There are many challenges that are faced when playing sports through high school. My biggest struggle was trying to find a balance with my mental and physical health, as well as my studies and performing my best in the sport that I play, which is volleyball. I have played volleyball ever since I was 9 years old, and my father passed away soon after I started playing. I have used this sport to help me cope with my father's passing. I always expected him to be at my high school games, and he was not able to be and that was hard to deal with and still is today. Everyone looks forward to their family cheering them on from the stands or the sidelines. This used to eat away at my mental health. Another thing is playing sports in high school is physically and mentally exhausting. During the season, I would have practice 5 times a week, and usually 3 to 4 games a week. My body was always in pain. That made it harder to help with chores around the house or simply clean my own room. I would have a lack of time to do the things that I loved like hang out with my friends or family and that would hurt me. I also had not a lot of time to study and prepare for tests, but I have always been a good student, so my grades did not suffer. I know that a lot of my teammate's grades did suffer though because of the lack of time, and we all were always stressed about the next test, on top of volleyball. This anxiety that I had would carry onto the court and I would not play to the best of my abilities. The biggest lesson that I have learned from being a student-athlete is to figure out a balance and organization. It took me a while to learn those but when I did it was like my eyes were opened. When I was physically feeling better because I made time to take care of myself, I would feel emotionally better and I was able to do the things that I needed to do like clean my room or do chores. I think time management and organization are one of the key things to being a student-athlete because if you are organized, you will play better and without stress. Volleyball has enhanced my life in many different ways. One of those ways, is that I have made many lifelong friends through this sport, and will meet many more in college. I still talk to my past coaches and my friends from my past teams. Volleyball has enhanced my life by teaching me basic life skills like how to manage my time. I can pay it forward by showing my appreciation and always strive to get better with my sport. I get to play volleyball in college, which is a privilege, and I will make sure that I keep it by remaining happy and healthy.

There are many challenges that are faced when playing sports through high school. My biggest struggle was trying to find a balance with my mental and physical health, as well as my studies and performing my best in the sport that I play, which is volleyball. I have played volleyball ever since I was 9 years old, and my father passed away soon after I started playing. I have used this sport to help me cope with my father's passing. I always expected him to be at my high school games, and he was not able to be and that was hard to deal with and still is today. Everyone looks forward to their family cheering them on from the stands or the sidelines. This used to eat away at my mental health. Another thing is playing sports in high school is physically and mentally exhausting. During the season, I would have practice 5 times a week, and usually 3 to 4 games a week. My body was always in pain. That made it harder to help with chores around the house or simply clean my own room. I would have a lack of time to do the things that I loved like hang out with my friends or family and that would hurt me. I also had not a lot of time to study and prepare for tests, but I have always been a good student, so my grades did not suffer. I know that a lot of my teammate's grades did suffer though because of the lack of time, and we all were always stressed about the next test, on top of volleyball. This anxiety that I had would carry onto the court and I would not play to the best of my abilities. The biggest lesson that I have learned from being a student-athlete is to figure out a balance and organization. It took me a while to learn those but when I did it was like my eyes were opened. When I was physically feeling better because I made time to take care of myself, I would feel emotionally better and I was able to do the things that I needed to do like clean my room or do chores. I think time management and organization are one of the key things to being a student-athlete because if you are organized, you will play better and without stress. Volleyball has enhanced my life in many different ways. One of those ways, is that I have made many lifelong friends through this sport, and will meet many more in college. I still talk to my past coaches and my friends from my past teams. Volleyball has enhanced my life by teaching me basic life skills like how to manage my time. I can pay it forward by showing my appreciation and always strive to get better with my sport. I get to play volleyball in college, which is a privilege, and I will make sure that I keep it by remaining happy and healthy.

I have learned many things from the books that I have read. One of them, is how to cope with my mental health issues. Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me. I read a book that helped me with this, it was called "make your bed." It taught me how to be a productive and functional human being. The author said that you start with making your bed, then you set organization for your life. He learned this in the military. I also read a lot of mystery books, and it teaches me how to be aware of my surroundings, and always know where the closest exit is, so that I never get into a bad situation where I will get hurt, mugged, or worst case, murdered. Books have taught me a lot, but what they have taught me most, is how to be a good and smart human being.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone. When I was little, because I would have panic attacks so much, I was put with the kids who needed a bit more help with their education. I had an amazing teacher names Ms. Taylor. She taught me the basics with math, and reading. She taught me how to be kind and understanding to people, and to never ever judge. Sadly, she was murdered. Her memory lives on in our community and in my heart. I have always loved to help people. If I can get the opportunity to help people with a field that I know best, which is physical therapy, I would love to do it. Watching people on my team get injured was the push that I needed to tell myself that I need to help others, and not let anyone feel the pain that they are feeling. Overall, my hardships with anxiety and with Ms. Taylor have taught me how to be gracious, kind, understanding, and overall a good human being.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone. When I was little, because I would have panic attacks so much, I was put with the kids who needed a bit more help with their education. I had an amazing teacher names Ms. Taylor. She taught me the basics with math, and reading. She taught me how to be kind and understanding to people, and to never ever judge. Sadly, she was murdered. Her memory lives on in our community and in my heart. I have always loved to help people. If I can get the opportunity to help people with a field that I know best, which is physical therapy, I would love to do it. Watching people on my team get injured was the push that I needed to tell myself that I need to help others, and not let anyone feel the pain that they are feeling. Overall, my hardships with anxiety and with Ms. Taylor have taught me how to be gracious, kind, understanding, and overall a good human being

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone. When I was little, because I would have panic attacks so much, I was put with the kids who needed a bit more help with their education. I had an amazing teacher names Ms. Taylor. She taught me the basics with math, and reading. She taught me how to be kind and understanding to people, and to never ever judge. Sadly, she was murdered. Her memory lives on in our community and in my heart. I have always loved to help people. If I can get the opportunity to help people with a field that I know best, which is physical therapy, I would love to do it. Watching people on my team get injured was the push that I needed to tell myself that I need to help others, and not let anyone feel the pain that they are feeling. Overall, my hardships with anxiety and with Ms. Taylor have taught me how to be gracious, kind, understanding, and overall a good human being.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, listen to music, sing, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. I would love to become a physical therapist when I am older, so that I can help other athletes and all people, get physically better and stronger. I love to help people, I love seeing the light shoot back into their eyes and I love it when people are happy and smile. I am committed to a junior college in south Carolina for volleyball, and I could not be more happy. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it for my spring concert. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing I love how through music, you can move an audience. When I sang the song to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, listen to music, sing, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. I would love to become a physical therapist when I am older, so that I can help other athletes and all people, get physically better and stronger. I love to help people, I love seeing the light shoot back into their eyes and I love it when people are happy and smile. I am committed to a junior college in south Carolina for volleyball, and I could not be more happy. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it for my spring concert. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing I love how through music, you can move an audience. When I sang the song to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

My parents divorce impacted me in many different ways. One of the ways, is that it made me realize that love is not all sunshine and butterflies. I know now that people can love each other, as well as fall out of love with each other. We are taught at a young age that you must be married by a certain age, and that it is supposed to be a loving, kind, and giving relationship. That is not always the case. Sometimes, people are very unhappy in their relationship, and they will need to get out of it. That is why in some cases, divorce is the best option. Watching my parents fight really hurt me as a little four-year-old child. I was jealous of all of my friends saying that their parents love each other and that their parents were together and happy, it hurt a lot to see just how much they loved each other too. My parents divorced when I was four, but I still remember just how hard it was on the family. I remember my mom was crying on the couch of her new apartment because she moved out of the house, and she said, "Mommy and Daddy are not living together anymore." That hurt me a lot, but I did not want to show it because she was upset, and I wanted to let her be upset and process her emotions. Divorce has taught me how to be emotionally intelligent. From a young age, I knew how to comfort people because I was so hurt by the divorce, and I did not want anyone to feel the same way that I did. My dad was hurt as well from the divorce. He did not make enough money to support paying the house, so he moved into his friend's house. He drank a lot during that time but was always a good father to me. My mom remarried when I was nine. My stepfather, Eric, is so sweet and is a perfect match for her. Although, it hurt me because it demolished a fantasy that I had of my parents getting back together. Then, shortly after, my dad passed away from drunk driving. My stepfather, Eric helped us greatly with all of us dealing with our grief. He was a shoulder to cry on and was someone we really needed. My dad, despite his faults and addiction issues, was always the best father he could be. Divorce has taught me many things, one of them being how to adapt. We would switch houses every three days, three days with my mom, and three days with my dad. It was always hard hauling my stuff to different houses, but it taught me how to compartmentalize and take only what I needed. I have learned many things. One of those things is that not everyone is meant for each other, and although divorce is not encouraged, at the end of the day, you have to prioritize your physical and emotional wellbeing.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing, and I don't know what I would do without him. I am going to a junior college with a volleyball scholarship. have been working a job on top of school and volleyball for money to be able to help my parents and support myself when I am going out of state. I am so excited to be able to further my education, while playing the sport that I love. I hope to become a physical therapist when I am older and when I am done with my education. I love to help others and am very knowledgeable with understanding physical injuries, since I am an athlete. I hope to be the best version of me that I can be in the future. My faith had played many different roles in my life. The loss of my father impacted me greatly. I lost my faith for the longest time because my mother got cancer after. I always wondered, "if there was a God, why create such awful things?" "Why give me the hardest battles?" That is where I was wrong. Free will and the devil is what creates these things, not God. My philosophy teacher has helped teach that to me. It is not God that is doing those things, and the devil is influencing me to feel that way against him. It is only recently that I have started to believe in God again, and I am very thankful to have turned towards him again. Through him I am able to do almost anything and knowing that has improved my confidence greatly. Whenever I am struggling, I turn to him, and ask him for help, and he helps me and guides me to how to get out of that situation or how to help myself. Overall, I have learned how to re love God, and that was the best decision that I could have ever made, and he has guided me to be where I am now.

When I was 14, I finally came out to my mom. It scared me. I was afraid of all of the stories I had heard about people getting kicked out of their houses, and their parents not accepting them. My mom has always been strict, so I was scared to say or do something that she did not approve of. My mom took it hard, and she did not talk to me for three weeks. She eventually came around to it and we are doing much better now. For me, college means, opportunity. It means the opportunity to be who I am unapologetically and happily, without fear of being ridiculed, while receiving the education that everyone deserves. I am going to a junior college for volleyball, and I could not be happier. I know that I will be respected and valued on the team. College means that I will get a head start in what I want to do in the future and will be successful in it. I will also get a new opportunity to make more friends and flourish socially. I spent my middle school and half of my high school years being afraid of what people might think of me, but now I am happy with myself, and it someone does not like me, then they do not like me, and do not have to be around me and I understand that now. I am trying to accomplish many things. one of those things, is happiness. Although I have already achieved happiness, there is no problem with wanting more. I want to keep my physical and mental health in check, so that I can succeed later in life and develop into a nice, and kind person. When I am out of college, I would love to become a physical therapist. I love to help people in whatever way that I can, whether that be to listen to them when they need someone to talk to or helping them with homework. I have played sports ever since I was five, so I would love to help people in a field that I know very well, which is helping athletes like me, get physically healthier. Overall, I am trying to be the best version of myself that I can be, while still being me and never changing that. I love to help people, and I'm sure that part of me is going to stay.

I think the movie that has had the greatest impact on me personally, was the movie Whiplash for many reasons. One of those reasons, is the way that it portrays mental health. We follow the main character, Andrew during his pursuance of greatness. He wants to be one of the stars in jazz drumming, or one of the greats. He pushes himself to extreme burnout. This movie explores the battle of mental health, as well as abuse, and burnout. In the movie, the music director leads Andrew on making him believe that he wants best for him, but his methods of doing so are inhumane. There is a scene where he asks Andrew if he is rushing or dragging the drum beat and asks him to count. Slightly after every time Andrew counts, he is slapped across the face by the director. There is another scene, where he throws a chair at Andrew. The director finds a way to manipulate Andrew into thinking that this is healthy, and that he is being pushed to be the best he can be, which he is, but at what cost? Does it cost your physical and emotional health? I have always wanted to be the best I can be, and in doing so, I have experienced my fair share of burnout and exhaustion. Andrew's outbursts of anger that are portrayed in this movie are very relatable to me. There is another scene, where Andrew breaks up with his girlfriend because he will not have enough time for her. I have felt like I have to cut off all of my relationships to be successful, but that is not needed. I have played volleyball from 9 until now, where I am going to play for college. I have experienced my fair share of not necessarily abuse, but unfair treatment from coaches. When I was on my 12s team, the coach would not let us eat anything that looked like sugar, not even a smoothie, and I had an unhealthy relationship with food because of that. I have also had the fear of replacement, which Andrew also has. It is hard to be the best you can be when you are always afraid that someone will take your place. Overall, I love this movie because I relate heavily to it. Andrew's experience with burnout and anger coming from mistreatment speak to me in ways that I cannot express, and Whiplash is my favorite movie.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone. This influences my outlook on education because I feel that there should be more awareness for depression and anxiety in students and I plan to raise awareness to it.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. I am going to a junior college with a volleyball scholarship, but because it is out of state, it makes it a lot less affordable. I have been working a job on top of school and volleyball for money to be able to help my parents and support myself when I am going out of state. I am so exited to be able to further my education, while playing the sport that I love. I hope to become a physical therapist when I am older and when I am done with my education. I love to help others and am very knowledgeable with understanding physical injuries, since I am an athlete. I hope to be the best version of me that I can be in the future.

I have always loved to sing. I have sung in my chorus since fourth grade and I have continued through my senior year. I am the cantor in mass and I do solos at the concerts that we have at our school. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing. When I sang It's Over, isn't It to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. I love the way that music makes you feel. I love the skilled vocalists. I love everything about it, and I love singing it. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. My teacher, Mr. Mac, told me to sing that song. I remember practicing it in the closet, because it was a free period in that class, and I did not want to disturb the peace. When I came out everyone in the class was clapping, saying how I sounded amazing, and Mr. Mac was one of those people. My mom used to be very strict, and she would take away everything that brought joy to me, including books. Mr. Mac offered for me to keep my books in his room, so they did not get taken. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, he was always there for me, no matter what. When my mom got cancer, he always asked me if I needed anything or that I could always talk to him if I needed too. He helped bring up my confidence to song in masses in my school and in the concerts that we have. My friends and I would sit in his class for lunch, because he had a free period and we would talk about all sorts of things, but he would never judge anything we said, and he would always listen. He would always help us if we needed help with anything. Overall he is the best teacher that I have ever had and I wish I could express just how thankful I am for him being apart of my life.

I have always loved to sing. I have sung in my chorus since fourth grade and I have continued through my senior year. I am the cantor in mass and I do solos at the concerts that we have at our school. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing. When I sang It's Over, isn't It to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. I love the way that music makes you feel. I love the skilled vocalists. I love everything about it, and I love singing it. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. My teacher, Mr. Mac, told me to sing that song. I remember practicing it in the closet, because it was a free period in that class, and I did not want to disturb the peace. When I came out everyone in the class was clapping, saying how I sounded amazing, and Mr. Mac was one of those people. My mom used to be very strict, and she would take away everything that brought joy to me, including books. Mr. Mac offered for me to keep my books in his room, so they did not get taken. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, he was always there for me, no matter what. When my mom got cancer, he always asked me if I needed anything or that I could always talk to him if I needed too. He helped bring up my confidence to song in masses in my school and in the concerts that we have. My friends and I would sit in his class for lunch, because he had a free period and we would talk about all sorts of things, but he would never judge anything we said, and he would always listen. He would always help us if we needed help with anything. Overall he is the best teacher that I have ever had and I wish I could express just how thankful I am for him being apart of my life.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

I have sung in my chorus since fourth grade, and I have continued through my senior year. I am the cantor in mass, and I do solos at the concerts that we have at our school. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it. That song means so much to me and I knew I the the right song to sing. When I sang It's Over, isn't It to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. I love the way that music makes you feel. I love everything about it, and I love singing it. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. I also have played competitive volleyball since I was nine years old. This has taught me many different things. one of them, is leadership. I have learned how to be more confident and stand my ground, while leading others into a positive direction. I was the team captain for three years, and it has taught me how to positively talk to people. I am not committed to a junior college for volleyball in South Carolina. I have learned how to positively communicate with people and that includes telling someone what they are doing wrong in a respectful way. I have gained a lot of friends by learning how to talk and communicate to people. If someone is struggling, I will ask them about it and try to help them come up with a solution. Sometimes, people do not want solutions, they just want someone to listen to them, and I am happy to do that. I remember one of my friends had a panic attack in class, and I took her outside and helped calm her down. I told her to look at her surroundings and tell me what she could see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Overall, learning how to be a leader has taught me how to communicate better, and it has helped me accomplish all of my goals that I have dreamed of, like playing college volleyball, singing in front of 500 people, and being a good, devout friend.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

There are many challenges that are faced when playing sports through high school. My biggest struggle was trying to find a balance with my mental and physical health, as well as my studies and performing my best in the sport that I play, which is volleyball. I have played volleyball ever since I was 9 years old, and my father passed away soon after I started playing. I have used this sport to help me cope with my father's passing. I always expected him to be at my high school games, and he was not able to be and that was hard to deal with and still is today. Everyone looks forward to their family cheering them on from the stands or the sidelines. This used to eat away at my mental health. Another thing is playing sports in high school is physically and mentally exhausting. During the season, I would have practice 5 times a week, and usually 3 to 4 games a week. My body was always in pain. That made it harder to help with chores around the house or simply clean my own room. I would have a lack of time to do the things that I loved like hang out with my friends or family and that would hurt me. I also had not a lot of time to study and prepare for tests, but I have always been a good student, so my grades did not suffer. I know that a lot of my teammate's grades did suffer though because of the lack of time, and we all were always stressed about the next test, on top of volleyball. This anxiety that I had would carry onto the court and I would not play to the best of my abilities. The biggest lesson that I have learned from being a student-athlete is to figure out a balance and organization. It took me a while to learn those but when I did it was like my eyes were opened. When I was physically feeling better because I made time to take care of myself, I would feel emotionally better and I was able to do the things that I needed to do like clean my room or do chores. I think time management and organization are one of the key things to being a student-athlete because if you are organized, you will play better and without stress.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

here are many challenges that are faced when playing sports through high school. My biggest struggle was trying to find a balance with my mental and physical health, as well as my studies and performing my best in the sport that I play, which is volleyball. I have played volleyball ever since I was 9 years old and my father passed away soon after I started playing. I have used this sport to help me cope with my father's passing. I always expected him to be at my high school games, and he was not able to be and that was hard to deal with and still is today. Everyone looks forward to their family cheering them on from the stands or the sidelines. This used to eat away at my mental health. Another thing is playing sports in high school is physically and mentally exhausting. During the season, I would have practice 5 times a week, and usually 3 to 4 games a week. My body was always in pain. That made it harder to help with chores around the house or simply clean my own room. I would have a lack of time to do the things that I loved like hang out with my friends or family and that would hurt me. I also had not a lot fo time to study and prepare for tests, but I have always been a good student so my grades did not suffer. I know that a lot of my teammate's grades did suffer though because of the lack of time, and we all were always stressed about the next test, on top of volleyball. This anxiety that I had would carry onto the court and I would not play to the best of my abilities. The biggest lesson that I have learned from being a student-athlete is to figure out a balance and organization. It took me a while to learn those but when I did it was like my eyes were opened. When I was physically feeling better because I made time to take care of myself, I would feel emotionally better and I was able to do the things that I needed to do like clean my room or do chores. I think time management and organization are one of the key things to being a student-athlete because if you are organized, you will play better and without stress.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I just remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling, and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone. Overall, my struggles with depression, anxiety, and ADHD have taught me how to be more compassionate and understanding with other people, as well as being patient. It has taught me how to strive for excellence, and nothing below. If I do not strive for excellence, then I will never achieve it, which will send me back into a depression. As long as I do he best i can do with everything, then I will not fall back into a depression.

When I was 14, I finally came out to my mom. It scared me. I was afraid of all of the stories I had heard about people getting kicked out of their houses, and their parents not accepting them. My mom has always been strict, so I was scared to say or do something that she did not approve of. My mom took it hard, and she did not talk to me for three weeks. She eventually came around to it and we are doing much better now. My close friends know that I am bisexual, and they are okay with that. That is how I know I have chosen the best group of friends to be a group with. It shows that I represent equality for all people, regardless of my sexuality, and it also shows that I do not care who you are, as long as you treat others with respect and kindness. I have seen some of my other friends not be treated well because they are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and it makes me so sad. I am so lucky to have not experienced much biphobia or homophobia. I do hear a lot "just pick a side," like that is possible. Coming out was a huge stress reliever to me, I felt like a weight was coming off of my shoulders. Although not everyone will approve of me being bisexual, they do not have to. I am happy to not be a part of those people's lives, and to just live my own best and happiest life. I would say that I represent equality and happiness. If I did not come out, I would be hiding something. When I am hiding something from people, I am much less happy, since I am a very open person naturally. I also represent the importance of honesty. If I was not honest to people about who and what I am, then people would not know the real me, and that would make me a faker or a liar. I chose the major I did because I love to help people, and if I can help people through a field that I know very well (being physically active), it would make me the happiest that I could be. I am going to be a physical therapist and major in that. Overall coming out made me more of an honest, equal, understanding, and happy person. I encourage everyone who is thinking about coming out to do it if it works with their circumstances. I understand the people who cannot, and my heart goes out to all of those people, but for the people that can, do not be scared, you will feel so relieved and much, much happier.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

When I was about 14, my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer. My dad had passed away from drunk driving, so this instilled a huge and real fear in me that I could lose my mom as well. I remember going to my choir teacher and crying because of how scared I was to lose my mom. She fought hard to get rid of it and is still fighting to this day and I am 18 years old now. It was a scary time in my life, I thought I would lose the one parent I had left. My mom has always pushed me to be the best version of myself, and that is what I continue to be. I have earned myself a spot on a JC team in South Carolina for volleyball, and I worked so hard for that. I have always been an honor roll student, and she has pushed me to be the best volleyball player and student that I could be. She has always been so happy to see all of the accomplishments that I have achieved and gotten, and she has always been there for me when I needed her the most. You always take parents for granted, since they are required to be there and take care of you, but many kids do not realize the time, money, and everything else that they sacrifice. My mom's experience has taught me how to be a more sympathetic and understanding person. I have always been that kind of person, but now I understand what it is like to have a parent with cancer, and it is terrifying. It has also taught me how to care for people. there were a lot of times that my mom needed a shoulder to cry on, and someone to be there for her, and I was always there for her when I could be. My mom having cancer has also taught me how to be a healthier person. My mom's cancer came from her environment, which means what she ate and was around. This has taught me to eat better and healthier foods and watch what I am doing and putting into my body. Instead of the artificially made candies, I will have fruits for a dessert, as well as water instead of a soda. Overall, my mom having cancer has taught me how to be more understanding, and caring. It has also taught me how to care for others as well as myself. I have accomplished so much in my life because of my mom, and i'm so happy that she is still here to push me more.

When I was 14, I finally came out to my mom. It scared me. I was afraid of all of the stories I had heard about people getting kicked out of their houses, and their parents not accepting them. My mom has always been strict, so I was scared to say or do something that she did not approve of. My mom took it hard, and she did not talk to me for three weeks. She eventually came around to it and we are doing much better now. My close friends know that I am bisexual, and they are okay with that. That is how I know I have chosen the best group of friends to be a group with. It shows that I represent equality for all people, regardless of my sexuality, and it also shows that I do not care who you are, as long as you treat others with respect and kindness. I have seen some of my other friends not be treated well because they are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and it makes me so sad. I am so lucky to have not experienced much biphobia or homophobia. I do hear a lot "just pick a side," like that is possible. Coming out was a huge stress reliever to me, I felt like a weight was coming off of my shoulders. Although not everyone will approve of me being bisexual, they do not have to. I am happy to not be a part of those peoples lives, and to just live my own best and happiest life. I would say that I represent equality and happiness. If I did not come out, I would be hiding something. When I am hiding something from people I am much less happy, since I am a very open person naturally. I also represent the importance of honesty. If I was not honest to people about who and what I am, then people would not know the real me, and that would make me a faker or a liar. Overall coming out made me more of an honest, equal, understanding, and happy person. I encourage everyone who is thinking about coming out to do it if it works with their circumstances. I understand the people who cannot, and my heart goes out to all of those people, but for the people that can, do not be scared, you will feel so relieved and much, much happier.

The loss of my father, Michael David Kerestes, has impacted me in ways that I would not have expected. My father lost his life in a motorcycle accident while driving drunk, and that has left me to spiral with questions. Why would he do something so risky when he knows he has kids waiting for him at home? As I got older, I realized that people under the influence do not think that way, and only think about the action that they want to do, and not the consequences. Even if they do, they think "It will never happen to me, or What are the chances?" In a way, my father's death has taught me how to be more sympathetic. When my mom told me that my dad had passed away, my older brother ran into his room and went to bed and cried, but I wanted to make sure he was okay, so I went in and asked him if he was okay. He pushed me off of the bed, but I understood that he was just as upset as I was and that he didn't mean to hurt me by pushing me off of the bed. I was out of school for two weeks, and my teachers and other students were very sympathetic to me. All of my work was excused for those two weeks and my classmates were super nice to me and showed nothing but kindness. This taught me to treat others how I want to be treated, and always be understanding and kind. I was 4 when my parents divorced. My mom and dad both struggled financially after that. My mom moved in with her parents until she could afford an apartment, and my father could not pay for our house and so he moved in with a friend. My mom found a boyfriend who she married and he has been my stepdad for about 8 years now, and just shy of a year, my father passed. My stepdad was able to help financially with the costs of the house. I remember when one of my teachers reached out to my mom to ask her if she wanted anything and it hit my mom that it wasn't the big things like taxes that were hard to take care of, it was the little things. She broke down on the phone asking for little things like toilet paper, toothpaste, and shampoo. My father passed when I was eight years old and my brother when he was nine since he is one and a half years older than me. One thing I was not expecting was how hard the leap to high school would be without him. I expected him to be there for everything, from helping me with my math to watching my volleyball games, but he was not. My grades struggled at the beginning of freshman year because the change from a small catholic school to a high school was significant to me. This change made me think about him and my family more, so I would always track my parents on my phone to make sure they were able to pick me up and that nothing bad happened to them. When they were late, I would panic and fear something bad would happen to them. Fortunately, My mom and stepdad are still with me today, helping me and supporting me with whatever I do.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It's been a part of my life for a long time. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. Thoughts like, I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. I am happy to say that I do not have depression anymore.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, listen to music, sing, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. I would love to become a physical therapist when I am older, so that I can help other athletes and all people, get physically better and stronger. I love to help people, I love seeing the light shoot back into their eyes and I love it when people are happy and smile. I am committed to a junior college in south Carolina for volleyball, and I could not be more happy. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it for my spring concert. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing I love how through music, you can move an audience. When I sang the song to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. Right now I have a 50% scholarship to Hesston College for volleyball, but because it is out of state (I live in Florida) and a private college, that makes it so much more expensive. My family can not afford to send me to Hesston on that scholarship alone, and they want me to pursue my dream of playing volleyball in college just as much as I do. The reality is right now that the possibility of me going is not very high. I have been applying for scholarships, hoping that I get them, but it is so difficult. Every time I think of leaving my volleyball dream behind, I cry. It means so much to me to be on that court with the five other people on it and play, and my dream is to do that in college, but the possibility of me doing that is very slim. With this scholarship, it will help me pay for my dream to play in college and I will do many good things with it. The first thing I will do, is work really hard in my studies and make sure I can get the best grades that I can in order to get my life started and organized in college. In doing this I will maintain my volleyball scholarship and be able to play in Kansas (where Hesston College is.) The second I get an opportunity I will give back to the community with whatever I can like service, giving money to the schools or people who need it. I plan on going into physical sciences. I want to be able to help other people with my knowledge of sports, which I have played my whole life. Being able to play volleyball in college for four years on a division two team is my absolute dream that I have worked since I was nine to achieve and I would love to use this scholarship to accomplish my dreams.

Music has affected my life during high school in many ways. In fact, I am listening to music to help me write this essay. Music has been an important part of me for so long, ever since I was a little child. I have always loved to sing. I have sung in my chorus since fourth grade and I have continued through my senior year. I am the cantor in mass and I do solos at the concerts that we have at our school. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing. I also listen to a lot of music, from Slipknot to Classical, I love every genre of music you can think of. I love exploring new music and new artists. Listening to music is probably my favorite thing to do in my free time, as well as singing. It can make you feel so many different types of emotions, from feeling sad one minute, to happy the next. You can also listen to music to keep concentration or to pass the time. I love to listen to music when I am in the car or when I am writing essays or papers. It is also a way to express myself. Depending on how I am feeling I can listen to a song to help me feel and process my emotions, for example, if I am feeling sad I can listen to a sad song to help me with my feelings, or I can listen to a happy song to bring up my mood. I love how with music, you can move an audience. When I sang It's Over, isn't It to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. I love the way that music makes you feel. I love the skilled vocalists. I love everything about it, and I love singing it. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. I think everyone listens to music differently and enjoys it differently. And I love the diversity that it has.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. Right now I have a 50% scholarship to Hesston College for volleyball, but because it is out of state (I live in Florida) and a private college, that makes it so much more expensive. My family can not afford to send me to Hesston on that scholarship alone, and they want me to pursue my dream of playing volleyball in college just as much as I do. The reality is right now that the possibility of me going is not very high. I have been applying for scholarships, hoping that I get them, but it is so difficult. Every time I think of leaving my volleyball dream behind, I cry. It means so much to me to be on that court with the five other people on it and play, and my dream is to do that in college, but the possibility of me doing that is very slim. With this scholarship, it will help me pay for my dream to play in college and I will do many good things with it. The first thing I will do, is work really hard in my studies and make sure I can get the best grades that I can in order to get my life started and organized in college. In doing this I will maintain my volleyball scholarship and be able to play in Kansas (where Hesston College is.) The second I get an opportunity I will give back to the community with whatever I can like service, giving money to the schools or people who need it. I plan on going into physical sciences. I want to be able to help other people with my knowledge of sports, which I have played my whole life. Being able to play volleyball in college for four years on a division two team is my absolute dream that I have worked since I was nine to achieve and I would love to use this scholarship to accomplish my dreams.

I am a fan of Sabrina Carpenter for many reasons. One of those reasons is that she has taught me how to be comfortable in my body. In her tours and shows, she is wearing more revealing clothes and it has inspired me to be more confident in my body, just like she is. I also love to act, just like she does. She has inspired me to participate in school plays and pursue my dream of acting. Just like Sabrina Carpenter, I love to sing, and she has taught me different ways of singing, just by listening to her. She can belt, and go to falsetto in a matter of seconds. She is inspiring to me in many ways. One of those ways is how she can be so successful in so many careers. She was an actress, then a singer, and she can be both at the same time, that is skill. She inspires me to be the best I can be because if she can juggle all of that, then I can handle what life throws at me. I love her music, and she has inspired me to do so many things that I never imagined I would be doing.

Chappell Roan's music has impacted me in many different ways. One of those ways is that she has helped me stand up for myself more. There was one red carpet moment that I remember and it was when a photographer told her to shut up and she told the photographer to shut up. She said after not me. She does not anyone walk over her and she earns a lot of my respect for that. I try to follow in her footsteps with that and I am a more confident person and I stand up fro myself more. She has also helped me be more comfortable with my sexuality. I am bisexual and it took me a long time to be at peace with that. I grew up in a small catholic circle and I was always told that it was wrong to like the same gender, so I was always thinking, what is wrong with me? After listening to her music I have realized that there is nothing wrong with me and that is just how I am. I can not change the fact that I like both genders, and that fact just makes me a part of who I am.

Music has affected my life during high school in many ways. In fact, I am listening to music to help me write this essay. Music has been an important part of me for so long, ever since I was a little child. I have always loved to sing. I have sung in my chorus since fourth grade and I have continued through my senior year. I am the cantor in mass and I do solos at the concerts that we have at our school. I sang a childhood song from the TV show Steven Universe called It's Over, isn't it. That song means so much to me and I knew I chose the right song to sing. I also listen to a lot of music, from Slipknot to Classical, I love every genre of music you can think of. I love exploring new music and new artists. Listening to music is probably my favorite thing to do in my free time, as well as singing. It can make you feel so many different types of emotions, from feeling sad one minute, to happy the next. You can also listen to music to keep concentration or to pass the time. I love to listen to music when I am in the car or when I am writing essays or papers. It is also a way to express myself. Depending on how I am feeling I can listen to a song to help me feel and process my emotions, for example, if I am feeling sad I can listen to a sad song to help me with my feelings, or I can listen to a happy song to bring up my mood. I love how with music, you can move an audience. When I sang It's Over, isn't It to the crowd at the spring concert, I watched some people cry. I love the way that music makes you feel. I love the skilled vocalists. I love everything about it, and I love singing it. Singing also helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem with myself. I used to be a very closed-off person, but when I started singing, I broke out of my shell and started to become more social and more open to people. Singing really did a number on my confidence in a positive way. I think everyone listens to music differently and enjoys it differently. And I love the diversity that it has.

In the perfect ending for this series, I think the main point that would satisfy me is for Carmen to finally be happy. It is no secret that in this series, he has been struggling with trauma from his family and from the loss of his brother. I can relate because I lost my father and one of my close friends to suicide, and it is one of the hardest things that I have gone through. To see him be at peace with himself would make me happy. I hope that he disassociates from being obsessed with cooking to enjoying it. He has been using cooking as an escape from his family, but now tat his family is less involved, he should grow away from this harmful obsession with his work. I would love to see some personal growth and development and for him to be able to love someone without sacrificing his work. He needs to learn how to balance love and work and that was a big struggle in season two, and I would love it if he just had some personal development with himself and became a better person in the process. I feel like this, would make the perfect ending.

The lyric I am choosing for this essay is from Vampire and it is "Bleed me dry like a vampire." As a teenager, I have experienced a lot of burnout. I have played school and club volleyball, as well as beach volleyball for the past 9 years and I have been on the honor roll all of those years. This is very hard to do. I also love to hang out with my friends and I have a job that I work on the weekends, so my schedule is filled 7 days a week with nonstop sports, school, and work. Keeping up with all of these things is exhausting and tiring, but I love to do it. For many students, it is hard to do just school alone, and they might feel like it is sucking them dry. School is 7 hours of your day, every day, 5 days a week and it is tiring. The concentration, the note-taking, and the tests. I know with my test anxiety I get so overwhelmed when there is a test coming up and I will study all day for it and it will take up all of my time. Having relationships can either be good or not good for you. A lot of high school students are immature and treat others poorly. My first boyfriend would always threaten to do harmful things to himself or others if I wouldn't give him the desired attention that he was looking for, and I just felt so used, but I also felt like I couldn't get out of it because what would he do to himself or other people? But sometimes relationships can be a good thing, but that does not mean that they cannot be tiring and exhausting. Friends can also be tiring as well. If you get into the wrong crowd, you could be used or taken advantage of. When I was in my freshmen year, I got into the wrong crowd of people who used and abused my kindness and after I left them I figured ou my worth and how I deserve to be treated as a person. Olivia Rodrigo's music has always meant a lot to me. I feel like she perfectly explains the troubles and problems that most or all teenagers go through, from burnout to bad relationships, to the good ones that you make along the way, Olivia Rodrigo always has a song for you to listen to.

My top three Billie Eilish songs are I don't wanna be you anymore, Happier then ever edit, and what was I made for. I remember when I first listened to I don't wanna be you anymore, I cried, because it was so relatable to me. I listened to that song for the first time in 7th grade, and I was going through a lot then. My body was changing and I still had some baby fat that I was not fond of. Listening to that song brought comfort to me like a soft blanket. When I first listened to Happier then ever edit, I had just gone through what I would still call the worst breakup of my life. My ex was not a good person, he would use his life against me, threatening to do awful things to himself if I didn't stay with him and he lied about our whole relationship when we broke up. This song makes me feel seen in the horrible experience that dating him was. I first listened to what was I made for when the Barbie movie came out, and it made me realize just how much better my body dysmorphia and depression had gotten since middle school. Listening to that song brought back memories, and it made me proud of where I am today.

There are many challenges that are faced when playing sports through high school. My biggest struggle was trying to find a balance with my mental and physical health, as well as my studies and performing my best in the sport that I play, which is volleyball. I have played volleyball ever since I was 9 years old and my father passed away soon after I started playing. I have used this sport to help me cope with my father's passing. I always expected him to be at my high school games, and he was not able to be and that was hard to deal with and still is today. Everyone looks forward to their family cheering them on from the stands or the sidelines. This used to eat away at my mental health. Another thing is playing sports in high school is physically and mentally exhausting. During the season, I would have practice 5 times a week, and usually 3 to 4 games a week. My body was always in pain. That made it harder to help with chores around the house or simply clean my own room. I would have a lack of time to do the things that I loved like hang out with my friends or family and that would hurt me. I also had not a lot fo time to study and prepare for tests, but I have always been a good student so my grades did not suffer. I know that a lot of my teammate's grades did suffer though because of the lack of time, and we all were always stressed about the next test, on top of volleyball. This anxiety that I had would carry onto the court and I would not play to the best of my abilities. The biggest lesson that I have learned from being a student-athlete is to figure out a balance and organization. It took me a while to learn those but when I did it was like my eyes were opened. When I was physically feeling better because I made time to take care of myself, I would feel emotionally better and I was able to do the things that I needed to do like clean my room or do chores. I think time management and organization are one of the key things to being a student-athlete because if you are organized, you will play better and without stress.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. Right now I have a 50% scholarship to Hesston College for volleyball, but because it is out of state (I live in Florida) and a private college, that makes it so much more expensive. My family can not afford to send me to Hesston on that scholarship alone, and they want me to pursue my dream of playing volleyball in college just as much as I do. The reality is right now that the possibility of me going is not very high. I have been applying for scholarships, hoping that I get them, but it is so difficult. Every time I think of leaving my volleyball dream behind, I cry. It means so much to me to be on that court with the five other people on it and play, and my dream is to do that in college, but the possibility of me doing that is very slim. With this scholarship, it will help me pay for my dream to play in college and I will do many good things with it. The first thing I will do, is work really hard in my studies and make sure I can get the best grades that I can in order to get my life started and organized in college. In doing this I will maintain my volleyball scholarship and be able to play in Kansas (where Hesston College is.) The second I get an opportunity I will give back to the community with whatever I can like service, giving money to the schools or people who need it. I plan on going into physical sciences. I want to be able to help other people with my knowledge of sports, which I have played my whole life. Being able to play volleyball in college for four years on a division two team is my absolute dream that I have worked since I was nine to achieve and I would love to use this scholarship to accomplish my dreams.

When I was four, my mom and dad divorced. My parents both moved out of the house due to financial struggles, and my mom went to live with her parents until she could afford an apartment for herself. My dad went to live with his friend. My mom got married to my stepdad when I was eight, and just shy of a year, my dad passed. During the time that my parents were divorced, I saw just how much they both did for me. My father did not have much money, but he always made sure to get us chocolate milk, slim Jim, and a sandwich for lunch, (the chocolate milk made the lunch 1,000 times better.) He always did his best to provide the most for us with the little that he had. He would always play Super Mario Bros with me and my brother whenever he had the chance and watch Dragon Ball Z. He really made my childhood as childlike and stress-free as he could, and he succeeded in that. My mother was always more strict than my dad was. She would make us go to bed early at a certain time and make sure we always had our assignments done as soon as they were assigned. I have grown up to realize that she was conditioning us to be the best that we could ever be and to always be organized and always have what needed to be done and completed. I understand all of the things that she did for us. Every morning, she would make us pancakes and pack us healthy lunches. Every night we would watch America's Funniest Home Videos before we would go to sleep. My stepfather has helped with a lot of things too. He helped me cope with the loss of my father and stepped in to be a father figure when he passed, and I cannot thank him enough for that. He has helped me get to where I am today and has also helped me with applying for scholarships. All of the people who have influenced me in my life have taught me to be sympathetic, caring, loving, and selfless. From my dad always making sure I have the best lunch to make all of the other kids jealous, to my mom always having a schedule for us to follow to be organized, to my stepdad stepping in as my father figure, they have taught me how to e the person I am today

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. Right now I have a 50% scholarship to Hesston College for volleyball, but because it is out of state (I live in Florida) and a private college, that makes it so much more expensive. My family can not afford to send me to Hesston on that scholarship alone, and they want me to pursue my dream of playing volleyball in college just as much as I do. The reality is right now that the possibility of me going is not very high. I have been applying for scholarships, hoping that I get them, but it is so difficult. Every time I think of leaving my volleyball dream behind, I cry. It means so much to me to be on that court with the five other people on it and play, and my dream is to do that in college, but the possibility of me doing that is very slim. With this scholarship, it will help me pay for my dream to play in college and I will do many good things with it. The first thing I will do, is work really hard in my studies and make sure I can get the best grades that I can in order to get my life started and organized in college. In doing this I will maintain my volleyball scholarship and be able to play in Kansas (where Hesston College is.) The second I get an opportunity I will give back to the community with whatever I can like service, giving money to the schools or people who need it. I plan on going into physical sciences. I want to be able to help other people with my knowledge of sports, which I have played my whole life. Being able to play volleyball in college for four years on a division two team is my absolute dream that I have worked since I was nine to achieve and I would love to use this scholarship to accomplish my dreams.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

Hello! My name is Hailey Kerestes. I am a determined, hardworking person with a kind heart and during my free time, I hang out with my friends, write short stories, and play volleyball. I have played volleyball since I was 9, and that is when my dad passed away. It left my family with a hole that we can never rebuild. My stepdad has done his best to fill that hole and he is amazing and I don't know what I would do without him. Right now I have a 50% scholarship to Hesston College for volleyball, but because it is out of state (I live in Florida) and a private college, that makes it so much more expensive. My family can not afford to send me to Hesston on that scholarship alone, and they want me to pursue my dream of playing volleyball in college just as much as I do. The reality is right now that the possibility of me going is not very high. I have been applying for scholarships, hoping that I get them, but it is so difficult. Every time I think of leaving my volleyball dream behind, I cry. It means so much to me to be on that court with the five other people on it and play, and my dream is to do that in college, but the possibility of me doing that is very slim. With this scholarship, it will help me pay for my dream to play in college and I will do many good things with it. The first thing I will do, is work really hard in my studies and make sure I can get the best grades that I can in order to get my life started and organized in college. In doing this I will maintain my volleyball scholarship and be able to play in Kansas (where Hesston College is.) The second I get an opportunity I will give back to the community with whatever I can like service, giving money to the schools or people who need it. I plan on going into physical sciences. I want to be able to help other people with my knowledge of sports, which I have played my whole life. Being able to play volleyball in college for four years on a division two team is my absolute dream that I have worked since I was nine to achieve and I would love to use this scholarship to accomplish my dreams.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. I went into a spiral of these thoughts and I didn't feel good enough. I just remember breaking down and crying to my teacher. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. Or something called box breathing. This is a technique where you pretend that you are breathing a box. For example, breathe in for four seconds, then hold it for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then relax, and it is a constant loop of that, like a square. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone, with no sign of it returning anytime soon.

The loss of my father, Michael David Kerestes, has impacted me in ways that I would not have expected. My father lost his life in a motorcycle accident while driving drunk, and that has left me to spiral with questions. Why would he do something so risky when he knows he has kids waiting for him at home? As I got older, I realized that people under the influence do not think that way, and only think about the action that they want to do, and not the consequences. Even if they do, they think "It will never happen to me, or What are the chances?" In a way, my father's death has taught me how to be more sympathetic. When my mom told me that my dad had passed away, my older brother ran into his room and went to bed and cried, but I wanted to make sure he was okay, so I went in and asked him if he was okay. He pushed me off of the bed, but I understood that he was just as upset as I was and that he didn't mean to hurt me by pushing me off of the bed. I was out of school for two weeks, and my teachers and other students were very sympathetic to me. All of my work was excused for those two weeks and my classmates were super nice to me and showed nothing but kindness. This taught me to treat others how I want to be treated, and always be understanding and kind. I was 4 when my parents divorced. My mom and dad both struggled financially after that. My mom moved in with her parents until she could afford an apartment, and my father could not pay for our house and so he moved in with a friend. My mom found a boyfriend who she married and he has been my stepdad for about 8 years now, and just shy of a year, my father passed. My stepdad was able to help financially with the costs of the house. I remember when one of my teachers reached out to my mom to ask her if she wanted anything and it hit my mom that it wasn't the big things like taxes that were hard to take care of, it was the little things. She broke down on the phone asking for little things like toilet paper, toothpaste, and shampoo. My father passed when I was eight years old and my brother when he was nine since he is one and a half years older than me. One thing I was not expecting was how hard the leap to high school would be without him. I expected him to be there for everything, from helping me with my math to watching my volleyball games, but he was not. My grades struggled at the beginning of freshman year because the change from a small catholic school to a high school was significant to me. This change made me think about him and my family more, so I would always track my parents on my phone to make sure they were able to pick me up and that nothing bad happened to them. When they were late, I would panic and fear something bad would happen to them. Fortunately, My mom and stepdad are still with me today, helping me and supporting me with whatever I do.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

When I was four, my mom and dad divorced. My parents both moved out of the house due to financial struggles, and my mom went to live with her parents until she could afford an apartment for herself. My dad went to live with his friend. My mom got married to my stepdad when I was eight, and just shy of a year, my dad passed. During the time that my parents were divorced, I saw just how much they both did for me. My father did not have much money, but he always made sure to get us chocolate milk, slim Jim, and a sandwich for lunch, (the chocolate milk made the lunch 1,000 times better.) He always did his best to provide the most for us with the little that he had. He would always play Super Mario Bros with me and my brother whenever he had the chance and watch Dragon Ball Z. He really made my childhood as childlike and stress-free as he could, and he succeeded in that. My mother was always more strict than my dad was. She would make us go to bed early at a certain time and make sure we always had our assignments done as soon as they were assigned. I have grown up to realize that she was conditioning us to be the best that we could ever be and to always be organized and always have what needed to be done and completed. I understand all of the things that she did for us. Every morning, she would make us pancakes and pack us healthy lunches. Every night we would watch America's Funniest Home Videos before we would go to sleep. My stepfather has helped with a lot of things too. He helped me cope with the loss of my father and stepped in to be a father figure when he passed, and I cannot thank him enough for that. He has helped me get to where I am today and has also helped me with applying for scholarships. All of the people who have influenced me in my life have taught me to be sympathetic, caring, loving, and selfless. From my dad always making sure I have the best lunch to make all of the other kids jealous, to my mom always having a schedule for us to follow to be organized, to my stepdad stepping in as my father figure, they have taught me how to e the person I am today.

Over the course of my life, I have dealt with Anxiety. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had my first panic attack in eighth grade when I got a bad grade on a test that I really studied for. I remember the feeling of just pure panic and fear. What was my mom going to think? I'm a failure, I can't do anything. These continued to happen through high school, usually after tests that I would study for and get a bad grade on, or when my parents would get upset with me. Sometimes it would happen for little things, like if my room wasn't cleaned. I have learned different ways to cope with my anxiety and panic attacks. The most effective for me is something called box breathing. This is when you hold your breath for four seconds, then exhale for four seconds, then repeat. This has helped me calm down and continue with my day. Overall, it has taught me to be more empathetic to what people are going through and how to help people out of panic attacks. I have also struggled with depression in my life. I have ADHD, and because of that, I have tried numerous medications to help me concentrate. Some of the ones I tried, did not work in my system and would make me depressed. I remember one time when I was 6 years old, I came home from school telling my mom that I wanted to die because the medication made me so miserable. As I got older, I found the medication that worked well with me, but I still had problems with depression. During covid 19 is when my mental health spiraled. My mom and I did not have the best relationship then, and I was miserable all the time. After covid and in my high school years, I struggled with thoughts of if I mattered in this world, and if anyone would miss me if I was gone. In my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with depression and just knowing that I had I put a label on how I was feeling and I felt so much better. I started going to a therapist and she helped me cope and learn how to process and learn how to handle situations without feeling depressed or bad. To this day I still struggle with anxiety, but a healthy amount, and I am happy to say that my depression is gone.

The loss of my father, Michael David Kerestes, has impacted me in ways that I would not have expected. My father lost his life in a motorcycle accident while driving drunk, and that has left me to spiral with questions. Why would he do something so risky when he knows he has kids waiting for him at home? As I got older, I realized that people under the influence do not think that way, and only think about the action that they want to do, and not the consequences. Even if they do, they think "It will never happen to me, or What are the chances?" In a way, my father's death has taught me how to be more sympathetic. When my mom told me that my dad had passed away, my older brother ran into his room and went to bed and cried, but I wanted to make sure he was okay, so I went in and asked him if he was okay. He pushed me off of the bed, but I understood that he was just as upset as I was and that he didn't mean to hurt me by pushing me off of the bed. I was out of school for two weeks, and my teachers and other students were very sympathetic to me. All of my work was excused for those two weeks and my classmates were super nice to me and showed nothing but kindness. This taught me to treat others how I want to be treated, and always be understanding and kind. I was 4 when my parents divorced. My mom and dad both struggled financially after that. My mom moved in with her parents until she could afford an apartment, and my father could not pay for our house and so he moved in with a friend. My mom found a boyfriend who she married and he has been my stepdad for about 8 years now, and just shy of a year, my father passed. My stepdad was able to help financially with the costs of the house. I remember when one of my teachers reached out to my mom to ask her if she wanted anything and it hit my mom that it wasn't the big things like taxes that were hard to take care of, it was the little things. She broke down on the phone asking for little things like toilet paper, toothpaste, and shampoo. My father passed when I was eight years old and my brother when he was nine since he is one and a half years older than me. One thing I was not expecting was how hard the leap to high school would be without him. I expected him to be there for everything, from helping me with my math to watching my volleyball games, but he was not. My grades struggled at the beginning of freshman year because the change from a small catholic school to a high school was significant to me. This change made me think about him and my family more, so I would always track my parents on my phone to make sure they were able to pick me up and that nothing bad happened to them. When they were late, I would panic and fear something bad would happen to them. Fortunately, My mom and stepdad are still with me today, helping me and supporting me with whatever I do.