I saw a cheesy quote on a shirt at Target about 2 or 3 years ago and its become what I live by. I laughed at it with my mom and pointed out how basic is sounded, but the words "spread kindness like wildflowers" soon became my lives motto. Its no secret that our world is harsh and cruel. Many people have joy in taking others down instead of lifting them up. But, what does one really get from being mean? Nothing, maybe some bad karma, but they don't gain anything. They lose themselves to hatred because sometimes, being kind is harder than being mean. Taking the easy way out may be convenient, but, what do I gain from that? With being genuine and kind to others, I get this fuzzy feeling in my heart when they smile and say "thank you". I love that at least once a day, I try to compliment at least three people, either my friends, family, teachers, or people I'm passing by in the hallway. I love seeing their face smile and sometimes their eyes shine and I could tell that they really needed to hear it. I love going the extra mile for people because everyone deserves to be helped. Being kind can get you far in life, maybe not exactly to where you want to go, but it can help propel you there. Being kind and seeing the good can help me overcome obsticals that may get in my way. Not only will being kind get me far in my personal life, it can also get me to where I want to be in my professional life. I've always known I wanted to do something that would help others, and I've gone back and forth about what I wanted to do. Do I want to be a teacher, social worker, therapist, chef? I want to do something that will benefit everyone. What is better than becoming a coastal geologist and trying to make the planet a better place? The planet deserves kindness, and as a human population, we aren't showing it the love it deserves. Being kind to others isn't easy, but with time and patience, it can become like second nature. I try to be kind to everyone, even if I don't think they deserve it. Its crazy to think that being bored at my moms house and suggesting we go get a puzzle from Target changed the way I look at the world.

We, as a human population, have singlehandedly killed our planet. It is screaming for help, but only a few actually listen. I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat meat and I don't want to. No, I don't eat fish either, and no, I don't eat like a rabbit. There are a lot of misconceptions about vegetarianism surrounding the name. People on the internet have started to make others think that being vegetarian/vegan is a political thing; it is not. For me, it is environmental reasons why I became vegetarian. For starters, I watched a documentary about how animals were treated when they were at a farm to get killed for meat. That made me stop eating meat completely. Cold turkey. As I became more involved as a vegetarian, I learned all the environmental benefits that occur, like reducing water pollution and carbon emissions. Cutting meat out of a diet can be really challenging, especially if you are doing it blindly. But, with the right support system, and a good cookbook, being vegetarian can be really easy!

People are mean. People have always been mean, and people will continue to be mean. Spitting their words at others like venom and having that venom consume their minds, and that's all they think about. The world is harsh and cruel, and people deserve kindness. Kindness can save lives; hatred kills them. At least once a day, I try to compliment someone. Wether it be my friend, a teacher, or a student I don't know walking the halls, I always tell them if I like their hair, their outfit, or something they did was really good. One way that the world can be kinder is to keep our negative thoughts to ourselves. I wouldn't want someone saying something negative to me so I will not say anything negative to anyone else. I heard this on the internet a year ago and it really stuck with me; if a person can't change this thing in 5 seconds, you shouldn't comment on it. Constructive criticism is nice but there's a fine line between helping someone and harming someone. As a society, we need to learn when and where it is appropriate to give constructive criticism, something others can improve on. We also need to be aware when to give criticism because there is always a time and place. For example, I would give a classmate constructive criticism on an essay in class, and tell them what I like and give feedback. Not flat out tell them what they did was wrong. The world is harsh and cruel but if we change our mindsets and focus on caring for others, we can make it a place where everyone belongs.

I am someone who believes that the day can’t start until I give my dog a hug, drink a cup of coffee, and open my blinds to let the sunlight in. My favorite animal is a butterfly, even though I know it’s an insect. My favorite place in the world is my grandma’s camper in Wisconsin over the summer. I am a senior at Fenton High School and will be attending Flagler College in the fall as a coastal environmental science major. I love school, it's something I’m good at and enjoy doing. I love the rigor that comes with it, learning (and being confused) in the classroom, seeing my friends in the hallway and getting so excited to wave at them that I drop my metal water bottle on the floor and everyone looks at me as I walk away laughing. The anxious energy right before an AP Statistics test because I know we all care about it and are in it together. I love group projects (but only when everyone is doing their work) because I know that we all are glad to have each other in our group. I love coffee, being outside, and the little things in life that might not make anyone bat an eye but it causes me to have the biggest smile on my face. I constantly thought that I couldn't do something when I was a little girl just because I was a girl. I was always told to leave it to the boys, or that I can't do or say something that I saw a boy do or say because it wasn't lady-like. I knew that there was a difference in how men and women were treated when I was younger, and I wanted to change that. STEM has always been a passion of mine, especially science. I have always admired the women who are working at NASA and on the front lines of combating climate change. I thought that they were not only beautiful individuals, but smart and powerful women. They motivated me when I thought that I couldn't do it. I know that there is a girl out there who feels like she can’t become who she wants to be just because she is a girl and I want to change that. I want to be a positive role model for young girls who want to go into STEM and make a difference in the state of our planet. I want to learn about where the land meets the sea and even below that. I want to protect the coastline from erosion because not only has it caused a decrease in fertile soil, it has also caused pollution and sediment to get into the rivers and clog the flow of water, thus, leading to the death of fish and more. Not only is erosion harming the planet, it's also harming us. It can be an air pollutant which can lead to us humans getting sick. I’ve always wanted to help others, and kicked around being a nurse, until I realized that I can’t see a needle without getting light headed, so this is the closest I can get to that. STEAM has always been a passion of mine, I love that I can learn the works of the world through it. I’ve always been the type of student who keeps asking questions and annoying the rest of the class because I genuinely wanted to learn more.

I love my eyes. They have seen so much and have helped me navigate through my life. Many say that eyes are the windows to the soul and for me, that is definitely true. I love how my eyes can speak the words I can't say, or send my intentions without me opening my mouth. When I was younger, my life was uprooted and my eyes wouldn't go more than a couple of days without letting out some tears. But, I kept looking up and directed my eyes at the beauties of the world I wouldn't have seen otherwise. If I stayed looking down, I never would have been able to see the bright colors that surround me everyday, my dog Daisy, my parents, and my friends. I love that I have a freckle right underneath my right eye, I love the brown color that looks like piping hot coffee on a cold winter day. I love everything about my eyes.