To Craig Family, College has always for me, while growing up, seem out of reach. But, as time went on, my grades kept getting better, and me as a whole getting more mature, the drive to learn and ask the questions of “why?” Most of all, people like you generously providing the funds of making people’s future like mine, seem reachable. Reaching my goals has been an ambition of mine. While that’s obvious, most people don’t follow through, and that causes that ambition to just fizzles out. For me, that’s not the case. I’m working my hardest to achieve my dreams by taking the hardest classes I can to always be learning and improving myself overall. Currently, I’m taking about 12 college level classes. Three from running start, and nine that are offered at my school. I will make sure that my dreams will be achieved. Without a shadow of a doubt. What drives me is to be able to support my family and my future family. For most of my life, it has been amazing. Why? It’s due to my father working his hardest to keep his family content. My father works hours upon hours, just to keep his family afloat. His drives has impacted me to take that same routes so my kids in the future, can have the same great experience like that of one I had. The impact this scholarship will have is immense. A thousand dollars goes a long way as you may know. As you stated, the rising cost of education as left students unable to pursue their dreams. Not only this money will go a long ways in helping me, it will also help people in the future due to my dream in being an orthodontist. You wouldn’t know this, but, I’m quite unhappy on how my teeth look and knowing I can help others with the same problem, reassures me. Having beautiful teeth boosts people’s self confidence. Seeing people smile confidently has shown me why I should go into this profession. While it may sound cliche, it feels nice to bring a smile on people’s faces. In essence, like many others, I have big ambitions, and I have drive to achieve those dreams. This money will impact my life greatly and I will be exceedingly grateful if you choose me as the winner. Your help will be greatly appreciated. -Fernando Ramos

A lyric from Olivia Rodrigo’s “Get Him Back!” that really hits home for me is **“I want sweet revenge, I want him again.”** It immediately pulls me back to when my ex cheated on me, and I didn’t know how to make sense of anything. It felt like my entire world was collapsing, and I was caught between wanting to make her feel the same hurt she put me through and desperately wishing things could somehow go back to the way they used to be. That constant push and pull—between anger and heartbreak—was exactly where I was stuck for months. I remember lying in bed, thinking about how I’d make her regret everything. I wanted her to feel the same betrayal that I felt, and in my head, I was plotting all these ways to show her what she’d lost. But… the truth is, no matter how much I wanted to hate her, I couldn’t stop missing her. I couldn’t stop replaying the good moments in my head, wondering why it all fell apart. It was like being trapped in two totally different realities: one where I wanted to get even, and another where I just wanted her back. Sometimes I’d scroll through old photos or read old texts, and even though I knew what she did, a part of me still clung to the person I thought she was. I hated that feeling of not being able to just let go. It was like I was stuck in this loop where I was supposed to be mad and move on, but my heart just wasn’t catching up. That’s why this lyric resonates so much—it captures that emotional chaos of wanting to lash out but also wanting to hold on. It’s such a messed-up feeling, and no one really tells you how to handle it. I’d be sitting there, angry as hell, thinking about how I’d get back at her, and then out of nowhere, I’d just break down, missing her and wishing we could rewind to before everything got so messed up. In the end, I wanted revenge, but deep down, I just wanted everything to be okay again. That’s what’s so real about the lyric—this confusing, painful mess of emotions that feels impossible to sort through when you’ve been betrayed by someone you trusted. This was hard for me to open up with, but for Olivia Rodrigo, I will be open to heal again.