's not the most exciting answer, but it's what I would do. If I had the money to pay for college and did not have to worry about finding the money, I would invest it towards my career. I want to be a professional performer and I'm currently in school for musical theatre. I would buy a nice camera/light set up, durable dance shoes, and pay for new headshots. Again, not the most inventive thing ever, but it's what I am saving up for at the moment. The truth is, I wasn't the best with money when I got my first job. I got trigger-happy and bought so many things in those first few months because I was excited to have my own money. I blew through everything I made except for $30. I've been kicking myself about it since then, but I know I can't change the past. But, I've been smart with my money and have been able to save up enough to help with my tuition. Despite that, I've run out of money. As it stands now I don't have enough to make it through my last year of school even though I work full-time during breaks, part-time during school, and only buy what I actually need. If I had $1,000 I would put it towards college, so I can actually finish school.

Splitting your paycheck has been the most important and helpful financial advice I've been given. When I was growing up, my sister and I would be paid a weekly allowance that varied throughout the years. We had to split the money each week between three piggy banks, savings, charity, and spending. I took this way of thinking into my jobs during high school (and after, of course!). Admittedly, when I got my first job I didn't do this right away. I spent nearly every dollar I earned because I was so excited to finally have my own money to spend however I wanted. In those first six months, I knew I was spending a lot, but I really didn't think it was that much. I always looked for discounts, clearance items, and coupons, and hardly ever bought anything full-price. It did not seem like that much at the moment. Turns out it was, I had spent $1,500 in six months. I couldn't believe it. After that, I split my paychecks at least 50/50 between my savings and checking accounts and have been much more aware of my spending. That happened when I was 16/17, by the time I was 19 I had saved $8,000 by splitting my checks. I transferred to a college in the UK and had to pay a lot of money for my student visa, tuition, and housing months before the school year even started. I was proud that I was able to use the money that I had saved to pay these big amounts. I am incredibly grateful that I was taught to do this at such a young age. I know that without that advice, I would not have been able to afford to make such big and important purchases on my own.

I believe that a lack of empathy is the biggest problem we have as a global society. Yes, there are millions of caring and empathetic people all over the world but as a whole society, we lack those qualities. Over the past 3 years, I have lived in a rural area, a semi-city area, a college campus, and another country. Everywhere I have lived and traveled I see that people ignore those who need help, we do not show compassion for our fellow man anymore. While I have also seen people help others and have experienced it myself, it is easy to see that on a larger scale we lack empathy within our society. To me, this has been evident in the last few years of the pandemic, the wars happening, and even just the areas I live in. People do not go out of their way to help a stranger in need. When walking home one day I saw a man and a woman on the street and the woman was obviously physically uncomfortable, so I went into the closest business and informed the workers. They came to help, but while we were waiting outside (at least 30 minutes) dozens of people walked right by. Only one person stopped. This is an issue without a clear solution. It requires everyone to take a step back and assess their actions to see if they are knowingly or unknowingly acting without empathy. I think that the media is an essential tool to help with this issue. We are constantly surrounded by the media and it is impossible to escape, so we should use it to our benefit. We can share stories online about people helping others and tell those stories on news outlets.

I feel incredibly fortunate that I am able to pursue a degree and career in an artistic field, I have many friends that would have loved to do something within the creative sector in college and for their careers, but they decided to do the "practical" thing instead. It makes me cherish and value my experience at school so much more because I know that there are so many others out there that would have loved to do what I am doing but could not. Before transferring to my current university, I went to a different school for a year. There, I was a general theatre major and felt unsatisfied. I knew that I wanted a truly performance-based education, so I made the difficult decision to transfer. My days at school are now packed with acting, dance, and music classes, and I couldn't be happier. I get to spend all day every day doing what I love in preparation for a professional career. For as long as I can remember, the arts have been part of my life. I've been singing for ages, playing instruments, doing plays, and taking dance classes. As cliche as it sounds, I feel like there is creativity running rampant through my body. I am lucky enough to be able to pull on the reins of my creativity and channel it into every aspect of my life.

Throughout school, we are consistently taught that we should always be ourselves. But, as we grow older our individuality is damped and not valued nearly as much, if at all. We are thrown into the college system and looked at by test scores, grades, and maybe an essay if we're lucky (but colleges tend to follow the same prompt to elicit the same responses). In college, we're further reduced to a number in a lecture hall, a name on a list, and a GPA. After graduation, we are simply a name on a piece of paper. Our uniqueness is pushed further and further down until it eventually disappears. I am determined to not let that happen. I attended a university in the US as a theatre major, something I love with my whole heart, but felt that I could get more out of my education because I had started to feel like just a number. I knew my friends and teachers valued me, but I couldn't shake that feeling. After my first year, I decided to transfer to a university in the United Kingdom. Here, I am part of a much smaller and unique program, and being an international student I see my individuality come through much more than I did before. As a performer, my individuality is one of the most important things about me. I need to quite literally stand out in a crowd. I feel that I took the idea of being my own, unique person and ran with it. I am unapologetically myself, pursuing a career that not many choose, studying in a different country to enrich myself, and experiencing the world as an individual. I think that this is probably one of the best lessons, if not the best lesson, that I could have learned and clung to. It has pushed me to tackle life head first and not be afraid to express myself and do what I truly want. I feel it has allowed me to pursue the life that I want to lead, and that makes me happier than I can possibly say! By being my true, authentic self I find that I value myself and my abilities. While I may not think the best of my self some days, there are others where I am proud of my talents. Had I not held onto the idea of being my own unique person, I do not think I would be where I am today. I would have followed a "traditional" college path, gone to an in-state school, and lived a much more dull life. Instead, I get to study and live in another country, I have a huge choice in what I want to do for work, and I get to do something that I love with every fiber of my being.

Being a performer means the world to me. In fact, it is the world to me. I am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre with the hopes of becoming a professional performer after I graduate. I found performance during my freshman year of high school, arguably much later than most of my peers in similar degrees. Nonetheless, I did everything I possibly could to get to where I am today. I went out to every community theatre audition, sent in countless self-tapes, attended callbacks, worked on short films, took part in productions, etc. When my senior year of high school rolled around I had one thing on my mind, getting into a Musical Theatre program. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans for me. In August of that year, I fell ill with Mono and Tonsilitius so bad I had to go to the ER and stay overnight in the hospital. It took me forever to recover due to my already suppressed immune system. My illness and subsequent recovery coincided with the few months I had to prepare, record, and send in all of my prescreens (essentially a precursor to a live audition), as well as fill out all my applications and write an endless amount of admissions essays. While I ended up being accepted into a handful of wonderful programs, they were mostly Acting programs, not Musical Theatre. I settled on an Acting program to attend the coming fall. I loved the school I chose, loved my professors, my friends, my campus, and the opportunities I had. But, no matter how hard I tried, I could not see myself there past that first year. Despite all of the love I felt for that school, I knew it just wasn't for me in the long run. So, that winter I made the decision to audition for programs again, this time as a transfer student. During my time at this school, I grew a lot as a performer. I was worlds better and had so much more confidence in my abilities than I had the year before. I was accepted into 8 or 9 Musical Theater programs this time! I could not put into words how absolutely elated I was. I took my time to make my decision of where to go, I weighed all of my options very carefully, and here I am today. I am in my first of three years at my current school. It has only been a semester, and I can see that I will improve so much during my time here. Eventually, my goal is to obtain a Master's degree. Right now, I think I would want either an Acting degree or a Performing Arts degree that allows me to study multiple areas. In addition to the benefits of receiving graduate education, I would like to become a teacher one day. I think I would want to teach at the university level, and I could potentially get a job with just a BA, but I would want an MA or MFA to solidify my own education before teaching others. Directly after graduating, I hope to move to either London, Chicago, or New York to begin auditioning. I want to be able to work on productions that have an impact and meaning to me personally. I feel that theatre creates this beautiful space for both the performers and audience to openly explore. I want the audience to walk away with something to talk about, a new idea sparked in their minds, a new outlook on life. I hope to impact people through my work.

My name is Erica. I just turned twenty years old, and I study musical theatre. I've always been a lover of music and started playing instruments when I was in the 4th grade. Throughout school, I had the opportunity to be in various ensembles including orchestras, woodwind ensembles, jazz ensembles, and even choir. Needless to say, music is a big part of my life. Growing up, my parents made sure to surround my older sister and me with music. They exposed us to as much music as they could, so we would never get pigeon-holed into liking one genre of music. They felt it is best to expose yourself to as many types/styles of music as possible because it helps you learn to appreciate a variety of things in life. Along these same lines, they made sure to take up to art and history museums wherever we visited, took us to concerts for their favorite bands, watched movie musicals, movies and shoes revolving around musicians, and all kinds of other artistic things. This has created an appreciation for art that I do not think I would've had otherwise. Now to the bulk of it, art is important to society because it documents what society was like at the point in time it was created. This is the same for all forms of art, even if it's something set in the future, another world, etc. Art reflects the world. In the Renaissance, paintings reflected changes being made throughout Europe within art itself. Ancient tribes all throughout the world created statues, pottery, cave paintings that reflected their views on the world at the time. Shakespeare's plays often reflected on his society. Contemporary plays, musicals, films, short films, orchestral works, and music of all kinds reflect the changing society. Music, in particular, has progressed and grown right alongside technology and societal norms. In the 1900s this is incredibly evident. Music became freer in the 1920s and 1930s, reflecting the freeing of society. When you look back through history, it is very clear to see that major historical changes in society are represented throughout the art of the time. This is why art and music are so important to society. Simply because they create a mirror, a reflection of society at its point of creation.

I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, (Severe Ulcerative Colitis), at the end of August 2021. After months of being in what I believe to be my first flare, I had a colonoscopy done and finally received a diagnosis. In August 2020 I went off to college. I was eating a vegetarian diet, which presented itself to be quite difficult at a small school. My options were limited, to say the least. Eventually, I resorted to taking Lactaid pills and Pepto Bismol before and after eating most meals. Again, it only got worse and worse. By the end of May 2021, I was taking Pepto to eat anything, and experiencing abdominal pain and urgent/frequent bowel movements. I couldn’t keep anything down, no matter what I tried. It took two months to see a Gastroenterologist, another week to get all the tests done, and another two weeks after that to have my colonoscopy. All the while I was having diarrhea every day, losing my appetite, and I lost about 15 pounds in the span of two months. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I had breakdowns and would cry because I couldn’t eat anything, or I’d be in so much pain. I was working two jobs, six days a week, applying for my student visa, looking for scholarships, my family was moving out of my childhood home, and the clock was ticking to me leaving for school again. I was diagnosed right after my colonoscopy. The doctor came out to speak with me. I was terrified. It was relieving to know that they finally knew what was wrong with me, but absolutely terrifying to know. IBD isn’t exactly the most pleasant thing to Google. I missed a lot of school this past term. There were days when I couldn’t be more than a few feet from my toilet or couldn’t get out of bed because of the pain. I experienced terrible headaches that would last for 24+ hours at a time as I weaned off of the prednisone. Two weeks after I finished prednisone the first time, I was put back on it because my symptoms were coming back badly. I had another colonoscopy done this past December and began a biologic injection treatment because the other medications were not working. This whole fiasco has been incredibly difficult to manage. Especially having to deal with it while away at school, so far from my family. I've always had this fighting urge inside of me. I was born 14 weeks premature and had to fight to stay alive for months on end. I think I've brought that back with me now. I think being this sick has made me even more determined to succeed and make the most of my life. I have all of this passion inside me, and I've got to get it out somehow. One way I've been able to take back some control is by sharing my story and talking to others who are sick as well. I recently started my own blog page to talk about my experiences and offer insight to those going through the same things as me. I know how hard it is to be sick and trying to navigate going to school, having a job, and just trying to live a normal life on top of it all. I plan to continue sharing my story, and continue fighting and searching for the right things to make me feel better.

Like many other actors, my goal is to work professionally. Ideally, that would be on either the West End or Broadway (or both)! I am currently studying musical theatre at university, and hope to become a fully well-rounded performer by the end of my course. I consider myself to be an actor first and foremost, meaning that I will have the ability to perform in plays, films, TV, short films, and the like. At my university, I study a mix of acting, singing, and dancing. I feel myself improving in each discipline as the weeks go on, I'm only in my second semester now. I am incredibly excited to see where I am in my abilities in three years when I graduate! After graduation, I plan to move to a big city. Either London, New York, or Chicago, whichever I feel is best in the time leading up to that. Once there I plan to audition like a madwoman! The more I audition, the better my chance is at finding work (and finding work that I love). I will also continue to train in dance, singing, and acting. A performer never stops learning. I am working hard now and will continue to work hard as I get older. I am already seeing the benefits of the effort I am putting into my skills! I am excited to see what the future holds for me.

In my senior year of high school, I auditioned for a few dozen different college musical theatre and acting programs. While I was accepted into a few of them, I did not feel particularly connected to any of them. I decided that I would go into a general theatre degree and keep my options open. In December of my freshman year in college, I knew that I needed something different. I chose to audition for several programs as a transfer student while still in school. This was particularly difficult as I was involved in a production, a weekend class (on top of weekday classes), and a part-time job. I filmed different dance calls, working my butt off to learn them and do my best as dance is not my strong suit. I learned different songs and monologues to fit the requirements for each school individually, and I scheduled and attended all of my auditions virtually (a perk of having to audition during a pandemic). I was fortunate enough to be accepted into about half of the programs I applied for, and I had a tough decision to make. I chose my current school for a musical theatre degree. I know that this only happened because of my persistence. I was determined to find the right path for me, and I did just that. Persistence and determination are one in the same to me in this regard. Being a performer these traits are incredibly important to have. I have worked hard to get to where I am today, and I know that I will work even harder to succeed in my future endeavors.

From an outside perspective, you can look at my life and say it's been relatively easy. I won't disagree with that, I know others my age have gone through much more than I have, but I also won't deny that I have gone through my own hardships. I was born fourteen weeks premature and spent months in the NICU. My parents say I was determined to live, so I did. I feel that I have brought that with me throughout my entire life. If there was something I wanted I did everything I could to get it. When I was ten I raised chickens and had my first experiences with death as they each passed. Then learning how special a connection with an animal can be, something I thought was confined to the relationship you have with a house pet. When I was 15 I started performing at my high school theatre as well as others in the area, I worked hard to send in auditions for several small film productions and managed to get a few. When I was a senior in high school I decided I wanted to study musical theatre. I worked incredibly hard to audition for college programs after being hospitalized with Mono and Tonsilitis. I didn't get the results I wanted, so I trained in a general theatre degree for a year and decided to transfer. Here I am today, sitting in my room in England of all places. I'm studying at a university in the UK, getting my Bachelor's degree. Looking back at the past few years I know that everything happened for a reason. I hope to become a professional actress when I graduate. I know that I will have to work harder than I ever have before and that I will succeed.

My journey, like all others, started when I was a baby. I was born fourteen weeks premature, yes fourteen, and spent months in the NICU. I was 2 pounds 7 ounces when I was born, and dropped down to two pounds after the first night. There were many times when I was in the NICU that my parents didn't know if I'd make it. When I came home I was on a heart monitor for quite some time, and still had all sorts of medical issues. Growing up, until I was in mid-elementary school, my doctors thought I would be more susceptible to not meeting growth marks and had the potential for developmental delays. Fortunately, I did not experience that and live a fairly "normal" life. My parents have always told me that I have a special determination and I am about as stubborn as they come. They said I was this way even as a baby, they know that I was determined to survive, so I did. Lucky for me, this has stuck with me. I am pursuing a career as an actor, or rather, I will be pursuing a career as an actor after graduation. This is something that determination and stubbornness with come in handy for. I am incredibly passionate about this and incredibly determined to see success in this field, so I know I will succeed. This past August I was diagnosed with mild/severe ulcerative colitis after being in a near debilitating flare for three months. It wasn't until this past December that I was able to find a medication that seems to be working. This meant I suffered from horrific pain, amongst other unsavory symptoms that I won't get into, for months. It impacted my studies. I was terrified I'd not be able to catch back up, that I'd fall behind, that I'm not progressing as I should be. However, despite all of that, I still managed to see progression within myself. This is not a disease that I can overcome. It has no cure. It is something I will live with for the rest of my life, and will be on medication for for the rest of my life. Grappling with that as I start to feel better has been quite a lot to process. While I am so happy that I am starting to see an improvement in my condition, and I know this means I will be able to get back to my studies as a pretty normal student, it is very daunting to have in the back of your mind. I'm constantly worried I'll eat something or do something that will send me back into a flare, I'm scared of the side effects my medicine can give me, I'm scared of the possibility of my medications not working like they didn't for the first 4 months. Needless to say, being chronically ill at such a young age is scary. It's scary at any age, but having your whole life ahead and trying to imagine it can be difficult. There are so many things I know I want to do after I graduate, but I don't know what I'll be like then, and that scares me. Despite all of that, I am proud of how far I've come. From being a sick baby to being a sick adult. I know that I'm capable of doing so much and I've already shown that to myself. I think that my determination, passion, and stubbornness will get me far in life. I can't wait to see what my future holds, and where life takes me.

I am studying musical theatre in hopes of becoming a professional actress. I started performing when I was 15 at my high school, and I was hooked. I was so enamored by this art form that I knew it was what I was meant to do with life, what I needed to do with my life. I chose musical theatre as I believe it will make me the most versatile performer possible, thus giving me more chances to be cast and start/continue my career upon graduation. I consider myself to be an actor first a foremost, which I have learned is not the norm in the field - most people tend to be singers or dancers first. That being said, I love singing and dancing and am incredibly grateful to be receiving additional training in them. I know I will be well-rounded by the time I graduate. Having a mostly acting background will come in handy. This will allow me to rather easily and confidently audition for plays, and hopefully, be cast in them. Working on my singing and dancing will allow me to audition for musicals, cabarets, concerts, dance performances, and all sorts of things. Additionally, as an actor, I will have the world of film, TV, and commercials opened up to me as well. All of this will hopefully lead to booking many jobs and finding work that I love. Working on productions that I am passionate about is the most important part of this to me. I want to impact the people that see my performances. My dream, like many others, would be to work on a West End or Broadway show. I also would love to work on independent films with stories that I connect to, as well as plays and musicals that resonate with me.

Over the past six months, I have had many people in my life tell me how brave I am for being on this journey. About a year ago I decided to transfer universities and degrees. I eventually landed on a university in the United Kingdom, where I now study. I am studying musical theatre in hopes of becoming a professional actor. I know it may not be the most "practical" degree path. Getting a degree in the arts is something that a lot of people would consider to be brave, but getting a degree in the performing arts in a whole other country is really something else. I've had a lot of firsts while being here. This isn't the first time I've lived far from home, my previous university was five hours away, but that doesn't match a whole ocean away. This is the first time I've lived on my own, been responsible for every aspect of myself (paying rent, groceries, cooking, self-care. etc), flown by myself, lived in a city. I've done all of these things by myself, or mostly by myself, and I'm starting to see why people call me brave for doing so. It doesn't seem like these things will be a big deal when talking about them, but going from having everything provided by either school or your home, to something like this is absolutely bananas. I think I have made a brave decision and a bold one at that. I'm doing something that many would never dream of doing. I am proud of myself for tackling this and continuing to do so. These have been a difficult past few months, but I know it'll all pay off in the end. I will continue to be brave in life and make the most of every moment.

There are two main things that fuel me in my life. I want to be a performer, specifically an actor, and I'm currently in school studying Musical Theatre. My word, it has been a difficult process to get to where I am, and I know that the next few years will be difficult until I can really get up on my feet in the professional world. Throughout this time, my family and my passion for performance have been the things to get me through. My mom has always said I'm about as stubborn as they come. As a baby, I was in the NICU for months fighting to stay alive. My parents said I only won that fight because I was stubborn and determined to do so. That stubbornness has found a way to reflect itself in my life even now. Being a performer, if you don't have the drive and willingness to pull yourself back up after rejections you won't get very far. Luckily, I'll be able to use my stubbornness to do just that. I know it'll come to help me in the future. One of the biggest reasons my parents are so supportive of me is because of this. They know that I am determined to succeed, so they very happily support me in everything that I do. The passion I have for performance is like nothing I've felt before. There were other things that mildly caught my interest for potential careers, but once I discovered this burning flame inside of me I knew this was what I was meant to do. These two things help to fuel me in life. If I did not have my family I would be lost, If I did not have my passion for performance I would be lost.

Being empathetic is not always the easiest thing to do. You tend to soak up the emotions that others around you are feeling, much like a sponge. Because of this, it can be very emotionally or even physically demanding to show empathy to others, but that does not mean you should shy away from it. To me, empathy can manifest itself in many different ways. The most common in my life is that of conversation. Merely sitting down with someone and listening to their qualms, their stories, their emotions, and looking inside yourself to better understand them is the epitome of empathy. And, it's the simplest and most consistent way to show it. I have Attention Deficit Disorder, and one thing that is common amongst people with ADD or ADHD is that we will share similar stories or experiences when someone else is sharing theirs to show that we understand and relate to what they are telling us. This trait has certainly benefitted me when it comes to ensuring I treat others with empathy, however, it is something that I have had to learn to "turn off" so to speak. I will admit that sometimes I do still struggle to do so, but for the most part, I am able to. My (almost) foolproof way of doing this is to ask whomever I am speaking to if they want me to just listen, or if they would like my advice or opinion on whatever they are telling me. I have found that this still allows me to be empathetic without the chance of overtaking the conversation or the chance of not showing them the empathy I feel at that moment. Empathy is tricky, It's a slippery slope to navigate, and a delicate one at that.

I feel that I have always been an honest, open, and vocal person. I am not afraid to speak my mind, my truth, or to use my voice to try and right wrongs I may see. One way that I have done this in the past is via peaceful protest and subsequent conversations. I attended both the Women's March on Washington and the March for Our Lives a few years ago. I made signs and peacefully protested alongside thousands of others for causes we each care about. Unfortunately, due to Covid, it has not been safe for me to join in on protests and marches that are happening. So, my solution to this has been to keep conversations alive with my peers, and to encourage voter registration and thus voting amongst them as well. I have always enjoyed having these "tough" or "taboo" conversations with friends. Most of us tend to be on the same page about different sociopolitical issues, so we are able to have very meaningful conversations about what they mean to us, which I truly appreciate. In instances when our opinions are not the same, there is great benefit in speaking my mind and allowing them to as well. Bringing forth my opinions may not change theirs, but I feel it necessary to ensure I can get mine out there in case it might. I believe that conversation is the root of all change. Conversations nowadays can be verbal, through texts, in person, online, you name it. We have the ability to reach more people with our words now than ever before. That is why I believe in speaking my mind and staying true to the things I believe in. I have the ability to create change with my words and actions.

Music is a huge outlet that I use to decompress. My playlist is comprised of mostly soft/acoustic songs that let me feel calm. While I do enjoy rock and things with heavy beats at times, I mostly gravitate towards the softer side of music to relax. Typically, I'll put music on while showering, getting dressed, making dinner, doing schoolwork, or sitting down to write. It helps me not to stress and to take a moment to breathe. Taking care of my mental health is something I am still working on figuring out. I've fallen victim to poor hygiene, lack of motivation, and feelings of doubt a lot this past semester. I am studying in another country, and being so far from my family has not been easy. I got extremely depressed over my last term here, and it took everything I had not to just fall into a rut. One thing that really does always make me feel better, aside from calling my family, is to take a nice shower. I try to have products that smell good and I feel happy to use in the shower at all times. This makes it a little easier to find the motivation to shower when I don't feel like I'm capable of doing so. But, without fail, it always makes me feel better afterward. Taking a little extra time when I'm out of the shower to do my hair, put on moisturizer, or pick out my favorite pj's really helps. While music and showers aren't the most foolproof ways to take care of yourself, I know for me it's a step in the right direction. As I continue on this journey, I know I'll start finding different things that help me and incorporate them into my routines.

My bucket list has a lot to do with my own maturing and growing up. It consists of different things like places I want to visit and things I want to do, as any other bucket list would. Some of these I have been lucky enough to do in the past couple of months. I am studying in England to get my degree in musical theatre. Two things crossed off, living in another country and studying my dream major. I've wanted to visit Denmark for the longest time, and I managed to snag an 8 hour layover in Copenhagen on my way back to school. Bam, crossed off (of course I'd love to go back, but for the sake of a bucket list...). The last I've been able to do, rather recently I might add, is travel by myself. I took a train into London, bought myself a ticket to a West End Show, and stayed in a hotel on my own. These are all things that I associate with growing up. I would never have dared to do that on my own even just a year ago. Some things I want to do while I am over here is going to Ireland and Scotland, I want to visit the huge castles, cliffs, and see the "fluffy" cows! In life, I'd like to see the Northern Lights, be in a West End/Broadway show, have a family, and feel confident and comfortable walking and dancing in good-sized heels.

I am a big advocate for going out and doing what you want. I am studying musical theatre at a university in the United Kingdom, something I know many of my friends and those around me would never imagine for themselves. I started at a school in the US studying theatre, but I knew it was not exactly what I wanted. I worked hard to get to where I am, and I am the first to encourage others to follow their own journies to be true to themselves. I have friends that are in college to study things they love, and others that put their passions on the back burner to study what their parents want them to. I think that being someone who studies something that many would think as impractical, and someone who is getting their degree in another country, I have the ability to encourage others to really advocate for themselves and what they want. The way that I do this is simply by talking to people. I'm part of several groups with incoming college kids and like to share a bit about my story. I hope that this prompts someone out there to think about doing something similar and that they reach out. I've had so many conversations encouraging students to look at schools abroad, or conversations with friends to apply for the school or course that they actually want to study.

I am a musical theatre student with the goal of being a performer after graduation. Creativity is at the center of everything I am doing in my life and everything that I will do. In school, I take different performance-based classes, allowing me to creatively express myself in a multitude of ways. From exploring different ways to deliver a line, changing up the dynamics or breath in a song, to how I hold myself during a dance. I am so lucky that I get to do this. I get to explore different creative processes in a completely safe space whilst in school, and I know that this will allow me to explore freely without fear upon graduation. Being a performer is something I do not take for granted. I know that I am incredibly fortunate to get to do what I love and to get to express my creativity in this way. I could never imagine myself in a typical 9-5 desk job. I'm not sure what I would do with myself. I feel this innate need to produce art in any way I am capable. I love all aspects of performance, I like playing instruments, I love to write, I like painting. I feel that I have my "creative juices" flowing, if you will, constantly. And I absolutely love that.

Being a Musical Theatre major, it is pretty rare that I have to do a great deal of traditional academic work. However, I often have a lot of things to memorize. From songs, dialogue, and dances it can be a lot all at once. The greatest thing I have learned to do is just to repeat everything. Sitting on my bed and repeating the lines of a scene back to myself until I can do it without the script is the only way I've been able to memorize things. Going over and over a song until I can sing it without the sheet music in front of me. Along those same lines, physicalizing everything has been so helpful. Once you have something mostly memorizing, I've found it incredibly helpful to walk around my dorm doing a task and saying the monologue, scene, or singing the song. It can help to mindlessly do something physical while going over the text, it lets your brain relax and creates a more natural flow to the words. For scenes, monologues, or songs I find it beneficial to create a "write up" of my character. Writing down the basics of the character that is given within the play or musical itself, but then using your imagination to build out the bones of this person. I've found that doing this will help me latch onto little mannerisms or motivations behind words the character is saying, making it easier to memorize. It can be difficult to memorize so many different things at once. As a performing arts student, I have to make sure that by the end of my degree I've found ways that work for me. I wouldn't want to get into the professional world not knowing how to memorize things efficiently.

I grew up in northern Virginia, five miles off the highway. My house was sat on top of a big hill overlooking a small valley below, we could even see the mountains in West Virginia from my porch. I lived in that house on a dirt road for 16 years. It brought me an appreciation for nature that I would not have gotten if I lived closer to the city. I loved the silence the morning after a snowstorm, the world felt so calm and serene. I miss sitting on the porch and watching the sunsets and thunderstorms. I love that we had feral cats adopt us. But, most of all, I loved the stars. Stars are probably one of my favorite things to look at. I loved coming home from work or school late at night getting out of my car and just staring up at the sky. It was beautiful. Being so far out from town we did not get a lot of light pollution, so I could see so many stars and constellations. We moved out of that house this past August. We moved into a small town in rural Pennsylvania, to a house that doesn't have those things. You can't see many stars when you look up at the sky, we live right off the main road so I'll never have that serene silence again, thunderstorms and sunsets happen out of view. I've had to find new ways to enjoy nature now that I'm not surrounded by it constantly. I still stop and look at the sky in an attempt to see stars. I go hiking with my dad every so often. I take my shoes off and stand barefoot in the grass. I try to enjoy the little things when I can.

My favorite piece of art is a play called "Mouthpiece". While I have only ever had the pleasure of reading it, I know that seeing it live would only stand to increase the love I have for it. The play follows one woman played by two actresses. They're displayed as almost a good and bad side to the character, but that put's it too simply. It follows her as she is grieving the loss of her mother and attempting to write the eulogy for her funeral. The actresses work hand in hand to tell the story of this woman, blending seamlessly in with each other to create the world around them. From the text of the play you see the woman struggling with grief, and you see a character that does not know how to express her emotions in a healthy manner. She has explosions, anxiety attacks, fits of rage, fits of sadness, laughing spells, and parts that are almost hallucinogenic. As a reader, and audience member, it's absolutely fascinating to watch this woman's journey of grief unfold. The stage is described in minimal detail, and a few pictures of the production are included. This allows the reader to have an idea of what it would be like to see in person, and how to translate it to their mind while reading. From this, you can really see the beauty of the play form. By using the images included and the text of the play itself, the world is created. In your mind you can see the actresses weaving in and out of each other to create the pictures described in the play, you can see the pain and anger on their faces and hear it in their words. I love "Mouthpiece", and I can't wait to see it.

To put it in the simplest of terms, generosity is giving what you can to those in need. When you have extra or additional resources available, whether that is monetary or time-based, and you make the decision to give that to others, you are being the prime example of generosity. There are a lot of different ways for us to display generosity in our lives. When you pass an unhoused person on the street, if you've got the means, you can offer them a meal. If you see someone with mobility issues has dropped something, simply pick it up to help them. Volunteer at animal shelters, food pantries, charity shops. Try to donate items you no longer want or use to local donation points. Even something as simple as picking up a bit of trash on the sidewalk is generous. These deeds take fairly minimal effort on your part but can provide many with comfort, happiness, or even just a smile on their face. It can be difficult to do some of these generous deeds sometimes, or rather, difficult to remind yourself to. Many of us, unfortunately, fall under the bystander effect when we see something that can be done. Many of us will tell ourselves that someone else will help, or someone else is bound to come to get it. But that is not always the case. If we can get ourselves into the habit of ignoring that feeling, it'll soon go away. We can instead remind ourselves that we are the ones helping out, and perhaps someone else will come to join in, rather than leaving deeds undone. Generosity is many different things. To me, it is the act of giving your time or resources to someone or something in need. Simple deeds display that generosity.

Someone that I truly admire is Freddie Mercury. Being bisexual/queer myself as well as a performer, Freddie's life and story mean a lot to me. From his neverending drive and passion to his unwillingness to be shut down, I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. He came to fame in a time when being queer wasn't necessarily seen in the best light. Despite that, he wasn't afraid to be himself. While he may have appeared to be gay from the general onlooker, he held relationships with people of all genders and was not ashamed of it. He was constantly told by the people around him that he was not bisexual, invalidating his identity. From personal experience, having someone tell you that your identity isn't valid, or that you are bound to fall into the stereotypes surrounding your identity, I cannot imagine how difficult this must have been for him. Nevertheless, he continued to express himself openly and freely. Freddie was one heck of a dedicated man. He was determined to succeed, and he absolutely did. He worked his way up from small venues by himself, to finding his bandmates, to record deals, and tours. He did what he wanted with his music because it was his music, and nobody could tell him otherwise. He had a lot of ups and downs throughout his career, but he never let them stop him. I admire Freddie Mercury for many reasons. His dedication to being himself and creating the art that he wanted to is something that inspires me greatly. I look up to him as a young queer performer, and can only hope that I can find the same openness of expression that he did throughout my own career.

This answer will be forever changing, but right now my favorite book is Call Me By Your Name. As a young queer artist, this definitely sounds a bit cliche to be my favorite, but it is for good reason. I think it is simply one of the most beautifully crafted books I've read. Typically I am a sucker for teenage stories and love authors like John Green, but this book really just struck something different in me. It follows Elio, a boy about my age, in Italy circa 1980. He stays at his parent's house over the summers and spends his days reading, playing music, and exploring the world around him. This includes exploring his sexuality and trying to come to terms with it. I think this is the reason why this book has stuck with me. I, like Elio, am queer. Learning that about yourself at such a young age is very difficult. It doesn't matter if you have a support network or not, it is still something that is difficult to come to terms with. This book illustrates that perfectly. He has to hide his relationship from the people around him, even though he knows they would be supportive, because he doesn't want to admit it to himself yet. He struggles internally throughout the entire book to make sense of his feelings. Aside from the actual content of the story, it is just gorgeously written. To me, it is the perfect example of how inner monologue should be written in a book. It combines multiple languages at a time because that is just how his brain works. It doesn't over-explain things, but it overanalyzes them due to his anxieties. Call Me By Your Name is such a beautiful book, and is by far my favorite right now.

The most helpful financial advice I've ever received was to split my paychecks. When I was little I used to get a weekly allowance from my parents for doing chores around the house. I had three different piggy banks set up. One for savings, one for charity, and one for "fun money". My sister and I had these set up until we got actual jobs in high school. Each time we got our allowance from our parents they told us we should split it between the three banks how we saw fit. Obviously, being a kid, sometimes I would put a little more into my spending bank, but tried to correct it the next week. I did not realize how well this translated until I had been working for about six months. In that time I had earned just shy of $2,000 and spent nearly all of it. This was the first time I had access to "real" amounts of my own money, and I felt like I had to spend it. I went out and bought clothes I wanted, music, even just going out to eat with friends fairly often. When tax season rolled around I knew I had messed up. I did not realize how much I had made, and how much I had spent. I knew I needed to change something. My parents told me that I should start splitting my paycheck between my savings and checking accounts. By doing that I was able to build back the money I had recklessly spent, and save up a few thousand dollars to put towards school. Being in my second year of school, I find these amounts dwindling, but I know that I have a smart way to start saving while working this summer.

There are many obvious answers to the biggest problems the world faces. Things like climate change, illegal firearms, violence, etc. However, at the base of every issue we have is one thing ... humans. More specifically, the selfishness that human beings have developed. Humans are animals as much as dolphins and monkeys are. We often forget that we come from the same places, and have the same instincts. One instinct found in nature is that of protection. While, yes, some humans have that instinct to protect their loved ones automatically, it does not stray far outside of that for much of the population. This has never been more obvious than in the past two/three years. Even the simplest tasks that can be done to protect others, seem to be too difficult for some people to manage. That boils down to selfishness. We display that selfishness when we do not wear a mask, or wear it improperly, we display it when we walk past a clearly ill child a blow cigarette smoke in their face (something I have witnessed on more than one occasion this year). We see examples of human selfishness all around us every single day. Solving this problem is not something that can happen overnight. It is something that will, unfortunately, take time. It starts with the people that we see in power and those that we idolize as individuals. Reasonably, if we were to see the people that we look up to displaying selflessness, it should start to trickle down into the rest of society as it becomes the norm. Things like this start from the top and work their way down, even in a family dynamic. It's up to parents to teach selflessness to their children, teachers to their students, bosses to their employees.

Simply put, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to mental health. So much of the population is struggling with their mental health, but not many seek out help. There are numerous reasons for this: trauma associated with the medical field, past experiences, lack of resources, lack of funding, etc. It can be easy to make a blanket statement and tell those struggling to go see a doctor or a therapist, but those aren't always the most ideal ways of receiving proper treatment. Often, doctors can unknowingly misdiagnose patients with mental health disorders, as the brain is a difficult thing to nail down. This leads patients to be put on improper medications and not see true help. My suggestion for a solution that tries to combat this leans on the medical world. Patients should not be seeing general practitioners about mental health diagnoses, as it can lead them in the wrong direction. Instead, teams of psychiatrists and psychologists should be created specifically for meeting with new patients without depending on a doctor's referral or insurance. These teams would allow for patients to talk openly about their experiences in a safe environment, with professionals that are specifically trained to do that. Coming from someone who has struggled with their own mental health, a general practitioner is not always the way to go. It can be hard to get appointments made, or even just to feel safe enough to bring it up in an appointment. This only leads to prolonged suffering. If patients had access to psychologists and psychiatrists without referral and insurance limitations they would be able to receive adequate care in a timely manner.

Being an artist is a terribly beautiful thing. Artists follow their passions without fail because they feel called to our craft. They are unafraid to take the road less traveled and pursue something that others would call unconventional. They suffer through tough times and often wonder if it is worth going through such ordeals. They are judged by some, envied by others, and praised by few. I am a performer. I found performance around the age of fourteen and I never looked back. Something within me knew that this was the path I was meant to take, and so I began my journey. I find the most joy in artwork that inspires me. I love playing characters with stories similar to mine and stories far from the life I have lived. I believe that art is there to make you think, to make you evaluate your life and the way you live it in hope of bettering yourself. That can be achieved on stage or in the audience, however, I prefer the stage. I prefer being the vessel through which the story is told, bringing the character to life, therefore allowing the audience to see the humanity in them. Even the most seemingly simple characters have so much to offer. The thing that fuels my art is having the potential to affect others. Knowing that the words I speak or the actions I take on stage can impact someone’s life is the most magical feeling in the world to me. I connect to art that speaks to me. The theatrical pieces that I adore the most are those that touch upon important and often taboo issues. I feel that there are many social issues that are not talked about enough, I also feel that theatre is a way for those issues to be brought to light. By telling these vital stories you can help others learn. I intend to only work on productions that fuel my creative drive, ones that truly mean something to me. I want to put everything I have into my future career; it is my hope that in doing so I will be part of the change. Helping to bring stories to light that may otherwise not have been seen is touching. Using these stories to make audience members have a new understanding of the people around them. A dream of mine is to work on a production about what it is to be queer. This would be a compilation of stories from the cast and crew, all of which would be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I think that watching a production such as that will help break down biases about queer people. Art is subjective by default. Some will love your work and others will hate it. We must be secure in the work that we do so that those things do not impact us. I believe that the only way to do that is to work on things that inspire you. By working solely on projects that make a difference to you, you can help make a difference in the world. Artists create because something within them tells them they need to. To me, that “something” is what connects us all and we use that force for good through our art. I think that being an artist is about so much more than the medium that you work in. It is about the stories you tell and how they impact your own life.

I believe that being involved in your community is vital, if not for yourself but for those around you. Seeing representation in any facet within your community is incredibly important to ensuring participation and engagement by every community member. One of the things I love about theatre is that it creates a true environment of collaboration, which can be difficult for those outside of the theatre community to understand. From an outside perspective, it appears to have a hierarchy: a director, the leads, the supporting characters, and the ensemble. However, each one of those players is working together in a beautiful process to create the best finished product possible. Voicing your opinions and listening to those of others is vital in theatre, as it should be in a typical community setting. Theatre operates like a well-oiled machine, every person is an important gear and piece in that machine; should anyone be made to feel unimportant then the machine will inevitably break down. This is the same within a community, if community members feel unimportant the community will crumble and be left in disarray. All of this can be boiled down easily into one word, communication. Communication is the key to creating change. It is the key to inclusivity and equality in the world. Making your voice heard is the only way for those that harbor ill feelings towards you to see who you are. Often times in instances of racism or homophobia the people being oppressed or facing inequality are made out to be demonized. Those facing oppression are looked at as less than by the people doing the oppression. If the oppressed can share their voices, share their struggle, and show that they are just the same as any other person I believe that can have an impact. If you show your humanity, people should be receptive enough to recognize that. It is my hope by pursuing a theatrical education that I can do my part to create this change. I hope to work on productions that tell real stories, allowing the audiences to see the truth and humanity within characters that they otherwise would have overlooked. I believe that by having others feel empathy towards others in this way they will work to create change within their own communities, a domino effect could be struck up by these actions. If I do my part to help others recognize the struggles that their fellow citizens are going through they then feel empowered to enact change. Change within a community comes from change within individuals. I hope to be one of those individuals, I will work diligently both in my artwork and through greater means to help my community better itself.

2020 was a universally awful year. It was the worst year I have lived through in my 19 years here on earth. From Covid to the US presidential election to the long-overdue push for civil rights to the entire world collectively holding our breath as the seconds counted down into the new year, 2020 was the most hectic, the craziest, and the wildest year. But we made it, we survived. I feel lucky to be here, lucky to be writing this. Looking back is the difficult part of life, but it is necessary. The past is not going to change, so it’s best that we try to learn what we can from it. Similar to many other kids around the world, my senior year of high school was abruptly cut off. I think that was for the better, even though it was not the most ideal. Even as I sit here I cannot possibly imagine what a “normal” end to my education would have looked like. I was feeling incredibly burnt out and restless to move on from school, I had been feeling that for months on end at that point. I spent my days at home throughout March, April, and May having lazy days. My school system could not figure out a way to have online school work in an effective manner, so we were given loose assignments by teachers and sent on our way. I spent my time consuming media, from new music, movies, and print media as well. I explored a new world of films I had never seen, I watch all of the classics Dead Poet’s Society, Good Will Hunting, and of course a slew of Tarantino films. All of it gave me an increased appreciation for the art form I would be studying in the coming fall. About a month or so into 2020 I stopped my pattern of disordered eating. I stopped it out of circumstances and the inability to continue on excessively counting/restricting my caloric intake. I simply could no longer track the food I ate, so I slowly stopped. I am beyond glad that I did. I have been working hard throughout this past year, and mostly in 2020 itself to repair my relationship with food. My body disappointed me the further we got into quarantine. I finally felt happy and confident, then we were stuck at home for months on end. I snaked when bored, which was all the time. I was not conscious of my food intake. My nutrients got a bit off-balance, and I felt awful about my body. I was able to come to that realization that I was not eating the best for my body and started to fix that, then I came to a small private school as a vegetarian. Once again, my body was imbalanced. I began feeling bad about myself again, not taking the time to appreciate all that my body does for me despite its appearance. I did not have this life-changing experience in 2020. I felt bad about myself all the time, I wish I had not. I wish I could turn back time and tell myself not to be so hard, to mind how I treated myself because I was not being grateful to my body. I could feed my mind and soul with a lot more ease than I could my body. I feel mostly the same as I did this time last year. Talking about the past year is beneficial, but I think it can be difficult to take an introspective look at any period of your life when you are coming right out of it. I don’t have this brand new philosophy for how to approach my life moving forward. I have ideas, but who knows if I’ll hold myself to executing them. I know that I need to take more time for myself, do things that make me happy, stop being so concerned about how others perceive me, be kinder to my body, be a better person, but most importantly I think I have learned to live life as it comes. This year has shown me that you cannot plan for the future. I have plans that completely fell through, I felt lost and without guidance because the possibility of it not happening how I planned was beyond my realm of thought. Sitting at home when I should be at school because of a global pandemic was not what I thought would happen nor was resuming the cycle of feeling bad about myself. Life just happens sometimes, and we have to learn to be okay with that.

Travelling the world and immersing myself in different cultures is something that has always interested and excited me. I believe that, as an artist, it is vital for me to experience as much of the world as I am able to. It can only ever stand to help me in my craft, after all experiences inform creative decisions. I plan to use travel to develop my craft, to expose myself to ways of living and being that are different from my own, and to give myself the opportunity to explore the world - to not confide myself to just one life experience. Studying art within the culture that it originated from is a dream of mine; similar to that would be reading a piece of text in its original language. It would give me a much higher appreciation for works of art that I might not have in the future if I were not to go abroad. For example, I would like to spend at least a semester abroad in Denmark; for quite a few years now I have been interested in Denmark and Danish culture. I have taken it upon myself to learn the Danish language, in hopes that I will be able to study there and truly live my time there. As a native English speaker I have also been drawn to studying and eventually living in the United Kingdom. Studying my artform there would allow me to know the industry that I could possibly be heading into within a matter of years. I would be exposed to classical works in their place of origin, as well as expose myself to techniques and styles used in the UK. Life in the United States is much different than life in European countries. I find the differences between life here and life there fascinating. The more I learn about the differences the more and more I am encouraged to travel abroad for an extended amount of time. As a generalization European life seems to be more lax, people seem to enjoy their days, they have the time available to them to take in and experience the world. That directly contrasts the “go-go-go” mindset that American culture tends to lean towards, I think it would be incredibly refreshing to be able to hit the pause button on that mindset for even a limited amount of time. I am of the belief, or mindset, that life is what you make it. I will go out and do what I would like with my life to be able to truly live it. In doing so I have decided that I will live abroad. I will explore the world, explore new places, find new ways to enjoy my craft, build my craft. I want to let the world inform how I live, I want to be able to take in new experiences and incorporate what I have learned into my everyday life, in every facet possible.

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