Shortly after moving, my mom began chemotherapy and radiation treatments while my sister and I started our freshman year at our new school. I forced a smile on my face at school hoping nobody would see the immense amount of uncertainty I was feeling while having to adjust to an unfamiliar environment amid my mother's cancer. It was quite a culture shock going from a 6A to a 2A school. I found it difficult to find my place at first with it being such a tight-knit community where everyone seemed to be related or very close. I was quite shy and lacked self-confidence at the time which made it challenging for me to find my way. I became involved in activities at school which helped me develop friendships and get out of my comfort zone. One of the classes I really started to acknowledge a strong aptitude for was art. At my school, we were lucky to have a very encouraging and passionate art teacher, Mrs. Dudley, who helped prompt my love for art. A paintbrush and pencil accompanied me through each day. I began to recognize that art was providing me with an outlet to express myself in a cathartic way by helping me through this rough time. I started getting recognition for my work through competitions and livestock show submissions. Art helped me cultivate my own identity apart from my twin sister. Subsequently, one year at my new high school, it became apparent to me that I was capable of overcoming challenging life experiences through my art. In addition, attending this smaller school helped me to recognize the resources I had at my disposal. Resources that would help me be confident enough to seek help, not only in the classroom but also outside of those four walls. I am able to look back at the person I was when I arrived and feel assured that I can be successful with any challenge put before me. Furthermore, my academics flourished, and I do not feel invisible as a student which has caused me to feel better about myself academically. My art teacher helped me to realize I am more than just my circumstances. Because of her encouragement, I began to take priority over things that mattered to me, finding myself in the process. Thus far, I have dedicated my life to pursuing academic excellence and working on myself as a person daily. My hardships do not define me. I am driven to improve my GPA, my grades, and my desire to succeed and push myself to new heights. Many positive things came from unpredictable challenges that allowed me to become the person I am today. I am fortunate to have had a teacher who has pushed me to want better for myself while helping me achieve it at the same time.

At the start of my freshman year, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Her diagnosis pushed me to want to help others in situations such as hers. During that time I developed a lot of independence as my mother wasn't physically capable to do everyday life normally because she was fighting for her life. That meant I had to make sure everyday tasks were taken care of such as maintaining the house and keeping it sanitized, making meals, and taking over more responsibilities. Given our circumstances, I was nervous and uncertain of what the future would hold in this new phase of life. The last few years have been difficult, but my ambition to help my mother has motivated me to want to help others in a similar way. I am able to look back at the person I was when I arrived at our new home and feel assured that I can be successful with any challenge put before me. In the future, I will be attending Texas Tech University where I plan to major in nursing. My goal as a nurse is to help heal others who are in bad health not just physically but mentally. I hope to ease the pain of my patients and their families. My mother and our family will never forget the nurses that helped her into remission from her cancer. I plan to become a nurse through hard work, dedication, and love just like those who helped my mother. My mother getting cancer was one of the hardest experiences in my life, but I truly believe it shaped me for the better as I now have a newfound sense of independence and responsibility. I have no doubts that I am fully prepared to take on college in my next phase of life.