Junior high was an exceptionally pivotal time in my life; I entered my first year as a meek eleven-year-old girl completely unaware that the events to take place over the coming years would shape me into the young woman I am today. As is sadly typical of the female coming-of-age experience in public school, I was groped and grabbed at in the hallways. I soon learned that this hallway ritual wasn’t exclusive to me and was sadly considered a norm to fellow classmates. As much as I could downplay it to myself that it didn’t matter that these boys would invade my privacy and claim my body as if it was their own, I couldn’t justify the same harassment happening to my classmates, so I told a teacher. I’d hoped that by telling a teacher, like I’d been taught to, the matter would be handled aptly. To my surprise, the boys who perpetrated these acts against my classmates and me weren’t reprimanded in the least. Instead, several other girls and I were given a lecture on the school dress code. It was apparent this was the school’s way of telling us if we had dressed appropriately then we wouldn’t have been assaulted. Looking back on it, this was one of the first ways in which I was taught to conform to the patriarchy; to hide my body as to not tempt my male counterparts, and to suppress my feelings as to not inconvenience them. This lone situation may seem of minor importance, but it’s the first link in a chain of events that would cause immense controversy (and ultimately change) in my school district. More importantly, it represents my first-ever genuine act of advocacy and the awakening sense of responsibility within me to be a voice for the voiceless. By eighth grade, students all across the district had become fed up with a dress code that disproportionately affected female students, upheld the notion of victim-blaming, and enabled body-shaming. Feeling I had a duty to come forward with my story, I decided to stand up in front of my school board and voice my experience with sexual harassment. I explained that although the harassment itself was horrific, the iniquitous response from my school was what really traumatized me. I shared my story to prevent what happened to me from happening to others, specifically young women who may be more susceptible to blaming themselves than I was; who might internalize that shame and end up carrying it with them forever in a way that negatively impacts their lives. Thankfully, with support from various local organizations and more stories shared by fellow students, we were able to successfully reform our school districts' sexist dress code. Subsequently, in my freshman year, I was asked by the Wisconsin ACLU to write a piece about being sexually harassed and how I was revictimized by my school’s dress code policy. I’m still astonishingly grateful for the opportunity and for the fire it sparked in me. I’ve realized that my voice can inspire meaningful change, and by taking a stance I can impact the lives of others for the greater good. Since then I have used my voice as an activist to continue fighting for fairer dress code policies, to co-host a gun control town hall for my community to voice their opinions and to call for better leadership within my local government. I fully intend to strengthen my efforts through my education by studying law and becoming an attorney distinctly working with survivors of domestic abuse, an issue that has affected my family and me personally. Henri Frédéric Amiel once said, “It is our duty to be useful, not according to our desires but according to our powers.” Now that I’ve found my voice to be one of my powers, I aim to never stop using it to stand up for what is moral and just.

“1...2...3...4...5...” That’s how it started for me. Five is the number of times I used to check if the door was locked every night. Five is still the number of times I check to see if each of the stove burners is turned off. The number five was a constant for me. God forbid, I forgot one time. The incessant nagging at the forefront of my mind constantly, “But what if something bad happens? It’d be your fault. You only checked four times.” For as long as I can remember, I’ve always suffered from intrusive thoughts. My whole life I felt like there was something wrong with me. I felt guilty over having thoughts I couldn’t control, and I thought my intrusive thoughts made me a bad person. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon a random Instagram post about mental health awareness that I realized I wasn’t alone and that intrusive thoughts were a common symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. If it weren’t for that Instagram post, I’d still be in the dark about my mental illness. My goal is to raise awareness about intrusive thoughts and other symptoms of OCD that often go unrealized. I’d like to facilitate and expand discussions about mental health within my local community so that others never have to experience the desolation and stigma that surrounds mental illness. In particular, I hope to someday protect and improve the lives of at-risk youth as a family law attorney. Winning this scholarship would grant me the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of so many others.

When we think of the word “legacy”, we often envision possessions passed down from generation to generation. For some people, a legacy is a sum of wealth left by loved ones, real estate meant to stay within the family, or possibly an heirloom with sentimental value. To me, a legacy is defined not by what you’ve possessed in the past but rather by what you’ve contributed to the future. More importantly, how will what you’ve contributed affect others' futures. For instance, consider Greek philosophers such as Plato, Socrates, or Aristotle. All of these men are renowned for their brilliant minds and rightfully so. However, their legacy is not rooted in what they said but more so the effect it had on society. Greek philosophy has aided in the formation of moral codes, modern laws, and political systems. It has and will continue to pave the way for future philosophers, writers, artists, politicians, and many more. The effects of each of these men will have an infinite impact on myriad aspects of humankind and most would argue that society is better because of their contributions. I’m not implying that I’m going to or am even capable of leaving as significant of a legacy as an ancient Greek philosopher. For most of us, our legacies will not be recognized on as large of a scale as Plato but that doesn’t mean our impact is inherently any less valuable. In terms of ways of impact, I hope to leave behind multiple legacies: as a professional, as a friend, as a wife, as a mother, and as an individual. As an aspiring family law attorney, I hope to forever impact the futures of at-risk youth and survivors of domestic abuse as many of those same struggles have impacted my family very deeply. I want my efforts to bring about lasting change within the justice system; changes that protect the rights of victims and prevent further violations by perpetrators. I want my legacy as a professional to live on through survivors in the form of an unbreakable spirit and impenetrable courage. As a dear friend, I hope that my efforts to always practice empathy will positively impact the lives of those around me. I want people who I associate with to know me as an unwaveringly loyal confidant, as I hold those with the quality of dependability in the highest regard. I want my legacy as a friend to live on through loved ones in the form of kindness and unbreakable bonds. As a devoted partner, I hope someday to value and cherish the intricacies of another person to the utmost of my ability. I want a love that reminds me to practice forgiveness and humility. I want my legacy as a wife to live on through my husband in the form of appreciation and gratitude. As a future mother, I hope to care for another’s life more than my own, to learn from my children just as they learn from me, and to show them the beauty of the world. I want to carry on the legacy of my own mother by instilling qualities of hard work, critical thinking, and empathy in my own children. I want my legacy as a mother to live on through my children in the form of happiness and insatiable curiosity. Lastly, as my own, I hope to follow through on my dreams and never compromise my beliefs. I want my legacy as an individual to live on through others' memories in the form of perseverance and an adamant will. That is my legacy.

Community service is an opportunity not only to do good for others but to keep an important perspective about our context and duty within the greater world around us. That’s why over the years, I’ve made it a priority to find ways of giving back to my community. The community service I’ve done includes a wide spectrum from political canvassing to research for parent-teacher organizations. All of these opportunities provided me with valuable learning experiences and helped fuel my passion for volunteering. I became involved in political canvassing at a young age. In 2010, I volunteered with the Wisconsin Democratic Party during their quest to recall Governor Scott Walker. Last January, I traveled from Wisconsin to Iowa to canvas for Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign. Over the years I’ve also canvassed for numerous political campaigns within my local district. In 2011, I volunteer phone-banked for Wisconsin Senator Bob Wirch (and was featured in his mailings) and in 2016 I did the same for the Bernie Sanders campaign. In 2016, I also volunteered my time and efforts weekly at a local consignment shop. To gain experience working in fashion and customer service, I helped the owner with restocking products, organizing display merchandise, and organizing files. I loved this experience as I got to use my creativity while also supporting a small business. In 2018, I co-hosted Town Hall For Our Lives at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside. This was an opportunity to bring together local parents, students, and political leaders to have a productive discussion about the crisis our country faces with the rise of school shootings. We had a full auditorium and received front-page coverage in our city newspaper. The event was a success in bringing attention to an important problem. Last March, I co-chaired a community service and fundraiser project for my high school’s SkillsUSA team. The project consisted of a movie night where we collected non-perishable food items for the local homeless shelter instead of an admission fee. Although the endeavor was cut short due to Wisconsin’s Stay-At-Home order, it was an impeccable opportunity to gain experience with organizing and leading a community service event. My most recent community service experience was volunteering over the summer for Piper Elementary School in Kansas City. I was given the opportunity to help out the school’s Parent Teacher Association with preparing for virtual learning. I researched mobile hotspot devices and data plans for students who don’t have access to the internet at home. I’m glad to have had this opportunity to work with parents and teachers to provide the best possible learning environment for young students while overcoming the unprecedented challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed. As for how I plan to continue my efforts, I intend on pursuing a career as a family law attorney. In particular, I hope to one day dedicate my time and effort to ensuring the safety and well-being of women and children within my local community. Since witnessing and enduring domestic abuse was such a prevalent part of my childhood, I feel that I have a God-given responsibility to advocate for and help other survivors. Once I’m an attorney, I plan to volunteer my knowledge and skills to organizations like Women’s and Children’s Horizons which helps to house, protect and improve the lives of survivors of domestic abuse. Women’s and Children’s Horizons has been an organization that has helped my family and me personally. I’d love to thank them for their efforts and create a cycle of paying it forward by offering my legal aid to women in need once I am in the position to give back. While attending college, I fully hope to be involved in several Wisconsin-based volunteer organizations such as Healing Our Hearts, an organization that helps mothers and families that have experienced the loss of a child. I’d also like to put my efforts towards creating an organization that provides vital educational resources for high school students within my community that want to learn about topics such as financial literacy and higher education opportunities. I think in order to ensure younger generations find success and personal fulfillment we must go above and beyond to provide them with the tools and information that most public education does not offer. Audrey Hepburn once said, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” I’m so grateful for every opportunity to give back to my community and hope to put my experience to use and deepen it as I move through life.

I remember the precise moment my mother first spoke the words to me. I felt the words vibrate throughout my body, shaking me to my very core, and shattering every idea of who I thought I was or what I thought I had wanted. Up until that point, I was lost wandering through life; flailing around for anybody or anything to provide me with meaning. My search for a sense of purpose felt obsolete. I was failing school, pulling away from my family, and surrounding myself with people who, like myself, had given up on the idea of improvement. I grew up in what I’d describe as a toxic home environment. My father was emotionally, mentally, and often physically abusive. After surviving an altercation that left her severely hurt and in the hospital, my mom gathered up enough courage to leave my dad for the final time. As a broke single mother, she took me, 3, and my older brother, 8, and began to mend our broken family piece-by-piece all by herself. My mother's act of bravery prompted a two-year custody battle between her and my father. After several vicious battles in court, my father was granted primary custody of me while my brother stayed with my mom. The following years were spent replaying the judge’s words over in my head, “Little girls need their fathers”, and witnessing my father beat and belittle his revolving door of girlfriends. When I was eight years old, my mother was granted equal custody, and by the time I was eleven, I was living solely with her and my brother. At fifteen is where my own problems come into play. Upon entering high school and the workforce, I realized there was this big question mark regarding my future. I come from a family where the highest aspirations you can have as a woman are to be a wife and a mother. I knew I wanted to make a difference in people's lives, but I felt like an imposter assuming I could actually accomplish something. I remember I broke down crying in my mother’s arms and I asked her, “How do I know my purpose?”, to which she responded, “Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires but according to our powers.” I’d later come to find out that Henri Frédéric Amiel was the genius behind those words — not my mother — but the impact is there nonetheless. Because of those words, I realized I have power and with that power, I have a God-given responsibility to advocate for survivors of domestic abuse and to protect at-risk children when the justice system fails to. That quote has been the driving force behind my aspiration to become a family attorney. Now that I’ve found my voice to be one of my powers, I intend to never stop using it to stand up for what is moral and just.