Volunteering is such a rewarding experience. It is about giving time and skills to help others and make a positive impact on the community. Volunteering is not only helping others but gaining experiences and meeting new people along the way. It's a chance to learn new things like teamwork and problem solving skills. In my opinion, volunteering is very important because you give back to the community; many people may not realize how volunteering impacts other people in need. It allows you to make a difference in the lives of other people. You also have the power to bring joy, support, and hope to those who need it most of all. When volunteering, people may gain a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Throughout my high school years, I have had certain challenges and unique experiences with volunteering which has shaped me into who I am today. I have done many volunteer duties in the past several years such as: Amarillo National Food Bank, Saturday with Santa, Bushland High School fish camp, Hope Choice, Snack Pack for Kids, United Way canned food drive, and Bushland High School Booster Club. Some have impacted me more than others have, for example, the Amarillo National Food Bank. During the summer of 2021, I volunteered there with my grandma in which we filed papers and organized food. It impacted me because inside the warehouse, it was filled with plenty of food that was going to go to people in need. I never realized how many people needed food in my community until then. Another one that has changed me is when I helped deliver Christmas presents, with Hope Choice, to families that didn’t have much. We went to certain houses with children that were probably not going to get any presents for Christmas, but when we showed up, they had the biggest smiles on their face. Volunteering is a selfless act that brings people together and creates a sense of unity and compassion. People can help at a local event, tutor kids, donate items to shelters, clean the environment by picking up trash, or even work with animals at a shelter, but every bit of effort counts. Helping out my community by volunteering has given me memories that I will never forget. Without these opportunities, I do not know where I would be today. I am thankful for each and every one of these experiences and will be able to look back and reflect on the lessons I learned.

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ album is a work of art from top to bottom. It includes some of her most famous songs from “Blank Space” to “Shake It Off,” but my favorite song off the album is “Style.” I like this song the best because of its meaning and production. Of course, everyone knows that this song is about Harry Styles and that is why I love it. Harry Styles is one of my all-time favorite artists like Taylor Swift. What I love about this record the most is the title. How could you not like a song called “Style”? Taylor named it after Harry’s last name which is genius. Throughout it, she describes how they will never go out of style. Taylor Swift also includes her and Harry Styles's infamous paper necklaces that they used to wear when they were dating. She metaphorically compares him to James Dean and how he is very dreamy. I think the meaning behind this that makes it so interesting is even though they are not together, their past relationship is still very popular and will never go out of style. That is why Taylor Swift says that when they “go crashing down,” they will always “come back every time.” Her lyrics never fail to paint a picture for the listeners, and she painted a beautiful one in this song. Not only is the meaning behind the song my favorite but the way that the music video is produced and put together. The visuals in the music video are simple but complex. You can see that certain parts of Taylor are combined with the male actor in the video. It shows how he can not get his mind off of her. During certain scenes there are outlines of their bodies and inside are different scenes which are very unique and display a better picture. In other parts of the video there is broken glass to represent their feelings and a broken relationship, but even though it is broken there is still love somewhere that can be fixed. The video mainly shows how they are still a part of each other’s thoughts because they constantly think about one another. The music is also very catchy and is presented very well within the film. Taylor Swift did what she does best, which is creating a story for people to enjoy and that is why “Style” is the song I like the best from ‘1989’. This is a great record because of its context behind the song and the construction of it.

My dream version of myself is a successful, hard-working woman who leads and is a boss to others.