Since early high school, Billie Eilish has resonated with me in a deep and personal way. I find myself understood through her lyrics and musical genre. I find Eilish’s songs raw, current, and emotional on another level. It is rare to see these qualities in artists with a similar style to Eilish. Three songs that stick out to me most are ‘Happier Than Ever’, ‘everything i wanted’, and ‘idontwannabeyouanymore’. I chose these songs because I often listen to them and compare them to life experiences that shaped me into who I am today. These experiences resemble struggling with self-doubt, but eventually, they encourage me to express my inner voice. ‘Happier Than Ever’ describes a relationship between Eilish and someone she was with at the time. This relationship was not necessarily bad, but it was not healthy for her either. Years ago, I was part of a friendship that was uncomfortable for me. She was not a bad friend towards me, but I could tell by being around that friend that I was changing into someone that I did not recognize or want to become. Listening to the lyrics as a junior in high school, I saw similarities in that friendship and Eilish’s relationship described in the song. The following year, when that friend had moved to a different city, I felt that it was best to distance myself from her. Even though it was hard to let that friendship go, I realized that sometimes even things that are not harmful to you have to come to an end. In the song ‘everything i wanted’ it portrays how Eilish has a dream where she takes her own life and everyone turns her back on her, but one person. In early high school, I struggled with my mental health often because I felt as though I was often alone and struggled to make friends. However, listening to this song made me appreciate my best friend, who is still in my life today. In the music video for this song, Eilish appears to be struggling with something, but shows how her brother, who is also her best friend, is there for her. My best friend is like a sister to me and has been there for me through thick and thin. Even though at 21 years old I can still feel alone at times, ‘everything i wanted’ allows me to treasure the lifelong friendship that I do have. The final song, ‘idontwannabeyouanymore’ has resonated with me most of all. To me, the song expresses the conflict of attempting to be someone else due to societal expectations. For as long as I can remember, I have been in a constant battle of trying to become someone else, or trying too hard to be different from everyone else. Feeling comfortable in my skin is still a large struggle for me, but this song inspires me to be kinder to myself. The message of self-hatred portrayed in this song is so strong that it reminds me of what an awful feeling it is not to be comfortable in yourself. During times when I was unapologetically me, I remember being the happiest I have ever been. Because I can recall Eilish’s messages through song, I can try to remember to be better for myself and those around me. These three songs were released during different stages of my life, but have all led me through emotional and personal realizations about myself and the life I live. I am confident that Eilish’s music will continue to influence my identity, self-love, and overall outlook on life for years ahead.

With the new season of Love Island USA currently airing, my love for this show has grown even more since past seasons. Between all the drama, romance, and surprises that occur on this show, it’s hard not to feel excited for each new episode. My new Love Island challenge, Truth, Twists, and Temptation, is sure to bring some excitement into the villa because it combines all the aspects that make the show fun and entertaining to watch. For this challenge, each islander can pick from three different options: Truth, Twist, or Temptation. Regardless of the option they choose, drama is sure to ensue. If they choose Truth, they must answer a question honestly. Some questions could include “Which islander do you trust least?” or “Who would you most likely leave your current partner for?”. This option may seem easy to answer, but it is far from playing safe. Then there is Twist, where islanders have to accomplish a mini challenge. They could be asked to swap couples of their choosing or read secrets submitted by the islanders. Lastly, Temptation will test the islanders' attraction to one another. They could dance with someone, kiss someone they’re not coupled up with, or invite someone to the hideaway for a couple of minutes. Every islander gets a turn in this challenge, and the producers can tailor the questions and twists to the drama currently happening on the island to make it even more entertaining. It can test loyalty for one another, stir emotions, and allow islanders to reveal their honest feelings or intentions. This challenge blends romance, drama, and an unpredictable nature, which is what makes the show entertaining for viewers. The islanders can step out of their comfort zones and witness each other’s reactions. When the game gets personal, Love Island thrives. This challenge would lead to new connections, drama within couples, and gossip and tension between islanders.

For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about helping others. In a world where compassion is less common, it is important to remember to give back to others through acts of kindness and community service. Everyone has a personal purpose for how they can use their gifts and interests to help others the best. My purpose is to one day work with an arts nonprofit organization to provide quality arts experiences to everyone. As a child, I was always interested in helping others, but an early moment that sparked my interest even more was volunteering at church in the kids' area. From then on, I knew I had a special passion for helping young people. Later in high school, I joined Key Club, the high school branch of Kiwanis International. I was able to volunteer for various community service events, including ones in my school district’s elementary schools. I devoted considerable time to Key Club and even held two different leadership positions during my junior and senior years. In college, I joined a sorority, Pi Beta Phi. Read > Lead > Achieve is the philanthropic effort of Pi Phi, which aims to create a more literate and productive society. Apart from assisting at philanthropy events, I volunteered at Indy Reads, a nonprofit bookstore in Indianapolis, which aims to help build literacy skills, English language, and job readiness skills for adults and families. In my sorority, I also have a leadership director role. I have also had the privilege to be an intern at Arts for Learning, which provides arts education to the youth of Indiana, and the Garfield Park Arts Center, which the organization Friends of Garfield Park oversees. Overall, these moments taught me that serving others gave me a strong sense of humility, which made me feel fulfilled to a certain extent. Possessing those additional leadership aspects also allowed me to serve a group in a larger context, which gave me a look into what working for a nonprofit organization could be like. These moments demonstrated that I have a special interest in serving children using literacy or art, which influences what I want to achieve in my future career. A community effort I hope to be a part of is access to the arts for everyone, regardless of any factors. I got the opportunity to explore this effort in my Arts for Learning internship, where they provide arts programs in schools and community areas. Garfield Park Arts Center is similar; it provides an affordable and accessible wide range of artistic programs in classes. Wherever I end up after my studies, I aim to work towards these goals through my career or even through volunteer opportunities. My volunteer experience and efforts would honor Destiny because we have a shared value in caring for others through our philanthropic endeavors. I am proud of my strong work ethic and dedication to compassion for others through community service. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for the Our Destiny Our Future Scholarship and look forward to the potential financial support for my future community service endeavors.

@itsgwenpavich

Several weeks before the end of my 8th-grade year, a horrible instance occurred in my community that changed my perspective on gun control. It was just another day at school for me and my peers. I was sitting in my science class when the vice-principal suddenly announced that the school was on a code yellow. We were not really sure at the time what this meant, but we knew it wasn't good and our teacher seemed very worried when she checked her phone. Eventually, none of us were allowed to leave our classes, and my teacher finally told us what was happening. At the other middle school in our district, a student brought in a gun and shot another student. To say that we were scared was an understatement. So many questions ran through our heads at that time. Was the student who was shot ok, was anyone else hurt, who was the shooter, and was there someone with a gun in any of the other schools? Eventually, we learned that the shooter was arrested and the student shot was in critical condition but was alive. The teacher in the classroom was praised as a community hero for stopping the shooter by hitting him with a basketball and knocking him to the ground, potentially saving many lives. Ever since then, everyone in my town remembers that day as our motivation to prevent gun violence in schools. One easy thing that I do to address the issue of gun violence in schools is through social media. It's a fast and easy way to let the people around me know where I stand on this issue and maybe influence others' perspectives regarding this issue as well. It's also a very effective way to share organizations that fight for solving this issue as well explaining what they stand for and how they aim to fix the issue of gun violence. Every year, many people of all ages gather outside of the statehouse and will protest. I've seen in years priors that many of my friends have attended the protest in years past, and that convinced me to finally join them for the first time. At that moment, I felt like I was doing something more to support this cause than just simply talking about how bad it was from behind a screen. It was a great way for me to gather with people I knew for years and complete strangers who all shared a passion for speaking out against gun violence in schools. All in all, I personally feel that if someone feels very passionate about fighting a social issue, there are plenty of ways for them to get involved in their community no matter what way they feel comfortable or able to do.