I apply creativity to my life daly through my songwriting. I've been singing ever since I was a small child and hope to make a career out of my music. Despite not having any classical training, I spent my childhood creating silly songs with my dad and performing in every talent show I had the opportunity to. I've always felt a close connection with music and in my late high school years began to realize that it was a potential career option. When I was in eighth grade, I began to write poetry after discovering my love for it during the poetry and creative writing unit in my English class. I continued to write poetry during my freshman and sophomore years of high school, using it as an outlet to explore my thoughts and develop a better understanding of who I was as a person. Somewhere in between my sophomore and junior year, I discovered that many of my poems had a very melodic rhythm to them, but many of them were actually songs. Since then I have begun my exploration of learning the foundations of instruments such as guitar, piano, drums, and ukulele, as well as learning music production basics. This engagement with music has broadened my understanding of what makes a song go deep into my ability to tap into my creativity and create more stimulating lyrics. While by definition I have only been writing songs for about two years, my songwriting has been a part of me as long as music has been. That said, while crafting lyrics definitely is one of my best skills, I am constantly looking for ways to broaden my understanding of music, writing, and words to develop and deepen my songwriting abilities; growing more as a creative beng every day.

My favorite and most valuable study strategy is to-do lists. It appears as a very basic, insignificant organizational task but since the day I discovered that extensive if anything, extravagant to-do lists could help me, my productivity has nearly doubled. By organizing myself effectively, I find myself feeling less anxious about upcoming assignments, projects, or tasks I need to accomplish. For example, when approaching my college process, I created a thorough checklist outlining what tasks were left to be completed for the Common Application, what specific colleges were requesting, and what materials I would need to have prepared to submit music portfolios or prep for auditions. In retrospect, that specific checklist may have been a bit redundant in some areas but the process of writing out each task that I needed to complete made thinking of the college process a much more manageable feat and overall lowered my stress levels surrounding the amount of work I had to do. I intend to continue my usage of this study skill as I head off to college as I predict it will come in handy with managing my anxiety.

I relax by spending time with music. Music has always greatly influenced my mental health. Art, in general, is known for its calming and centering effects on most people who engage with it but I believe it is even more so impactful to the artists themselves. When I listen to music, I can disconnect from the rest of the world and be alone with my thoughts. To process said thoughts, I write my poetry, my songs, both of which help me unpack my emotions and create a healthier relationship with both myself and others. Taking time to write music or listen to music gives me space to calm my mind and center myself on a daily basis. I take the bus every morning and I’ve made it a habit to always put on a playlist and just take that commuting time to let the music fill me and root me in myself. Additionally, taking time to curate interesting playlists for myself or my friends allows me to experiment and explore my knowledge of music, thus taking more time for myself to do what I love which in the end leaves me in a more positive and collected space to be my best self.

My favorite way to help others is to practice empathy. I practice being empathetic by listening to them if they have something going on when they bring it up, but even more so if I notice they’re a bit off. Over the seventeen years of my life, I have found a constant trait I have retained through all my changes has been my capacity for empathy. As basic human decency requires, I believe that kindness is a crucial part of everyday interaction. That said, I have always loved that in addition to being kind and listening to what may be ailing a peer of mine, I also can put myself in their shoes and empathize with them. I have often been the person in the friend group who is sought out for advice because of said empathy and I have always felt honored to be so trusted by my peers. I don’t always aim to just cheer them up (although lifting spirits is a priority) but to help them explore their feelings and understand the reasoning behind them. I have found that my empathetic abilities have led me to help my friends learn and grow and, in turn, me along with them.

I’m a founding member of the Wildwood Institute for Entrepreneurship (WIE). WIE was founded to provide opportunities for students to make both decisions and mistakes in real business scenarios while still being in a controlled environment with resources to help guide them. WIE truly embodies its mission, a statement I crafted based on the ideas of the founding members, stating that “As an entrepreneur, WIE’s mission is to foster ideas into disruptive products and services. Founders identify problems, iterate solutions, and translate their work into ventures. WIE creates a space that develops people alongside businesses and teaches the skills required to cultivate communities through corporations''. I volunteered to take on the role of Manager and, due to the self-regulated work time that comes along with the Institute model, I work closely with Matt, the WIE director on a project-to-project basis. When lockdown hit, WIE, like most businesses, had to reevaluate our communication and connection systems. This entailed creating new systems such as, in addition to Zoom classes and meetings, using Mattermost messaging to share project updates and reflective feedback. To create a community, I worked in the first few months of this year to design a leadership team that assists me in the organization of Institute-wide The vibrant creativity found in the Institute members is seen in the span of different projects ranging from culinary arts to textiles and fashion where members are knitting, embroidering, sewing, and printing. We even have people working in game design and utilizing the presence of the other members to playtest those games. At the end of WIE’s second year, I was allowed to speak at the Wildwood State of School to discuss the progress of the Institute thus far and share my experience within it. At the beginning of this academic year, we are in a newly renovated incubation lab solely devoted to our institute and have a full roster of 31 members. This year, my main goal is to establish an annual event in which students can showcase the work they are doing here because the institute model is really about getting real-world experiences. Within all the Institutes, but specifically WIE, there is a lack of rigid structure implemented by Matt which then requires more from students to create that structure themselves. It’s about making mistakes and using those mistakes to further your future growth. For a member of WIE, what you put in is what you’re going to get out of it and it’s driven by purpose and passion so active engagement is both inevitable and necessary. On an individual level, my experience in WIE has significantly developed my leadership skills, specifically by improving my communication and presentation habits. Through my work from the lockdown on, I have found myself learning what the most efficient ways to lead are as well as what it means to be an authentic and strong leader.

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. I’ve always been an avid reader and I spent most of my childhood with a book in hand. To this day, I still often carry a book with me every time I leave the house. I typically opt for a thrilling murder mystery or a fantasy romance or adventure novel for my typical read but I recently happened upon this Alicia Keys autobiography and thought I’d give it a chance. I had previously read Keys’ book of poetry Tears for Water and thoroughly enjoyed the cadence of her writing. With her autobiography More Myself, the more I read, the more I was intrigued and invested. Similar to Keys, I am a singer-songwriter and a young one at that. Hearing stories about her experiences as a young artist, things that she wished she’d done differently, or habits she wished she’d implemented earlier on, all of these felt almost as if they were bits of advice just for me. As a child, Keys had several abnormal things she was dealing with and she detailed the journey of her life in a beautifully carved tale of her life. I finished the book thoroughly inspired to do so many different things at once: apply her wisdom on how to practice self-care, write songs based on what her words made me feel, and, more than anything, go after the goals harder than anything I’d gone after before. Completion of her book fueled me to push myself with my music and be braver when sharing my voice, recognizing that it was made to be heard. Reading books like this reminds me why I love and continue reading. Reading allows me to escape, learn, and explore and I know I can find comfort in my favorite familiar characters and stories.

I find I am a talented storyteller, especially since I’ve found a way to incorporate it into my life and my career. I’m currently pursuing my career as a singer-songwriter by publishing and sharing my music. Music has been a part of my life since I was a small child and a crucial part of my understanding of who I am. Since I was able to talk, I have been singing and engaging in music. My talent for storytelling has been apparent throughout my entire life, beginning with my make-believe play as a younger child and shifting into writing poetry and short stories around the time I was in middle school. Starting in high school, I began to connect my love for singing and storytelling to create songs that reflected my thoughts on everything around me. Keeping my songs to myself, for the time being, I discovered an application for my natural leadership qualities during my sophomore year of high school through my role as the manager of the Wildwood Institute for Entrepreneurship (WIE). In my position in WIE, I had the opportunity to learn how to give a formal presentation, how to concisely pitch a product or idea, and how to develop an online presence. I found a love for business and managerial endeavors, which, in the past year, I have begun to combine with my music. I’ve taken baby steps as I launch my music career independently. As I overcame my nerves about sharing my music, I was also learning how to produce, market, and distribute it. Now, I’ve two released singles and an EP in the works and am exuberant to continue the pursuit of my career as a singer/songwriter.

My mom has always been someone I admire greatly and looked up to as a person and as her daughter. Her passionate persona is infused into every single thing she does in life whether it be parenting, standing up for a cause she believes in, or pursuing her goals. Before having kids, my mom was a theater director. She graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with two degrees, earning her Bachelor of Arts in English and her Bachelor of Arts in Theater. When she and my dad moved out to Los Angeles, they both began work in the entertainment industry with my mom directing and my dad writing. My mom spent four years directing stage shows in LA and directed her last show whilst pregnant with me. After giving birth to me, she shifted her focus to parenting and became a stay-at-home mom pouring all her energy into me and, three and a half years later, my younger brother. Another three and a half years later, my little sister was born and my mom still hadn’t gone back to work, devoting everything she had to her three kids who were now around the ages of 8, 4, and 1. She always knew she would eventually go back to work and while she did do lots of unpaid volunteer work at our school and church, she stuck to the fact that she would one day return to a steady job. Fast forward to around 2016 and my mom had begun to sell essential oils through a partnership with Young Living. Despite her love for the homeopathic wellness she promoted with Young Living, she knew that wasn’t her true love career-wise and began to embark on a deep self-exploration journey. She found herself being drawn to coaching, knowing in her heart that she had been blessed with the gift and ability to assist people into discovering and becoming more of the most authentic self. She took a certification course and spent hours studying, researching, and learning, all while continuing to care for and provide for her three kids. After all her hard work, she earned her official certification thus making her professionally known as Ami Woodard, CPCC. She started her own business, Your Essential Story, and has begun working with clients and, most importantly, following her professional dreams. This active pursuit of what brings her joy and fulfills her inspires me to do the same in my life, personally and professionally. In the future, I hope to continue my pursuit of a career as a singer-songwriter, and to do so, I have outlined a guide of tasks to accomplish to help me achieve that goal. Because I lack some of the basics of traditional musical training, I want to pursue a college degree in music to expand and deepen my knowledge of music, and learn all the rules so that I can break them should I want. My mother has inspired me to seek out that education and in doing so, I believe I will be able to accomplish my career goals just as she has.

My mom has always been someone I admire greatly and looked up to as a person and as her daughter. Her passionate persona is infused into every single thing she does in life whether it be parenting, standing up for a cause she believes in, or pursuing her goals. Before having kids, my mom was a theater director. She graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with two degrees, earning her Bachelor of Arts in English and her Bachelor of Arts in Theater. When she and my dad moved out to Los Angeles, they both began work in the entertainment industry with my mom directing and my dad writing. My mom spent four years directing stage shows in LA and directed her last show whilst pregnant with me. After giving birth to me, she shifted her focus to parenting and became a stay-at-home mom pouring all her energy into me and, three and a half years later, my younger brother. Another three and a half years later, my little sister was born and my mom still hadn’t gone back to work, devoting everything she had to her three kids who were now around the ages of 8, 4, and 1. She always knew she would eventually go back to work and while she did do lots of unpaid volunteer work at our school and church, she stuck to the fact that she would one day return to a steady job. Fast forward to around 2016 and my mom had begun to sell essential oils through a partnership with Young Living. Despite her love for the homeopathic wellness she promoted with Young Living, she knew that wasn’t her true love career-wise and began to embark on a deep self-exploration journey. She found herself being drawn to coaching, knowing in her heart that she had been blessed with the gift and ability to assist people into discovering and becoming more of the most authentic self. She took a certification course and spent hours studying, researching, and learning, all while continuing to care for and provide for her three kids. After all her hard work, she earned her official certification thus making her professionally known as Ami Woodard, CPCC. She started her own business, Your Essential Story, and has begun working with clients and, most importantly, following her professional dreams. This active pursuit of what brings her joy and fulfills her inspires me to do the same in my life, personally and professionally. In the future, I hope to continue my pursuit of a career as a singer-songwriter, and to do so, I have outlined a guide of tasks to accomplish to help me achieve that goal. Because I lack some of the basics of traditional musical training, I want to pursue a college degree in music to expand and deepen my knowledge of music, and learn all the rules so that I can break them should I want. My mother has inspired me to seek out that education and in doing so, I believe I will be able to accomplish my career goals just as she has.

I practice self-care by spending time with music. Music has always greatly influenced my mental health. Art, in general, is known for its calming and centering effects on most people who engage with it but I believe it is even more so impactful to the artists themselves. When I listen to music, I can disconnect from the rest of the world and be alone with my thoughts. To process said thoughts, I write my poetry, my songs, both of which help me unpack my emotions and create a healthier relationship with both myself and others. Taking time to write music or listen to music gives me space to calm my mind and center myself on a daily basis. I take the bus every morning and I’ve made it a habit to always put on a playlist and just take that commuting time to let the music fill me and root me in myself. Additionally, taking time to curate interesting playlists for myself or my friends allows me to experiment and explore my knowledge of music, thus taking more time for myself to do what I love which in the end leaves me in a more positive and collected space to be my best self.

My family has a long history of struggling with mental health. Mental health has no one to fix. You don’t just have a really good therapy session and you’re cured. Dealing with mental health is a daily challenge where you actively choose to combat it. My experience with mental health has left me to realize two things: One is you never know what someone is dealing with and two, healing is a constant process and everyone heals in different ways at different rates. Addressing my first learning, from both my own experiences and those of my friends, I have found that it is extremely hard to tell if someone is experiencing a wave of depression, fighting suicidal thoughts, or battling ongoing anxieties. While it is true that some mental health disorders display themselves in very prominent, noticeable ways, oftentimes more people than you realize are dealing with a private, silent battle that they keep internal. This greatly increases the value of treating people with kindness and giving them the benefit of the doubt as you have no clue what they are dealing with outside of your single interaction. Healing is a spectrum just like mental health. Whether you’re recovering from childhood trauma or cleaning up a mess you made due to an outburst, healing happens on an individual timeline. Everybody’s process looks different and deserves the same amount of respect no matter “normal” or “abnormal” their process looks, no matter how fast or slow they endure it. Because of these two learning, I attempt to greet and interact with people in a more unassuming manner. Even if I’ve heard things that they’ve done or had a bad experience with them, I still attempt to maintain politeness and decorum when interacting with them. I know from personal experience that when I’m enduring a wave of depression, having someone berate me for something small or a misunderstanding can often be the breaking point and leads to my immediate breakdown. I also try to support my friends who are recovering from or dealing with mental health issues and, when doing so, I refrain from passing judgment or providing my thoughts on their process. I also believe that mental health should be destigmatized as more people than fess up deal with it and it’s a very natural part of being human. I intend for my future career to be in the music industry as a singer-songwriter. Music has always greatly influenced my mental health. Art, in general, is known for its calming and centering effects on most people who engage with it but I believe it is even more so impactful to the artists themselves. When I listen to music, I can disconnect from the rest of the world and be alone with my thoughts. To process said thoughts, I write my poetry, my songs, both of which help me unpack my emotions and create a healthier relationship with both myself and others. In recent months, I have felt braver through my music. I have begun opening myself up to sharing my songs with others and have begun to take advantage of opportunities to perform in front of live audiences. In doing so, I am placing myself in a very vulnerable position but my relationship with my mental health and my art has created a mindset where I believe that sharing my experiences will be able to help benefit others as well.

My family has a long, long history of struggling with mental health. To people who aren’t, dealing with mental health may just seem like going to therapy and taking prescribed medicine. But if they looked deeper, the intricacies of mental health are exposed and the thing I find to be the biggest surprise to people is that there’s no one fix. You don’t just have a really good therapy session and you’re cured. Dealing with mental health is a daily challenge where you actively choose to combat it. My experience with mental health has left me to realize two things: One is you never know what someone is dealing with and two, healing is a constant process and everyone heals in different ways at different rates. Addressing my first learning, from both my own experiences and those of my friends, I have found that it is extremely hard to tell if someone is experiencing a wave of depression, fighting suicidal thoughts, or battling ongoing anxieties. While it is true that some mental health disorders display themselves in very prominent, noticeable ways, oftentimes more people than you realize are dealing with a private, silent battle that they keep internal. This greatly increases the value of treating people with kindness and giving them the benefit of the doubt as you have no clue what they are dealing with outside of your single interaction. Healing is a spectrum just like mental health. Whether you’re recovering from childhood trauma or cleaning up a mess you made due to an outburst, healing happens on an individual timeline. Everybody’s process looks different and deserves the same amount of respect no matter “normal” or “abnormal” their process looks, no matter how fast or slow they endure it. Because of these two learning, I attempt to greet and interact with people in a more unassuming manner. Even if I’ve heard things that they’ve done or had a bad experience with them, I still attempt to maintain politeness and decorum when interacting with them. If I have heard or seen them do something that I believe is inexcusable, rather than accusing them, I attempt to calmly and politely ask them questions remaining curious as opposed to accusatory. I know from personal experience that when I’m enduring a wave of depression, having someone berate me for something small or a misunderstanding can often be the breaking point and leads to my immediate breakdown. I also try to support my friends who are recovering from or dealing with mental health issues and, when doing so, I refrain from passing judgment or providing my thoughts on their process. Only if I am asked do I share my thoughts and even when I do, I answer kindly and honestly ensuring that my words can only help. I intend for my future career to be in the music industry as a singer-songwriter. Music has always greatly influenced my mental health. Art, in general, is known for its calming and centering effects on most people who engage with it but I believe it is even more so impactful to the artists themselves. When I listen to music, I can disconnect from the rest of the world and be alone with my thoughts. To process said thoughts, I write my poetry, my songs, both of which help me unpack my emotions and create a healthier relationship with both myself and others. In recent months, I have felt braver through my music. I have begun opening myself up to sharing my songs with others and have begun to take advantage of opportunities to perform in front of live audiences. In doing so, I am placing myself in a very vulnerable position but my relationship with my mental health and my art has created a mindset where I believe that sharing my experiences will be able to help benefit others as well.

My family has a long, long history of struggling with mental health. To people who aren’t, dealing with mental health may just seem like going to therapy and taking prescribed medicine. But if they looked deeper, the intricacies of mental health are exposed and the thing I find to be the biggest surprise to people is that there’s no one fix. You don’t just have a really good therapy session and you’re cured. Dealing with mental health is a daily challenge where you actively choose to combat it. My experience with mental health has left me to realize two things: One is you never know what someone is dealing with and two, healing is a constant process and everyone heals in different ways at different rates. Addressing my first learning, from both my own experiences and those of my friends, I have found that it is extremely hard to tell if someone is experiencing a wave of depression, fighting suicidal thoughts, or battling ongoing anxieties. While it is true that some mental health disorders display themselves in very prominent, noticeable ways, oftentimes more people than you realize are dealing with a private, silent battle that they keep internal. This greatly increases the value of treating people with kindness and giving them the benefit of the doubt as you have no clue what they are dealing with outside of your single interaction. Healing is a spectrum just like mental health. Whether you’re recovering from childhood trauma or cleaning up a mess you made due to an outburst, healing happens on an individual timeline. Everybody’s process looks different and deserves the same amount of respect no matter “normal” or “abnormal” their process looks, no matter how fast or slow they endure it. Because of these two learning, I attempt to greet and interact with people in a more unassuming manner. Even if I’ve heard things that they’ve done or had a bad experience with them, I still attempt to maintain politeness and decorum when interacting with them. If I have heard or seen them do something that I believe is inexcusable, rather than accusing them, I attempt to calmly and politely ask them questions remaining curious as opposed to accusatory. I know from personal experience that when I’m enduring a wave of depression, having someone berate me for something small or a misunderstanding can often be the breaking point and leads to my immediate breakdown. I also try to support my friends who are recovering from or dealing with mental health issues and, when doing so, I refrain from passing judgment or providing my thoughts on their process. Only if I am asked do I share my thoughts and even when I do, I answer kindly and honestly ensuring that my words can only help. I intend for my future career to be in the music industry as a singer-songwriter. Music has always greatly influenced my mental health. Art, in general, is known for its calming and centering effects on most people who engage with it but I believe it is even more so impactful to the artists themselves. When I listen to music, I can disconnect from the rest of the world and be alone with my thoughts. To process said thoughts, I write my poetry, my songs, both of which help me unpack my emotions and create a healthier relationship with both myself and others. In recent months, I have felt braver through my music. I have begun opening myself up to sharing my songs with others and have begun to take advantage of opportunities to perform in front of live audiences. In doing so, I am placing myself in a very vulnerable position but my relationship with my mental health and my art has created a mindset where I believe that sharing my experiences will be able to help benefit others as well.

My favorite way to help others is to practice empathy and listen to them if they have something going on. Over the seventeen years of my life, I have found a constant trait I have retained through all my changes has been empathy. As basic human decency requires, I believe that kindness is a crucial part of everyday interaction. That said, I have always loved that in addition to being kind and listening to what may be ailing a peer of mine, I also can put myself in their shoes and empathize with them. I have often been the person in the friend group who is sought out for advice because of said empathy and I have always felt honored to be so trusted by my peers. I don’t always aim to just cheer them up (although lifting spirits is a priority) but to help them explore their feelings and understand the reasoning behind them. I have found that my empathetic abilities have led me to help my friends learn and grow and, in turn, me along with them.

I believe that making higher education more affordable would benefit future generations. In society's eyes, higher education is the key to any sort of secure job with a substantial income. That said, the average cost of tuition at any 4-year, public institution is $28,775 a year. That in and of itself is already an unreachable goal for the average US citizen to afford. A person receiving minimum wage would need to work a forty-hour week for ten months straight to earn enough to attend. Additionally, the stereotypes in society surrounding what qualifies as a good college education often is associated with well-known private institutions such as any of the Ivy League schools. The average cost of tuition alone for an Ivy institution is $57,796 a year and when fees are included, the total then racks up to $79,525 a year. Community college is often disregarded as a lesser level of education but yearly tuition for those institutions is, on average, only $1,603 a year. Let's look at an example: A marketing company is looking to hire a permanent consultant for their new social media platform and they are presented with four resumes, one for each Person A, B, C, and D. Person A attended the University of Wyoming, a 4-year public institution, and received their BS in Business Administration. Person B did not attend college but was previously employed by a successful social media business where statistics show that their contributions as a marketing consultant tripled the customer engagement and severely increased overall sales. Person C attended Princeton University, a private 4-year university, and majored in Philosophy. Person D went to Clackamas Community College, a 2-year public institution, and earned their AAS in Accounting and a Marketing CC. Because of the predisposition to recline on stereotypes, the person who will probably receive this job (based on resume alone) is the person who attended Princeton although the other three people are significantly more qualified. Even if this fictitious company took into account proper qualifications, the importance of receiving higher education to retain a sustainable job would win out over Person B’s immense previous success in the specific field already. The cost of education shouldn't stand in the way of future generations' success and pursuit of their dreams. By lowering the cost of education, students would be less worried about paying off debt or earning enough to go to prestigious schools and more focused on pursuing their goals.

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. I’ve always been an avid reader and I spent most of my childhood with a book in hand. To this day, I still often carry a book with me every time I leave the house. I typically opt for a thrilling murder mystery or a fantasy romance or adventure novel for my typical read but I recently happened upon this Alicia Keys autobiography and thought I’d give it a chance. I had previously read Keys’ book of poetry Tears for Water and thoroughly enjoyed the cadence of her writing. With her autobiography More Myself, the more I read, the more I was intrigued and invested. Similar to Keys, I am a singer-songwriter and a young one at that. Hearing stories about her experiences as a young artist, things that she wished she’d done differently, or habits she wished she’d implemented earlier on, all of these felt almost as if they were bits of advice just for me. As a child, Keys had several abnormal things she was dealing with and she detailed the journey of her life in a beautifully carved tale of her life. I finished the book thoroughly inspired to do so many different things at once: apply her wisdom on how to practice self-care, write songs based on what her words made me feel, and, more than anything, go after the goals harder than anything I’d gone after before. Completion of her book fueled me to push myself with my music and be braver when sharing my voice, recognizing that it was made to be heard. Reading books like this reminds me why I love and continue reading. Reading allows me to escape, learn, and explore and I know I can find comfort in my favorite familiar characters and stories.

During the 2020 Presidential Election, I avidly used my social media to spread awareness to vote and provide my opinions on the candidates. On one specific occasion, I re-posted a post that expressed my disagreement with some of the choices made by the Republican Party candidate and current president at the time. A person I did not know well responded to my Instagram story, telling me that I was uneducated. I inquired regarding their reasoning, to which they responded by telling me it had to do with the fact that we didn't share the same political views. In a polite but firm message, I gave them a fuller explanation of my position and what I believed and provided evidence to support my reasonings. The result was a civic discourse that appeared productive until they seemingly ran out of arguments and abandoned fact-based conversation. Then, they changed the subject and began a personal attack, ridiculing me for putting my preferred pronouns in my bio. Although I identify as a cisgender female, I believe sharing one’s pronouns should be a normalized act and want to support my fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community by doing so. This shift was hurtful and I noticed myself growing angrier so I ultimately decided the best choice was to end the conversation and, despite the positive experience gained from my initial reaction, found myself limiting sharing my opinion publicly as I continued through the election season. Having since reflected on why I felt less confident voicing my opinion and discovered that because I had previously avoided engaging in controversial conversations, I was a bit shaken after having had to stand up for my beliefs. That said, the experience was liberating and I feel more prepared for the next time a conversation of differing perspectives should arise.

I’m interested in entering the business field due to the entrepreneurship and business exposure I’ve gained as a founding member of the Wildwood Institute for Entrepreneurship (WIE). WIE began its first year in the fall of 2019 with the goal to provide opportunities for students to make both decisions and mistakes in real business scenarios while still being in a controlled environment with resources to help guide them. WIE truly embodies its mission, a statement I crafted based on the ideas of the founding members, stating that “As an entrepreneur, WIE’s mission is to foster ideas into disruptive products and services. Founders identify problems, iterate solutions, and translate their work into ventures. WIE creates a space that develops people alongside businesses and teaches the skills required to cultivate communities through corporations''. In 2019, WIE only had 8 members and when we began to discuss leadership positions, I volunteered to take on the role of Manager. When lockdown hit, I had to reevaluate our previous goals going into this school year, WIE, like most businesses, had to reevaluate our communication and connection systems. Going into our second year, we were ecstatic to see our enrollment triple. That said, a group of 23 people has a very different dynamic than a group of 8. Additionally, with the larger class size, all WIE members were no longer in the class period so there was no easy way to create unity across the whole institute. This entailed creating new systems such as, in addition to Zoom classes and meetings, using Mattermost messaging to share project updates and reflective feedback. The vibrant creativity found in the Institute members is seen in the span of different projects ranging from culinary arts to textiles and fashion where members are knitting, embroidering, sewing, and printing. We even have people working in game design and utilizing the presence of the other members to playtest those games. At the end of WIE’s second year, I was given the opportunity to speak at the Wildwood State of School to discuss the progress of the Institute thus far and share my experience within it. At the beginning of this academic year, we moved into our newly renovated incubation lab solely devoted to our institute and have a full roster of 31 members. The Lead Team has expanded gaining new members and is currently planning both community-building events like our recent pumpkin carving day, as well as planning for future events that interact with a larger part of our community. This year, my main goal has been to establish an annual event in which students can showcase the work they are doing here because the institute model is really about getting real-world experiences. Within all the Institutes, but specifically WIE, there’s a lack of rigid structure implemented by Matt which then requires more from students to create that structure themselves. It’s about making mistakes and using those mistakes to further your future growth. For a member of WIE, what you put in is what you’re going to get out of it and it’s driven by purpose and passion so active engagement is both inevitable and necessary. On an individual level, my experience as WIE has significantly developed my communication and presentation skills. On top of that, the continuation of my leadership in WIE after the lockdown has expedited my relearning of what the most efficient ways to lead are as well as what it really means to be an authentic and strong leader. All of these experiences have led me to love the business world and hope to pursue it in the future.

My favorite piece of art is the two paintings by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt: The Kiss and Freya's Tears. They’re part of the same collection of Klimt’s work. Together, they are two of my favorite paintings and inspire me on both an interpersonal and artistic level. The intricacy in which Klimt paints the details in each of these paintings speaks to my strength of attention to detail, all that juxtaposed with the larger, more simple features such as faces and hands. Although I am unsure what emotion exactly I see in the woman's face, I find it drawing out a sadness, serenity, and peaceful feeling in myself. Crying has often been associated with weakness although I have always believed it to be a sign of strength. The golden splotches of tears in Freya's Tears reinforce, in my mind, that crying is strength and takes courage. Two pieces of art are often displayed together and, as a musician, I often feel as if I can hear the music that goes with each of these paintings. I hear the light-hearted, symphonic strings that play a spring tune in the meadow in which The Kiss occurs. As I shift my gaze to Freya's Tears, I hear a lonesome guitar plucking away a somber tune of relief. Stepping back once again and taking in those pieces of art at once, I hear these two tunes dancing with each other, collapsing into each other full to elicit the paradoxical, torn emotions I feel inside myself when beholding these pieces of Klimt's work.

To positively impact the climate, I attempt to sustainably source my fashion to help reduce my carbon footprint by limiting my purchasing of products of fast fashion. My main methods to support sustainable fashion are thrifting, upcycling, and resuing. I don’t go to thrift shops as often as I used to but when do, I frequent the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission Thrift Store or my local Salvation Army or Goodwill. More often than not I am seen wearing my older cousins’ hand-me-downs that they give me when they outgrow or are no longer using the items. I recently have begun upcycling my dad’s old jeans and button-down shirts, incorporating them into my wardrobe in ways that uphold my fashion style while also knowing that I am not wearing a cheaply made fabric that was mass-produced by a harmful corporation. Also, I tend to upcycle old pieces of fabric, torn clothes, or items that I have grown out of and have sewn myself a handful of tops and skirts. If I do find myself shopping for clothes, I try to research where the brand I’m buying from sources their materials and I try to make sure I’m not funding the continued production of fast fashion items. My friends and I also try to share our knowledge and let each other know which brands we know to be sustainable and which we know aren’t.

To me, joy is the exploration and curiosity about life and the world in which we live. Seeking out new experiences and daring myself to be adventurous and fully live life is the purest joy I’ve ever felt. Trust me, I know how cliché it sounds saying this out loud but I honestly find joy in all the new and surprising things, small things to big things, anything that helps remind me I’m alive and helps me learn more about myself and my world. For example, I’ve taken chances by performing and sharing the music I’ve written with larger audiences. It was a leap of faith and a huge amount of nerves but I was curious to see if a career in the music industry was really for me so I took advantage of the moment and released some songs and prepped pieces to perform live and so far have gotten a surplus of positive feedback reinforcing to me that made the right choice. While it’s very true that I get a lot of joy from music, some of the most joy I got from this experience was the interactions with and feedback from people who listened to my music. Taking that chance and putting myself out there was one of the most rewarding and joyous feelings I’ve ever had and I hope and plan to continue to seek out similar opportunities and live the most joy-filled life I can.

I am constantly finding new songs that inspire me either as a musician or just as a person. Based on that, I can’t say that there is one song out of all the others that always has and will inspire me. That said, “Cold Cold Heart” by Norah Jones has recently been on my mind. The three-minute and thirty-eight-second song has a consistent, melodic bassline that is coupled with Jones’ eloquently and artfully phrased message to her recipient asking them to return the love that she pours into the relationship. I often find myself in relationships, romantic or otherwise, in which I am giving more than the other person, thus leaving me wondering what makes me not good enough to get anything more than a cold reciprocation for my love. Jones’ song has recently been reminding me that I am not alone with this feeling and it inspires me to care more about myself and my well-being than about those who do not put in the same level of effort as me.

I am immensely passionate about storytelling, especially since I’ve found a way to incorporate it into my life and my career. I’m currently pursuing my career as a singer-songwriter by publishing and sharing my music. Music has been a part of my life since I was a small child and a crucial part of my understanding of who I am. Since I was able to talk, I have been singing and engaging in music. My passion for storytelling has been continuously seen throughout my lifetime, beginning with my make-believe play as a younger child and shifting into writing poetry and short stories around the time I was in middle school. Starting in high school, I began to connect my love for singing and storytelling to create songs that reflected my thoughts on everything around me. Keeping my songs to myself, for the time being, I discovered an application for my natural leadership qualities during my sophomore year of high school through my role as the manager of the Wildwood Institute for Entrepreneurship (WIE). In my position in WIE, I had the opportunity to learn how to give a formal presentation, how to concisely pitch a product or idea, and how to develop an online presence. I found a love for business and managerial endeavors, which, in the past year, I have begun to combine with my music. I’ve taken baby steps as I launch my music career independently. As I overcame my nerves about sharing my music, I was also learning how to produce, market, and distribute it. Now, I’ve two released singles and an EP in the works and am exuberant to continue the pursuit of my career as a singer/songwriter. But if not for that deep passion for storytelling, I don’t believe I’d be where I am today.

I love my capacity for empathy. Over the seventeen years of my life, I have found a constant trait I have retained through all my changes has been empathy. As basic human decency requires, I believe that kindness is a crucial part of everyday interaction. That said, I have always loved that in addition to being kind and listening to what may be ailing a peer of mine, I also have the ability to put myself in their shoes and empathize with them. I have often been the person in the friend group who is sought out for advice because of said empathy and I have always felt honored to be so trusted by my peers. I don’t always aim to just cheer them up (although lifting spirits is definitely a priority) but to help them explore their feelings and understand the reasoning behind them. I have found that my empathetic abilities have led me to help my friends learn and grow and, in turn, me along with them.

As dumb as it sounds, I put together a cool outfit. Ever since I was little, I have been interested in fashion, always styling and combining things to create interesting ensembles to express whatever I felt. To be fair, the younger version of myself hadn’t yet grasped some basics such as wearing a striped top, polka dot pants, a tutu, and rain boots aren’t exactly cutting edge fashion (real story, have the photo to prove it) but the individuality was certainly there. To this day, I find that when I look put together and stylish, I feel better about myself. Additionally, wearing a bold or unique or even just a well-thought-out outfit roots me in my personality and helps me feel more connected to myself and my values. That’s not to say that once and a while I could be wearing a fantastic ensemble and not be true to myself, but more times than not, I feel more confident in voicing my true opinions and thoughts when I am dawning a donning a chic ensemble.

Fruit. A recommended staple in everyone’s diet that grows in fields and orchards, on trees and vines, in bunches and bushels, fruit is so diverse yet so simple. Not only does fruit taste impeccable, but it is also such a beautiful thing to behold. You can admire its natural state of beauty or slice it up and make elaborate rainbow platters to display. Truly, I don’t even know what else to say about it other than its fruit!! It’s so sweet, so natural, and a great opportunity for a plentiful, naturally sweet treat to bring a smile to your face! My family receives a weekly box of organic produce and each week as wash the fruit, I find myself admiring the simplistic beauty of the shiny, freshly cleaned pears, oranges, the berry assortment, and the juicy peaches or plums or grapes depending on the season. As small as a task as it may be, having the opportunity to savor the sweet morsels of a strawberry or the crisp bite of an apple can bring a smile to my face any day.

Words are my everything. Their ability to be crafted into phrases and sentences, combinations that when used effectively can make the world take a communal step forward or when weaponized, can destroy the strongest of relationships. Sometimes my words may seem not big, loud, or brave enough. But I will always have words to understand myself and the surrounding world. Whether the comforting words of my favorite novel or the creative words that flow from my mind through my pen, onto the page where I write a new song, words have and always will be there for me.

1. I deserve this scholarship because the education necessary for my future career is expensive, plus I can reimburse you later once I begin receiving my infinity dollars a year salary (see below). 2. I want to be an astronaut who lives in a shack in Disneyland. I decided these goals based on a game of MASH (a fortune-telling game utilized by tween girls) where I was also told I’d marry Conner from The Land of Stories, have a salary of $∞/yr, and I’ll go everywhere in a school bus. I figured since I ride the school bus daily, the rest must be accurate too. 3. One time, at summer camp, there was a course I had to complete. There were tires to hop through, ropes to swing on, and a random wooden structure to climb. Although I was scared, I took a deep breath, centered myself, and began conquering the challenge ahead. I finally completed the climbing section and as I reflected on the experience I realized I’d successfully overcome an overwhelmingly daunting obstacle (course).

Patience is the key to songwriting. As a singer-songwriter, I often find myself bending to the will of writer’s block. Maybe it’s because I crafted some great lyrics but I can’t find a tune to fit them, or I found a fantastic melody but can’t quite find the words that express the mood, or, sometimes, I just can’t think of a single thing. With two opposing kinds of writer’s block having the potential to occur at once, I find patience crucial to the continuation of my music. “Trust the process” is a very cliché artist saying, whether you’re doing theater, dance, visual arts, writing, or music. But as cliché as it may be, it holds an immense amount of truth too. No art is created by just plopping out the artist’s mind. Sure, sometimes an artist can go on a spree and get a bunch of great content out in a matter of minutes but that art is only the foundation for what it has the potential to become. Art is rooted in patience, the patience required to wait for that single word to come to you, the patience required to figure out the single, minuscule detail your painting is missing. Because of the patience required to produce art, I have attempted to harness and cultivate my patience into mindfulness spaces, whether said patience is required for mere moments or for an extended period of time. Through making my patience mindful, I have felt myself feel more intertwined with my art along with my understanding of myself. Without said patience, I wouldn’t be able to grow as an artist or a person.

I learned that I am a list person. It appears to be a very basic, insignificant trait but since the day I discovered that extensive if anything, extravagant to-do lists could help me, my productivity has nearly doubled. By organizing myself effectively, I find myself feeling less anxious about upcoming assignments, projects, or tasks I need to accomplish. For example, when approaching my college process, I created a thorough checklist outlining what tasks were left to be completed for the Common Application, what specific colleges were requesting, and what materials I would need to have prepared to submit music portfolios or prep for auditions. In retrospect, that specific checklist may have been a bit redundant in some areas but the process of writing out each task that I needed to complete made thinking of the college process a much more manageable feat and overall lowered my stress levels surrounding the amount of work I had to do. I intend to continue my usage of this trait/skill as I head off to college as I predict it will come in handy with managing my anxiety.

More Myself by Alicia Keys is probably one of the most inspiring and well-written books I have ever read. I’ve always been an avid reader as I spent most of my childhood with a book in hand. To this day, I still often carry a book with me every time I leave the house. I typically opt for a thrilling murder mystery or a fantasy romance or adventure novel for my typical read but, I happened upon this Alicia Keys autobiography and thought I’d give it a chance. I had previously read Keys’ book of poetry, entitled Tears for Water, and thoroughly enjoyed the cadence of her writing. With More Myself, the more I read, the more I was intrigued and invested. Similar to Keys, I am a singer-songwriter and a young one at that. Hearing stories about her experiences as a young artist, things that she wished she’d done differently, or habits she wished she’d implemented earlier on, all of these felt almost as if they were bits of advice just for me. As a child, Keys had several abnormal things she was dealing with and she detailed the journey of her life in a beautifully carved tale of her life. I finished the book thoroughly inspired to do so many different things at once: apply her wisdom on how to practice self-care, write songs based on what her words made me feel, and, more than anything, go after the goals harder than anything I’d gone after before. Completion of her book fueled me to push myself with my music and be braver when sharing my voice, recognizing that it was made to be heard. Overall, this book is and most likely will remain the single most impactful and inspiring texts I’ve read.

Music has been a part of my life since I was a small child and a crucial part of my understanding of who I am. Since I was able to talk, I’ve been singing and engaging in music. My passion for storytelling has been continuously seen throughout my lifetime, beginning with my make-believe play as a younger child and shifting into writing poetry and short stories around the time I was in middle school. Starting in high school, I began to connect my love for singing and storytelling to create songs that reflected my thoughts on everything around me. Keeping my songs to myself, for the time being, I discovered an application for my natural leadership qualities during my sophomore year of high school through my role as the manager of the Wildwood Institute for Entrepreneurship (WIE). In my position in WIE, I had the opportunity to learn how to give a formal presentation, tips on how to concisely pitch a product or idea, and how to develop an online presence. I found a love for business and managerial endeavors, which, in the past year, I have begun to combine with my music. I have taken baby steps as I launch my music career independently. As I overcame my nerves about sharing my music, I was also learning how to produce, market, and distribute it. Now, I have two released singles and an EP in the works and am exuberant to continue the pursuit of my career as a singer/songwriter. I additionally use my skills as a graphic artist to create my own album covers and visual media to distribute alongside my music. I intend to use my future study of music to build upon the self-taught foundation I have created by exploring my initial interest and challenging my thoughts and skills surrounding music and songwriting. Music has also greatly influenced my mental health. Though I touched on it a bit earlier, I wanted to highlight the massive impact music has had on my mental health. Art, in general, is known for its calming and centering effects on most people who engage with it but I believe it is even more so impactful to the artists themselves. When I listen to music, I am able to disconnect from the rest of the world and be alone with my thoughts. To process said thoughts, I write my poetry, my songs, both of which help me unpack my emotions and create a healthier relationship with both myself and others. In recent months, I have felt braver through my music. I have begun opening myself up to sharing my songs with others and have begun to take advantage of opportunities to perform in front of live audiences. Overall, I look forward to my future in music and expect to continue to utilize it to develop and understand myself.

Vader A Star Wars parody poem to the tune of “traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo By: Grace Higginbotham Ooh-ooh-ooh Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah Young, hopeful eyes and determined to ride In a podrace you won so that you’d Free you and your mom, And then you tagged along Said I looked like an angel to you Do you remember The day that we had Our picnic in fields on Naboo Do you remember Our secret marriage Where I promised myself to you You betrayed me And I know that you’re no longer Ani Like I once knew, but We have two kids Named Luke and Leia Left Luke near your home The other’s with Breha You said you felt weak And let in your hate, you Dueled with Obi And now you’re Darth Vader Now you’re running around cutting Rebels down Show the Death Star off like a trophy Didn’t think it was true but there’s passion in you That I wrote off as your Jedi instinct Do you remember All the countless days You spent making your mom that droid He remembers But 3PO won’t hesitate To help get your Empire destroyed You betrayed me And I know that you’re no longer Ani Like I once knew, but We have two kids Named Luke and Leia Left Luke near your home The other’s with Breha You said you felt weak And let in your hate, you Dueled with Obi And now you’re Darth Vader (Ah-ah-ah) Gosh, I wish that you had thought this through Before we went and broke all the rules (Ah-ah-ah) The Council said you would be great And god you were until the day You betrayed me And I know that you’re no longer Ani Like I once knew, but We have two kids Named Luke and Leia Left Luke near your home The other’s with Breha Now you can’t breathe Without a respirator Half man, half machine But you’re all You’re all Darth Vader (ah-ah-ah) You’ve always been Vader Ooh-ooh-ooh Gosh, I wish that you had thought this through Before we went and broke all the rules

Have you ever been watching a movie, and then all of a sudden you're tuning out the dialogue, and you're only focused on the violin swells that expose the scene’s true emotions? Maybe you haven't, but when I find a score or soundtrack that feels so immensely intentional, it’s borderline magical! I’ve always felt intertwined with music but the pure happiness I get from listening to a soundtrack is on a completely different level from my typical love and interest in music. For example, when I listen to the sweet, sweet voice of Ewan McGregor, the commanding belt of Nicole Kidman, and the enchanting swells of the full orchestra; the acoustic guitars balancing the dreamy violins, the reverbed kick drum, the harmonies that give me chills each time, the melodious church choir coming in at the crescendo, all of it packaged up into four-minutes and forty-eight-seconds of bliss, I am left utterly speechless and giddy. “Come What May” from the Moulin Rouge (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is such an empowering song lyrically and a real breakthrough moment in the film but just feeling the music and wrapping it around yourself like a warm paradoxical blanket where you’re protected but living dangerously, feeling all the emotions available to feel, and hearing how each note is both deliberate and reckless; it’s moments like that when I feel not just invested but surrounded by and full of the music so much so that I feel an overpowering swell of belonging, an overwhelming sense of happiness.

My best skill is songwriting. I've been singing ever since I was a small child and hope to make a career out of my music. Despite not having any classical training, I spent my childhood creating silly songs with my dad and performing in every talent show I had the opportunity to. I've always felt a close connection with music and in my late high school years began to realize that it was a potential career option. When I was in eighth grade, I began to write poetry after discovering my love for it during the poetry and creative writing unit in my English class. I continued to write poetry during my freshman and sophomore years of high school, using it as an outlet to explore my thoughts and develop a better understanding of who I was as a person. Somewhere in between my sophomore and junior year, I discovered that many of my poems had a very melodic rhythm to them, but many of them were actually songs. Since then I have begun my exploration of learning the foundations of instruments such as guitar, piano, drums, and ukulele, as well as learning music production basics. This engagement with music has broadened my understanding of what makes a song go deep into my ability to tap into my creativity and create more stimulating lyrics. While by definition I have only been writing songs for about two years, my songwriting has been a part of me as long as music has been. That said, while crafting lyrics definitely is one of my best skills, I am constantly looking for ways to broaden my understanding of music, writing, and words to develop and deepen my songwriting skills.

Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s two portraits, The Kiss and Freya's Tears, are part of the same collection of Klimt’s work. Together, they are two of my favorite paintings and inspire me on both an interpersonal and artistic level. The intricacy in which Klimt paints the details in each of these paintings speaks to my personal strength of attention to detail, all that juxtaposed with the larger, more simple features such as faces and hands. Although I am unsure what emotion exactly I see in the woman's face, I find it drawing out a sadness, serenity, and peaceful feeling in myself. Crying has often been associated with weakness although I have always believed it to be a sign of strength. The golden splotches of tears in Freya's Tears reinforce, in my mind, that crying is strength and takes courage. Two pieces of art are often displayed together and, as a musician, I often feel as if I can hear the music that goes with each of these paintings. I hear the light-hearted, symphonic strings that play a spring tune in the meadow in which The Kiss occurs. As I shift my gaze to Freya's Tears, I hear a lonesome guitar plucking away a somber tune of relief. Stepping back once again and taking in those pieces of art at once, I hear these two tunes dancing with each other, collapsing into each other full to elicit the paradoxical, torn emotions I feel inside myself when beholding these pieces of Klimt's work.

Stray wisps of dirty blond hair, in loose curls that tumble on broad, muscular shoulders of the ambivert girl who spends her days poetically rewriting her life to tune she stumbles upon. Often stumbles a bit in real life due to a surplus of knee injuries yet always pursuing a way to stay active. I'm extremely hard to put in a box; a lover of sports, people, and theater, of innovation, books, writing, math, and, above all, of music. The other day I was asked to identify five of my values. I responded with “creativity, curiosity, kindness, honesty, and challenge.”

I plan to pursue a career in the music industry as a singer-songwriter. I've already begun my career independently partnering with DistroKid, creating my own website, utilizing my school’s music classes, and engaging with any musically inclined people I know to write, create, produce, and release my own music. I have taken advantage of the skills that I learned in my freshman graphic design class to create my website from which I now hope to build upon to develop my image as the legitimate singer-songwriter I am. I hope that in my pursuit of higher education, I will obtain knowledge of the classical training I currently lack to allow me to expand not only my music knowledge but also my potential. Despite not having classical training as a child, I've been engaging with music at every possible moment in my life and I plan to continue to grab hold of performance opportunities along with opportunities to share my voice through my art. I want to create a name for myself in the music industry and learn as much as I can about every part of the process that is required to be a musical artist. One specific goal I have for myself is to earn enough money off my music alone to sustain myself and continue to create more music. To see my progress so far, visit www.gracecorbett.com