Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gabrielle Blunier, and I would like to first thank you for this opportunity to earn your support. My educational journey is marked by unwavering determination and hours of rigorous study, and this has resulted in a high ranking position among 300+ students in my graduating class. I am consistently working to support and uplift the Fernley community. I have been an active member in the National Honor Society (NHS) since my sophomore year, and I presently hold the position of Vice President. Through the NHS, I've been involved in initiatives such as Project Linus, where I regularly dedicate my time to creating blankets for hospitalized children, and the Garden Committee, where I maintain the flowerbed at the front of my high school. Through Project Linus, I have made connections with seniors in the Fernley community who have inspired me to do additional volunteer work. I have delivered hot meals to people in our community during the holiday seasons as well as decorated Fernley’s City Hall for our annual Spooktacular celebration. When I was fifteen years old, I aided my accounting teacher in starting the Volunteer Income Tax Association Program for the Fernley community, which mainly helps senior citizens file their tax returns. This program has advanced and gained traction in the Fernley community resulting in a generation of inspired accounting students and tax returns filed simply and free of charge. In addition to working with seniors in our community, I have also aided in developing the youth. I actively coach within the youth volleyball league of Fernley, the same one I went through as a child, because I am passionate about getting the youth involved in activities that will inevitably give them the skills to handle life and develop bonds with those around them. Fernley is a town filled with friends, family, coworkers, teammates, and kind strangers who work to change our town with every interaction they make. Living in the Fernley community has inspired my desire to see our town prosper and connect as it continues to grow. This same inspiration has pushed me towards pursuing biological sciences in college because I want to give back to the same people and planet that pushed me into becoming who I am today. I am thankful to have grown up in the diverse, family-oriented, and supportive community of Fernley as the connections and relationships I have made throughout the years have made me into a person who is proud to say I am from Fernley, Nevada, and I want to make our world a better place. As an incoming UNR biology major in 2024, I aim to make a positive impact on my community while I pursue personal success academically. My parents and community have ingrained a strong work ethic in me, and I hold myself to the expectation that I will be financially self-reliant during my college years. I realize I will need to find more ways to support myself as I begin my collegiate academic journey. Your generous scholarship will provide much needed financial relief as I pursue my education.