As an aspiring teacher, I have always been excited to teach younger students about various different subjects. I have not only brainstormed the different ways to make learning enjoyable but have made it my priority to expand on these ideas to make learning memorable. To me, learning is more than just learning about a new topic and doing a few activities. Learning is about diving deeper into a subject, finding ways to connect topics to children’s lives, and exploring the various pieces of a subject, gaining the most knowledge possible. Learning is about having fun, learning from others, and exploring amazing new opportunities and ideas. It is about opening our minds up to the wonders of this world. With this in mind, I have made it my goal, as a future teacher, to make learning fun and to find a multitude of ways to creatively teach each subject in school. However, among the various subjects that I will creatively teach, I have so many fun and engaging ideas for the subject of reading. Reading was a big part of my life growing up and it was the highlight of my school days. Being able to visit the library, explore new genres, hear amazing stories, and be able to tell my mom all about them made school exciting for me. It is this love for reading that was inspired by the many ways that my own teachers made reading engaging and exciting. In the future, I plan to have a featured reading theme week. One where the students and I will explore various books pertaining to a specific theme, making theme connections between school and home. I will schedule a library visit to encourage students to explore more books with a specific theme, setting up a group discussion with the librarian, allowing the students to learn from different perspectives and views. I plan to have various hands-on activities for the theme, one where students can create a craft to take home, engage in an activity that allows them to dive deeper into the theme, or possibly creating a class story with this theme. All of which not only helps students expand their reading and story telling skills, but also engages them in various ways. I would also love to have volunteer readers come into the classroom to read a book chosen by the class. The volunteer readers could be high school students or parents. Allowing the students to not only explore a book with someone new, but also giving parents the opportunity to be a part of the student’s classroom and learning experience. It would also be a very engaging and inspiring experience, if during a week about sports, have a few students from one of the high school sports teams come to read to the students and complete activities with them, teaching them a few skills of the sport in the gym or outside. Lastly, I would love to give students the opportunity at the end of every month to participate in various book games, like book bingo, book themed board games, or having a book/word/theme scavenger hunt as a class around the school. Making learning fun is all about making learning engaging. By engaging learners, students enjoy what they are learning, understand the concepts on a deeper level, and are excited to come back to school to learn the next day. So, not only am I excited to implement so many fun and exciting learning ideas, but I am also excited to become a teacher that makes the learning experience engaging and memorable for all students.

Losing a loved one is one of the biggest adversities that I have had to face in my life. Losing an important person in my life that was always there for me, who always made me laugh, and always had a smile ready to be unleashed at any moment. This loss is what makes moving through life hard. It puts a hold on life, freezing you in time, within a bubble of grief and despair. And I can’t help but wonder, what would I do if I had just one more day with her? What would I say if I could speak to her one last time? Losing my grandmother felt like losing a piece of myself. She was my inspiration, my role model, and my life. When my mom became a single parent taking care of three young girls, she was there by my mom’s side every step of the way. Following alongside me from the moment I took my first step. And although it has been hard to get past this loss, I like to still think that she is still walking beside me every day with every step I take. If not physically, then spiritually. It is this thought that keeps me going, keeps me fighting, and helps me get up every morning to start anew. Knowing that although she is gone, she might still be by my side. Sometimes I believe that I may only be achieving my dreams for me, but in reality, deep down, I know that I am striving for success in all my endeavors because of her. That I am achieving my dream of pursuing a bachelor's degree in education for her, for my family, and for the the youth of tomorrow. Knowing that she is looking down at me right now from Heaven and seeing who I have become and all that I will achieve is the light at the end of the tunnel. It is because of her help that I am where I am today. Her consistent support during times of great need. Her ability to drop everything and help me when she saw I needed a helping hand. Her willingness to motivate me at times when I felt like giving up. And her immense wisdom that she imparted on me when she felt I had a lesson to learn. Losing a loved one is hard to get through, as the weight of grief is heavy to carry. It is challenging to adapt one’s everyday life once someone is gone. My grandma was my center, she was a big part of who I am and my family. Losing her left a gaping hole not only in my family but in myself. A hole that has not yet been filled completely, as it never will be, but has been mended with time. This loss taught me to continue focusing on what matters in the most in life, my future endeavors and my family. It has helped me find the time to spend as many hours as I can with my family and achieving everything that I put my mind to, as these were her most important things in life too. This loss and grief helped me come back stronger. It helped me grow into the person that I want to be. And although I still grieve the loss of an important person to me, I have figured out how to fight for what I want to achieve. I have fought past the feelings of sadness and despair, fought past the many misconceptions that my mind created about what I can and cannot achieve now that she is gone, and fought past the feeling that my life no longer has a purpose. I now fight for what I want to achieve in life, fight to become the version of myself that I want to be, and fight for the future that I know my grandma would want me to have. I am fighting for my bachelors degree in education, fighting to inspire and motivate children, fighting to become the best teacher that I can be, and fighting for a chance to make a different in others lives just as my grandma did in mine. After this great loss I felt sorrow, pain, and despair, but remembering all that my grandma helped me achieve and all that I will achieve because of her has helped me learn to be strong and courageous, and to continue fighting with all that I’ve got.

I have always found joy in guiding others along their path to success and finding ways to inspire them. I enjoy being a role model to others and making a positive difference in the lives of those around me. Offering a hand and support when it is needed. And it is from this joy of guiding and supporting others, that I found my true passion in life. Teaching others has always been my life's purpose, as well as my passion. Having the opportunity to shape the minds of the future and inspire amazing children as they achieve many endeavors is one of the biggest things that I live for. It is this passion that led me to pursue a path in early childhood education and it is this life’s purpose that will continue to motivate me as I inspire many generations from today. The youth of today are the future of tomorrow. Teachers are the mentors to the individuals of our future society. And although each teacher is different than the next- either through their different teaching styles, educational strategies, and different focuses on how to achieve success for our students- they will stop at nothing to ensure that each student is supported and succeeds. That each student wakes up every morning excited to come to school and ready to learn new things. And despite what makes teachers different from one another, we all share one thing in common. Our desire to inspire the next generation and future generations of students. As an aspiring teacher, I hope to inspire every single student that walks through my classroom door. I hope to touch their hearts and their minds. I aspire to be a role model in their lives, always there when they need me and always willing to lend a helping hand. I plan to inspire my students by challenging them to use their imagination and always work harder. I believe that children can do anything they put their minds to. I want to help them see what their hard work looks like. To show students what they can accomplish with their education and growing knowledge. I plan to make learning engaging and interactive in ways that encourage students to continue learning. I am motivated to make school and learning a fun experience. A fun and engaging classroom filled with the wonders of education is one that will inspire the youth of tomorrow. It will encourage them to continue their studies. To always seek new opportunities to enhance their educational knowledge. I want my students to wake up every morning excited to come to school and start learning something new. Excited to come to class ready to contribute their ideas and thoughts to lessons and discussions. Ensuring that each student’s voice and idea is heard. That they have an important place in both my classroom and in society. Helping them feel and see that they are important and special, no matter what. I will ultimately inspire youth to be themselves. To be the unique and amazing individuals that they are. So, my passion to become an educator involves a lot of various pieces, but when put together, they will help educate, motivate, support, and inspire many generations to come.

Life has never been easy as there are many obstacles, challenges, and hurdles to be jumped that will stand in one’s way. Much of the adversity that I have faced has affected how I view myself and has motivated me to keep moving forward. Yet, it is the adversity that we face and the hardships that challenge us that give us so many opportunities. Throughout the entirety of my life, I have faced much adversity, that in turn has taught me perseverance, courage, and resilience. Yet, there is one hardship that I experienced growing up and it has been the biggest adversity that I have ever had to face and deal with. I was born with a genetic disorder that affects specific parts of my physical appearance. It is because I look different that I faced one of my biggest adversities: bullying. When I started fifth grade, the very first thing that my peers noticed about me was my differences and at first, they would ask questions about why certain parts of me looked different. In the beginning, I welcomed the questions, relishing the fact that people wanted to know more about my genetic disorder and that I could teach them about it. However, as the year progressed, the questions turned into rumors. I became a spectacle to my class, all because I was born physically different. People in my class started distancing themselves from me, began making jokes at my expense, and I was called many rude names, sometimes to my face and sometimes in hushed whispers between groups of friends. And it hurt to know that I was treated differently just because I looked different than everyone else. This continued the next year and the next year, and so forth. I tried my hardest to ignore the comments and names, yet, at the same time, I still heard those whispers and rumors all day, which damaged my self-esteem quite a lot. It was not until eight grade that I finally got up the courage to talk to my family about everything. I decided that I was not going to let my differences define the entirety of who I was and how others saw me. I was going to stand up for myself and show others that I am not ashamed of how I look. My differences, yes, do define who I am on the outside, but what was on the inside matters more. Although I was scared at first to face this adversity and was determined to just ignore what everyone was saying, my family helped support me in standing up for myself. My family shared their own experiences with the genetic disorder and how they overcame adversity. They helped me learn that I am not what people say I am. That I am who I make myself to be. So, on the first day of eighth grade, I walked into the school with my shoulders back and my head held high. No longer afraid to stand up and speak for myself. Every rumor I heard, I corrected. Every gaze that landed on me, I returned. Every name that I was called, I stood up for myself and told them that I did not appreciate being called those names. Eventually, weeks later, the rumors died down and the whispers were no more. I even made a few good friends. And although this adversity was hard to overcome and it took me a long time to figure out how to face it, I eventually did, and in doing so learned many life changing lessons.

Growing up as the daughter of a single mom, I had to learn to grow up faster than most children. I learned responsibility at the age of five, I learned to work hard at the age of seven, and I learned to never give up and to face every challenge head on, just like my mom did. It was this experience that helped shape the personality that I have today and that will one day complement my future dream. I enrolled in a community college in the eleventh grade of high school, taking both college classes and high school classes. I earned my associate degree in December, and I am continuing my journey with higher education by currently striving for my bachelor’s degree to achieve my lifelong dream by pursuing my future career. It has been my dream since first grade to be an elementary teacher. To inspire students, to make a difference in their lives, to make learning enjoyable, and to support them in all their endeavors. Mostly, it has been my goal to introduce students to the many joys of learning. Throughout the entirety of my higher education journey, I have learned what it means to be an educator and how to be the best teacher I can be. I have been introduced to the various theories that support and enhance learning, the multitude of ways to differentiate learning, and the numerous ways to engage learners, sparking curiosity and wonder in their young minds. During this educational journey I have decided that I want to be a kind teacher, so that students feel comfortable, seen, and that their voices are heard. I will be a responsible teacher, motivated to make learning wondrous, so that students feel safe in an environment that makes learning exciting. I will also aim to be an inspiring and supportive teacher, so that students know that I will always be there to lend a helping hand. Being a teacher is more than teaching children, it is about touching the minds and hearts of young learners. To inspire them to accomplish great things, while supporting them in all their endeavors. I chose this career path so that I could set the most important foundation of learning for children. I am not only excited to be a part of my future student’s educational journey, but I am also excited that I will get to support them every step of the way. I am excited to expand students’ knowledge and to inspire the next generation. I hope that I can motivate students to continue learning by positively impacting their lives through making school a fun and wonderous place. A place that students can be themselves and be excited to come to every day. Lastly, I want to give students a unique opportunity to open their minds to the various wonders in the world and the amazing opportunities that accompany learning and education. Supporting women’s empowerment is no small task, for it is the most rewarding. I plan to support women’s empowerment by becoming a mentor for women. By becoming a mentor, I can offer valuable insight and support as they strive to achieve success. I can become a constant support system that women can turn to, helping them with all their endeavors. I will become a strong advocate for equal pay and opportunity equity. Lastly, I will support women owned and created businesses and organizations, helping empower women to keep achieving success and their dreams. I will seek and support female entrepreneurs as they will make an amazing difference in the world.

The moment I decided to apply for college, my entire future was in my hands. All of the decisions that I would make and all of the actions that I took, would be up to me and only me. For it was my decision to be a college student to pursue my life’s passion and every day that I follow through on this decision, I have learned that good mental health is necessary to success. College has presented me with so many unique opportunities. Since being a college student, I have gotten to know and work with students who are a part of a broad range of diverse cultures. I have been exposed to diverse ideas and perspectives that have come from the opportunity to work with individuals that hail from different backgrounds and experiences. Every day as a college student I am still excited to broaden my horizons, challenge my preconceived notions, and gain a more global perspective in order to become more culturally aware. However, at the same time, being a college student has presented many challenges. The biggest challenge for me, by far, has been supporting my mental health. Mental health not only guides my thoughts and decisions but begins to define the entirety of who I am. I have had to face the constant stress of achieving success in all my endeavors, in stepping out of my comfort zone, and in making many important decisions that could make or break what I have already achieved and what I will achieve in the future. Yet, despite the challenges that arise from holding my future in my own hands and from being a college student, maintaining good mental health has been my upmost priority. Without good mental health, I would always be in a state of worry, I would not be able to cope with my stress, I would begin to doubt my abilities, and I would never fully see what I truly am capable of as both a student and as a person. Although it has been hard at times, keeping a good mental health state has helped me achieve great success. It has helped me learn to be confident in the work that I turn in, to maintain strong relationships with the people who are close to me, and it has helped me learn to support others. I have begun supporting others through their own mental health journey, both in my home and in my community. I have shared my fears and worries about mental health when I first became a college student, and I have also shared how I overcame those fears to establish the strong mental health that I have today. I have shared with others how to grow a healthy mindset that can help build good mental health, while also taking the time to listen to others mental health stories to learn more. I have offered emotional support to those who have needed it, creating a safe space for those who wish to talk about their mental health struggles while helping them gain clarity on how to develop a healthier mindset. Lastly, I have also volunteered my time at a non-profit organization that helps empower girls, offers them support, and helps them learn that they are enough. This in turn has helped girls reflect on their mindsets, giving them the opportunity to learn how to begin approaching and having good mental health.

Giving to others is more than just volunteering my time, it is actively ensuring that I can make a difference in someone else’s life. It is about doing everything in my power to make a positive impact in the lives of those that I give back too. When I look around me, I see so many opportunities to give back to others. I see a variety of opportunities to give back to my family, to give back to my community, and to give back to the various organizations that have helped so many in need. By advancing the spirit of giving to others, I have grown into the version of myself that I want to be. I have learned what it means to be a giver, what it means to make a difference, and what giving back can truly do to the many who receive. By finding ways to give back, I have been given the opportunity to help many people and organizations by volunteering my time. I volunteer to pack shoeboxes filled with toys, hygienic products, and a bible for my church around Christmas time, so that children in countries all around the world can be introduced to the word of God and receive a gift on Christmas. I have volunteered my time on Sundays to help in the nursery at my church. By doing so I have become a caregiver to infants and toddlers, giving them opportunities to grow and interact with other children, while parents can participate and be fully immersed in church service. I even volunteered in my community by helping clean and create a community garden that will educate both locals and visitors about the beauty of nature and the ways can make an environmental difference. Giving back to others has helped open my eyes up to what my true passion is and the dreams that I want to achieve in the future. I want to inspire others, to be a positive role model, and to help others achieve their goals and succeed in all their endeavors. I want to give back to my community in a way that will make a difference in the lives in many families. By giving back, I have realized that it is my passion and, in my opinion, my life’s purpose to be a teacher. Being a teacher is the embodiment of giving. We give back to families by educating their children, inspiring them, and supporting them in all their endeavors. We give back to the community by educating the minds of the future. We give and share our knowledge to help expand students’ thinking and understanding of the world around them. As a teacher, I would also be ensuring that every student in my classroom feels loved, understood, recognized, and welcome. By being a teacher who gives back, I can ensure that each and every student achieves success and follows their dreams. While inspiring children to give back as well, whether in the classroom, at home, or in the community. And by becoming a teacher, I will not only be positively impacting future society and the world, but also helping inspire the next generation of future givers.

Life was never made to be easy. For there are many obstacles, challenges, and hurdles to be jumped that will stand in one’s way. Many of the hardships that people have faced, myself included, have affected how we view ourselves, have changed how we perceive the world around us, and have been the motivation we needed to keep moving forward. Although hardships are challenging to face and at times, we may feel like giving up, they also hold many opportunities. The opportunity to grow as an individual, the opportunity for us to learn important lessons, and the opportunity to grow closer to those who stand by our side through it all. Throughout the entirety of my life, I have faced many hardships, and it is these hardships that have taught me perseverance, resilience, and courage. Yet, there is one hardship that I experienced growing up and it has been the biggest adversity that I have ever had to face. I was born with a genetic disorder that affects specific parts of my physical appearance. Although I am affected in a minimal way, the effects are quite noticeable to others. It is because I look different that I faced one of my biggest adversities: bullying. When I started fifth grade, the very first thing that my peers noticed about me was my differences and at first, they would ask questions about why certain parts of me looked different. In the beginning, I welcomed the questions, relishing the fact that people wanted to know more about my genetic disorder and that I could teach them about it. However, as the year progressed, the questions turned into rumors. I became a spectacle to my class, all because I was born physically different. People in my class started distancing themselves from me, began making jokes at my expense, and I was called many rude names, sometimes to my face and sometimes in hushed whispers between groups of friends. And it hurt to know that I was treated differently just because I looked different than everyone else. Yet, this did not end when fifth grade ended. It continued the next year and the next year, and so forth. I tried my hardest to ignore the comments and names, yet, at the same time, I still heard those whispers and rumors all day, which damaged my self-esteem quite a lot. However, it was not until eighth grade that I finally decided that it was time to overcome this hardship. I finally got up the courage to talk to my family about everything. I finally decided that enough was enough. I was not going to live a life where I let others decide how I would be viewed. I was not going to let my differences define the entirety of who I was and how others saw me. I was going to stand up for myself and show others that I am not ashamed of how I look. My differences, yes, do define who I am on the outside, but it is what is on the inside that matters more. My family was by most the biggest support system that I had. Although I was scared at first to face this adversity and was determined to just ignore what everyone was saying, my family helped support me in standing up for myself. My family shared their own experiences with the genetic disorder and how they overcame adversity. They helped me learn that I am not what people say I am. That I am who I make myself to be. So, on the first day of eighth grade, I walked into the school with my shoulders back and my head held high. No longer afraid to stand up and speak for myself. Every rumor I heard, I corrected. Every gaze that landed on me, I returned. Every name that I was called, I stood up for myself and told them that I did not appreciate being called those names. Eventually, weeks later, the rumors died down, the whispers were no more, and I no longer heard the rude names. I even made a few good friends. Although this adversity was hard to overcome and it took me a long time to figure out how to face it, I eventually did and in doing so learned many important lessons. I learned that you have to stand up for what is right, whether that pertains to you or something that you care deeply about. Trying to ignore the hardship or to put off facing it is only going to make conquering the challenge even harder. I also learned that it is not our flaws that define us but how we choose to view our flaws. It is about determining whether your differences are going to control who you become and how others see you or if your differences are going to become a part of you and compliment the best parts of yourself. Lastly, I learned that although adversity seems impossible to overcome, it is not, for there are others that are facing their own obstacles and there are many who have overcome them as well. This lesson has kept me going, helping me know that I am not alone. That as I face every obstacle, I can overcome them, just as so many others have already.

The number one thing that my mom taught me was to always be brave, to face your fears and obstacles head on. And at times this has been hard, especially when facing one’s fears. Yet, at other times, it is bravery that helps us achieve the most amazing things in life. My mom, an Army veteran, has always told me stories about her time in the military and during basic training. She tells me about the hardships she has faced, the funny stories of times in the barracks, and the many lessons that she’s learned. She has told me about the time she had to face her fears to complete a basic training obstacle course and she speaks about her time in the military with such passion and detail, it sometimes feels like I was there with her too. I even enjoy when she tells me about her favorite pair of uniform boots as once she broke them in, she says that they were the most comfortable piece of clothing she ever had. Yet, there is one memory that I share with her, in which she taught me an important lesson: that with bravery we can accomplish great things. I remember visiting an amusement park in Germany for my twelfth birthday and wanting to ride this really tall roller coaster, but I was afraid to do it alone. I remember looking at my mom, with the biggest puppy dog eyes I could give her, trying to will her into riding the roller coaster with me. At first, she was hesitant, but I remember her looking at me, taking a deep breath, and saying, “Let’s do this.” At that time, I thought that my puppy dog eyes were magic, but later I found out that my mom was willing to face her fear of heights to make me happy. That she was willing to be brave to help me accomplish this feat. So, we wait in line and the next thing you know we are strapped in and ready to go. My mom’s knuckles are really white, as she is holding onto the coaster handles with a very tight grip. Right when we crest the hill and start diving down, I look over at my mom and she looks at me with wide eyes and we both start screaming so loud when we start descending. We were screaming so loud that we could probably be heard on the entire other side of the park. Yet, I also remember laughing so hard with her at the end, both of us with crazy, messed up hair and pounding hearts, because it was the best experience I ever had, and it really showed me what bravery looks like. Now although my mom rode that coaster with me, she did tell me that she would never get on another coaster again. But that was okay, because she faced her fear of heights to help me get over my fear of riding tall roller coasters, and we now share this most amazing memory. And although she is still afraid of heights, she taught me to be brave. She was able to face her fear of heights in basic training to show herself that she could face her fears and she was willing to do it again for me. My mom, the Army veteran, has taught me all the lessons that she had to learn in the military, and it is these lessons that have guided me throughout my entire life.

Reading is more than just opening up a book and looking at the words on a page. It is about diving deeper into a story that teaches us important lessons that we may only find within the pages of a book. Reading helps us find who we are and helps us recognize pieces of ourselves that we did not know about before. A variety of books exist that could teach us a lot about the world and ourselves. Yet, one book that I believe not only everyone should read, but could change a reader’s life, is “The Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss. Although this book is a children’s book and quite short, it has the most powerful message of all. That we should not judge others based solely on how they look. We should not perceive others as inferior or unworthy of acknowledgement because of their outward appearance. When I read this book as a child, at first, I did not get the message. I just knew that Dr. Seuss was by far one of my favorite authors and that “The Sneetches” was one of my favorite stories. Yet, as I grew older and learned more about the world around me, this book got me thinking. It had me reflecting on the story, the message, and the characters, leading me to make connections and asking questions that expanded my understanding of the world around me. A person may first see this book and think, “Is this book really worth my time?” And the short answer is yes. The story not only teaches us to reflect on how this book can represent the world around us, but it gets us thinking about how this book may apply to our own lives. It puts the world around us into perspective and may make us start to question, “Who are we in this book? Who am I in this book?” This book shows us that although we may look different on the outside, we are the same and therefore should not be judged based on how we may look. It is not our appearances that should define who we are and how others perceive us, but the part of us that is inside that can really show others that deep down we are all the same. “The Sneetches” may very well be one of the best books that could teach us this important lesson.

Growing up the daughter of a single mom has not only taught me many important valuable lessons but has helped me develop and strengthen skills that I never knew I had, let alone needed. At a young age, I took it upon myself, as the oldest child, to help my mom take care of our family. That meant helping prepare dinner every night, helping my mom keep the house clean and organized, helping my younger sisters with their homework, and working hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. At times this was hard, as I had to grow up faster than most children. Yet, this life experience helped me develop a lot of the skills that I have today and most of the skills that I need in order to pursue my passion. I learned to be selfless, and to put others before myself. Sometimes this meant ensuring that my younger sisters and those around me succeeded first before I did. I learned patience, as there were many times during my childhood where not everything could happen right away. I had to learn that good things come with time. I learned how to recognize the smallest of details by being attentive when observing my family and the world around me. This helped me recognize when someone needed help, where I could best give help, and the different ways that I could support others. Lastly, I learned empathy and how to place myself in someone else’s shoes. This skill helped me see a person’s challenges and successes from their point of view. It guided me in figuring out where I could best support someone, while also helping me see the impact that this support would make. These skills have not only made me into the person I am today but have guided me in recognizing my life’s purpose. It is my dream to help and inspire others. To support them as they work hard and do their best. To guide them as they succeed and help them achieve great aspirations. It is my passion to be an elementary teacher and in doing so, I hope to one day help my students be their very best. I believe that change and inspiration can begin in the classroom. I am pursing this dream in the hopes that one day I can use the skills that I learned from being a daughter of a single parent to help my students be their best. I will aim to help my students recognize their potential, support them in all their endeavors, and always be there to lend a helping hand. I want to teach students that it is okay to make mistakes, and as we learn from them, we grow, and as we grow, we become better versions of ourselves. I will inspire students to follow their dreams, using my skills of attentiveness, empathy, patience, and selflessness to support them as they do. The skills that I learned at an early age, are the skills that will guide me as I make a difference in the lives of my future students and help them be their best.

When you think of school what do you see? Maybe you see students at their desks listening to the teacher talk. Maybe you see students engaging in activities to expand their knowledge. Maybe you think of your own past experiences with school. When I think of school, I think of opportunity. The opportunity to teach young children. The opportunity to open students’ minds and touch their hearts. The opportunity to make learning fun and encourage growth. However, I also think of the opportunity to make learning equal. An equal opportunity for every student to succeed. There is a wide range of students that do not have access to the educational materials that they need to succeed in school. Students do not have access to technology, the internet, project materials, resources for research, a place to study, and accommodating access to content. Some students cannot complete their assignments and homework because they do not have the same opportunities to learn outside of school as they do inside of school. As an aspiring teacher, this is the issue that I am working to address. I want to ensure that every single one of my students and hopefully all the students within the school will have access to the materials they need to succeed outside of school. The school district that I am currently helping in is taking important steps to ensure that their students are not left behind. That their students have equal opportunities to learn both inside of school and outside of school. The school district is issuing Chromebooks to a variety of students to borrow for the school year that can be used in school and at home. Students who have to complete homework and projects online are now able to have access to a computer for this. Teachers within my school district are providing materials for students to use for the projects that they begin in class and then take home. Helping alleviate the stress that students’ families may face to obtain the necessary materials. Students are sent home with borrowed books, as well, to enhance their education and to help with projects. This prevents families from having to buy additional resources to help with students’ education. Students are also given multiple opportunities to learn educational content in different ways. Learning, in my school district, is designed to accommodate all students. It is presented in a variety of ways that capture students’ interest, enhance students’ education, and makes school fun and exciting. Every student, no matter their age or grade, is given the opportunity to learn in different ways. Unequal access to educational materials, content, and learning presented in only one way is a concerning social issue that needs to be solved as soon as possible. We, as teachers, are in charge of teaching and inspiring the next generation. Students that are not given all the support and resources they need to succeed may fall behind in their education. Yet, as of right now, especially in my school district, we are finding ways to ensure that our students have equal opportunities and access to the education they seek and need to succeed.

The youth of today are the future of tomorrow. Teachers are the mentors to the individuals of our future society. They pave the path that students will take to achieve success. They are the guides that will lead youth through all their endeavors. They are the helping hands that shape the minds of the future. They are the support systems that ensure every student feels like they belong. Teachers have different teaching styles, educational strategies, and a different focus on how to achieve success for our students. Yet, despite what makes teachers unique from one another, we all share one thing in common. Our desire to inspire the next generation and future generations of students. As an aspiring teacher, I hope to inspire every single student that walks through my classroom door. I hope to touch their hearts and their minds. I aspire to be a role model in their lives, always there when they need me and always willing to lend a helping hand. I plan to inspire my students by challenging them to use their imagination and always work harder. I believe that children can do anything that they put their mind to. I want to show them, not just teach them, what hard work looks like. To show students what they can accomplish with their education and growing knowledge. I plan to make learning engaging and interactive in ways that encourage students to continue learning. I am motivated to make school and learning a fun experience. A fun and engaging classroom filled with the wonders of education is one that will inspire the youth of tomorrow. It will encourage them to continue their studies. To always seek new opportunities to enhance their educational knowledge. I want my students to wake up every morning excited to come to school and start learning something new. Excited to come to class ready to contribute their ideas and thoughts to lessons and discussions. I also plan to inspire the youth of tomorrow by ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate and contribute to class. I want to ensure that my students know that their voices are heard. That they have an important place in both my classroom and in society. That they are important and special, no matter what. I will ultimately inspire youth to be themselves. To be the unique and amazing individuals that they are.

The woman who is my best friend, my teacher, my everything: my mom – Sandra Vischer Through both the thick and the thin, the rain and the sunshine, the happiness and the sadness; my mom was always there. From the very beginning my mom has been my best friend, my support, and my entire life. It is because of her that I am where I am today. Her hard work, her resilience, her guidance, and her love has helped me grow into the strong, independent woman I am. Of course, there are times when life is hard, where I sometimes begin to feel lost and unsure of myself. Yet, every time I am reminded that I am not alone because my mom is always there. Prepared to give me a smile, an encouraging word, and a hug. This amazing, beautiful woman is everything that I aspire to be. She is my role model and therefore my hero. Her ability to be a single parent, work a full-time job, and provide for her family is both astounding and inspiring. She has taught me that success is born from hard work and that resilience is the key to conquering any challenge. From the moment I graduated from high school, I began my educational journey. I took my first step on the pathway towards my bachelor’s degree. Every step after that has been challenging yet rewarding. And during each step, my mom has been by my side. My first educational goal was to earn my associate’s degree and transfer to a four-year university. It is because of my mom and her support that I graduated with my associates in December. And with her everlasting support, I am continuing my journey at a four-year university this year to study early childhood education. It has been my dream since first grade, to inspire my students in all aspects of learning and to make a positive difference in the world by touching the hearts and minds of young children. When I told my mom in first grade that I wanted to become a teacher, she looked me in the eye and said, “I am going to help you do it.” Not a day goes by where I am not supported. Regardless of the challenges, hardships, and struggles that my mom faces, she still finds time to be my biggest supporter. It is because of her that I have achieved so much. My mom has supported my goal of earning my bachelor’s degree by helping me budget for college, helping me create a quiet space to study, and helping me maintain a good mental health state by participating in self-care routines with me. I would not be where I am today without my biggest supporter, my mom. There has never been a time when I doubted that my mom would not be there because she always has. Her ability to face challenges has shown me what perseverance and endurance looks like. Most importantly, she has shown me what love looks like. It is because of her love for my family and I that she continues to support us in everything.

Philosophy is more than just abstract truths and theories. Philosophy has a way of taking our perceived reality and morphing it into something entirely new. It takes our preconceived notions and set in stone viewpoints and transforms them into a wider perspective. Philosophy is an art that provides knowledge to those who wish to be wise or seek the answer to life. Yet, the different types of philosophy are the most intriguing part of this art. A form of philosophy, known as existentialism, revolves around explaining our very existence. Not only does existentialism explain why we exist and what our existence means, but it also explains our purpose. It answers the questions of do we live one life, should life feel like something more, and who exactly am I (in an existentialist perspective)? As a seeker of wisdom and knowledge, I am always looking for new ways to expand my mind. I seek the opportunity to expand my overall understanding of the world around me and the way that others think. When I stumbled across existentialism, I was amazed by the acuity and perception of many existentialists. Their wisdom made me curious, and their perspectives made me eager. Eager to learn more, to compare my view with theirs, and to see the world through the eyes of an existentialist. It was not until I read this passage that I began to see an underlying meaning to much of the philosophical works that I read. In "Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction" Thomas R. Flynn writes, “Because of the almost irresistible pull toward conformity in modern society, what we shall call ‘existential individuality’ is an achievement, and not a permanent one at that. We are born biological beings, but we must become existential individuals by accepting responsibility for our actions. This is an application of Nietzsche’s advice to ‘become what you are’. Many people never do acknowledge such responsibility but rather flee their existential individuality into the comfort of the faceless crowd.” This passage is pretty straightforward in explaining that as human beings we seek conformity. It is among our many goals to fit in with a crowd of individuals that we may not know or have never met before. Yet, upon further exploration this passage presents a deeper meaning to conformity. As existing human beings who rely on our ability to conform to society to “fit in” we fail to see and acknowledge that our ability to conform is short lived. We conform to a group as we see fit. The basis of our conformity lies within the group we reside with, and it changes as we explore various groups. Our ability to conform can be seen as an achievement, yet one in which we must aim for over and over again as it is not permanent. We are human beings made of biological meaning. However, we do not truly exist until we take responsibility for every action that we make. Our recognition of the actions that we take is one step into true existence. By not taking responsibility we “cease to exist” and become nothing more than a mere biological being. We have to earn our existence. By doing so, we can truly become an existing individual. It is because of the overwhelming burden and responsibility that accompanies acceptance of our actions that we resort to conformity. Conformity is our chance to escape and becomes our easy way out. Instead of acknowledging our existence, we tend to become someone we are not. We withhold the chance to truly “live.” We deny ourselves our purpose, our individuality, and our chance to have answers to all the questions we may have about life. By denying our actions and welcoming the chance to conform, we no longer “exist.”

Being a single parent is no walk in the park. It has many of its own sets of challenges. I grew up seeing this hardship. Watching my mom try to figure out how to be both mom and dad. Seeing my mom work both day and night since I was five years old to ensure that my sisters and I had a roof over our heads and food on the table. There was never a moment where I saw my mom take a break because as a single parent there is not really any extra time for breaks. Growing up with a single parent most of my life and seeing the hardships that my mom faced daily showed me that single parents work really hard to support their children. I watched my mom rise above a hardship one day, only to be challenged by more the next day. However, through it all, she found the time to support me in all my studies and has helped me get closer to achieving my educational goal. Despite my mom being faced with the hardship of being a single parent, she always found the time to support me. Whether it was in sports, hobbies, or education. Her support from the very start is what has pushed me towards success. My biggest educational goal is to earn my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. It has been my goal since first grade, to inspire my students in all aspects of learning and to make a positive difference in the world by touching the hearts and minds of young children. When I told my mom in first grade that I wanted to be a teacher, she looked me in the eye and said, “I am going to help you do it.” Not a day goes by where I am not supported. Regardless of the challenges, hardships, and struggles of being a single parent for 14 years, she has still found the time to be my biggest supporter. It is because of her that I have achieved so much. She has shown me that despite being faced with the challenge of being a single mother of three girls, she has persevered. She gave us all her support. Despite the sleepless nights, the many tears, and the overwhelming feeling of responsibility, she still always put us first. My mom has supported my goal of earning my bachelor’s degree by helping me fund my college, ensuring I have a space to study, being a peer reviewer for some of my college assignments, and helping me keep my mental state in check. I would not be where I am today without her, my biggest supporter. There has never been a time when I doubted that my mom would not be there because she always has. In spite of everything that she has faced, she has shown me what perseverance and endurance looks like. Most importantly, she has shown me what love looks like. It is because of her love for my sisters and I that she has never given up, she has kept going. All of my life I have looked up to her because she has been and always will be my number one hero.

As an online student, I have a variety of online tools and platforms at my fingertips. However, after much experimentation, I have found that some platforms and tools are more beneficial to me than others. These platforms and tools have helped me achieve success in my education, have helped me gain the most knowledge from my studies, and have reinforced content being learned so that I can always carry the knowledge with me. Completing college online comes with its drawbacks as well as its perks. Being online means that I do not get to meet my fellow students face to face. Sometimes, the only interaction that I get with my peers is through discussion posts. Also, if I need assistance for an assignment, I would normally use email or “Remind” texting to communicate. Yet, some of the tools and platforms that I use have helped conquer some of these disadvantages. In a world with growing technology, I have been able to fix this problem. The online platform that I use to further my understanding of my courses and subjects is “Zoom.” It is because of this platform that I have been able to converse with my peers’ face to face on group projects. Being able to share my screen and collaborate with my peers virtually allows us to meet at a time that fits everyone’s schedule and in a much more efficient manner. “Zoom” has also given me the opportunity to connect with my professors’ face to face virtually. It is because of this that I have been able to receive extra help on assignments, get assistance when I am not understanding a concept, and to discuss important class topics further. Zoom recordings that my professors create have also allowed me to learn at my own pace, by pausing and rewatching sections that I need to the most help in. Aside from “Zoom,” I have begun to use a variety of tools to help me learn how to be great at my future career and to help with the various aspects of becoming a successful student. “Kahoot,” “Edpuzzle,” “Quizlet,” and “TED Talks” are among the tools that I utilize as a college student. After much exploration and experimentation, I have found these four to be the most educational and beneficial. “Kahoot, Quizlet, and Edpuzzle” have helped with exam preparation, extra practice with concepts, the repetition of important points, and the expansion of already learned topics. On the other hand, “TED Talks” have given me the chance to see what I am learning applied to real life, either through a speaker in my career field or through the concept being talked about. If anything, TED Talks present information and knowledge in a way that is real and has come from experience and research. They have helped me learn a lot about my major and how to best succeed at what I want to achieve. It is because of all of these resources, that I have succeeded in my endeavors, and I am where I am today.

It has been my dream since first grade to be a teacher for elementary school. I even have a letter that I wrote to my future self in first grade that I opened up on the day that I graduated from high school. And the very first line read, "I want to be a teacher when I grow up." This letter solidified my decision to pursue a career in teaching. It is my passion and I also consider it my life's purpose, to inspire children in all aspects of learning. I want to be a role model and make a positive difference in the world by touching the hearts and minds of young children. I want to foster creativity in my future classroom and help my students experience lessons through their senses, like touch, hearing, etc. I want to ensure that every one of my students’ learning styles is incorporated into the classroom. I also want to show my students that learning is more than just gaining knowledge. Learning is about taking what you already know and expanding on it to learn more. It is about taking the new knowledge you learn and going out into the world to make a difference. I plan to ensure my students achieve success in both their short- and long-term goals. And I will encourage them to not only see their potential, but to also use it. I hope to inspire youth to become the best version of themselves, the version they want to be when they venture out into the world on their own. The version of themselves that will one day change the world in the most amazing ways. Among a teacher’s many responsibilities lies one responsibility that stands above the rest: to inspire the next generation. When a teacher inspires their students, their students achieve great feats. And a teacher’s motivation during youth encourages their students to stay motivated in the future. I have the ability and opportunity to inspire change in the lives of my students. Teachers also help students grow and encourage them to keep growing and learning. Many opportunities lie just at the fingertips of children’s grasps, and teachers are the ones who help those children reach those opportunities. When I was a child, I remember always being excited to go to school and learn something new. I was excited to be introduced to the different wonders of learning and to see my teachers again every day. I want to be a teacher that makes learning fun and engaging. I want to foster excitement in my students, so that every morning they, too, wake up excited to come to school. As a future kindergarten teacher, I will have the unique opportunity to lay the foundation for a child's educational journey. I will play a crucial role in fostering a love for learning, developing essential skills, and nurturing a child's curiosity and creativity during their formative years. By doing so, I get to witness the growth, progress, and milestones achieved by each child throughout the school year, while having the chance to make learning fun, exciting, and meaningful for my students.

To say that I enjoy reading would be a major understatement. Coming from someone who has weekly visits to the library, a floor to wall bookshelf, and finds happiness between the pages of a good book, reading is one of my passions. The books that I read and the stories within have taught me many important lessons and have shaped my values and views of the world around me. They have helped me see the world and its many wonders through a new set of eyes. Books have become a guiding factor for much of what I have done and will do in my life. Books have taught me empathy and putting myself in the shoes of someone else. The characters present on the many pages of my books go through life’s ups and downs and even though these emotions are fake and imaginary, to me, they are real. I have learned how to grieve, be happy, and empathize with others. This shaped my personal goal of finding a way to make a difference in someone’s life when I can. Reading has also helped me build off my newly learned empathy skill and has taught me how to effectively communicate with others. When I first started reading books, I tended to keep to myself and struggled with starting a conversation with others. Yet, many books later, not only is my vocabulary expanded but I have now learned how to communicate with others. I have taken a page out of many of my books and taught myself to start conversations and make them more engaging. This learned skill through reading has helped me a lot in my community and is very beneficial when it comes to my future career. This skill has shaped my educational goal of becoming an engaging and communicative elementary teacher. It has been my dream and my passion since first grade to be a teacher for elementary school. I also consider it my life's purpose to inspire children in all aspects of learning. I want to be a role model and make a positive difference in the world by touching the hearts and minds of young children. I want to show my students that is about taking what you already know and expanding on it to learn more. It is about taking the new knowledge you learn and going out into the world to make a difference. Many opportunities lie just at the fingertips of children’s grasps, and teachers are the ones who help those children reach those opportunities. As a teacher I am shaping and teaching the future generation that will one day change our world. Yet, my impact as an elementary teacher starts small and is focused on my community. The students and children that reside in my community are the future. What I teach, what I inspire, and what I encourage is going to help these students make a difference in the world around them. I am going to help students expand their knowledge so that they can become who they want to be. I, as a future teacher, can ensure that the children in my community receive positive guidance and I can help my students become great citizens in the future. Sometimes a teacher is a child’s very first role model. The one who makes the biggest impact on their life and motivates/supports them to follow their heart and reshape the world around them. And as a future teacher I will do everything that I can to not only make a difference in my community but also in the lives of my students.

Burdened by the overwhelming feeling of not being good enough and feeling like a failure. Weighed down by the struggle of trying to be perfect all the time. Wondering if maybe, just maybe, the glass is actually half empty and will never be half full. Looking around me and everyone is smiling. Making their lives look easy and stress-free. Showing others their accomplishments like they have never hit a bump in the road. I watch from the sidelines, physically quiet but mentally loud. My thoughts wrapping around my head over and over again like a train. Never really understanding what is happening to me and why I never see it happen to other people, at least not with my own two eyes. Feeling seen but at the same time lost. Feeling steady but at the same time shaken. Mental health: the epitome of everything that goes on within me, both mentally and sometimes physically. What I feel in my mental state, contributes to how I feel in my physical state. Anxiety: more than just a feeling. It is who I am, it always has been. Stressing about deadlines, conversations, finance, home life, past experiences, and everything under the sun. Never quite feeling free and sometimes left with a crushing weight on my chest. Feeling as if the food I am eating is nothing more than sand, scratching its way down after every bite. Lying in bed at night, wide eyed and awake, wondering and stressing about all the things I have done and said in the past. While also thinking about everything that might happen in the future. A pain in my chest accompanied by an upset stomach. The feeling of not being able to get enough oxygen into my lungs, yet always being surrounded by air. Anxiety has affected my mental health for quite a long time. Always making me feel that something bad is going to happen. Worrying about whether I have the capabilities to achieve a goal that seems just out of reach. Making me feel like the world is moving at a speed that I am not quite in tune with. And occasionally, feeling like there is nothing that I can do about it. Feeling like I am stuck with the shortness of breath, the chest pain, and the rapid beating of my heart as I experience an anxiety attack. Yet, if anything, I have been more motivated than ever to get past it. More motivated to solve my mental health problem. Finding that a few simple breaths can ease the pain in my chest. Noticing that focusing on objects and sounds in my environment helps slow down my rapidly beating heart. My breathing becomes easier through mediation and progressively relaxing my muscles helps with sleep. Anxiety has defined who I am and what I feel for so long. It has taken over the way that I live my life and experience the world around me. Now, I am finally learning to take my life back into my own hands.

It has been my dream since first grade to be a teacher for elementary school. It is my passion and I also consider it my life's purpose, to inspire children in all aspects of learning. I want to be a role model and make a positive difference in the world by touching the hearts and minds of young children. I want to foster creativity in my future classroom and help my students experience lessons through their senses, like touch, hearing, etc. I want to ensure that every one of my students’ learning styles is incorporated into the classroom. I also want to show my students that learning is more than just gaining knowledge. Learning is about taking what you already know and expanding on it to learn more. It is about taking the new knowledge you learn and going out into the world to make a difference. I have created many goals that have helped me reach many milestones in my life. Both educational and personal. Yet, my biggest goal, is an educational one: receiving my bachelor's degree in early childhood education to achieve my dream of being a kindergarten teacher. I have had to sacrifice a lot to achieve this goal and have faced great adversity along the way. Adversity in the form of financial need, but mostly in mental health. Anxiety has played a big role in my life. It has been with me in the past and is still with me today. The pressure and stress that students, especially college students, face in regard to GPA, grades, deadlines, and financial need, can cause major anxiety. Which in turn can cause adversity when it comes to one’s mental health. For me, I have faced anxiety in all aspects of college, which has become my biggest adversity yet. This mental adversity not only takes a toll on my physical health, but also inhibits my ability to achieve my educational aspirations. Yet, despite this adversity getting in the way of achieving my goals, it has also helped motivate me to reach the finish line. Like stress, anxiety also focuses on a flight or fight response, it is just harder to accept the fight response when flight is the most comfortable choice. For me, every time that I have experienced this mental adversity in the past, I have chosen to fight and it has gotten me to where I am today. This mental adversity has helped me learn from past mistakes, learn to persevere, and learn to accept when things are out of my control. It has taught me to see things with a positive perspective, more glass half full than glass half empty. It has taught me to never give up, even when giving up seems like the most comfortable option. Sometimes the best things that happen to us are when we step out of our comfort zone and embrace something new. I have learned to accept when I am facing adversity and to stay focused on how to get past it in order to succeed. All that I have learned from facing adversity has helped me get to where I am today, and I am confident that it will help me get to where I want to be in the future. If it was not for adversity, I would not have achieved many accomplishments or reached many milestones in my life. And if was not for adversity, I would not be the same, strong person that I see every day in the mirror.

It has been my dream since first grade to be a teacher for elementary school. It is my passion and I also consider it my life's purpose, to inspire children in all aspects of learning. I want to be a role model and make a positive difference in the world by touching the hearts and minds of young children. I want to foster creativity in my future classroom and help my students experience lessons through their senses, like touch, hearing, etc. I want to ensure that every one of my students’ learning styles is incorporated into the classroom. I also want to show my students that learning is more than just gaining knowledge. Learning is about taking what you already know and expanding on it to learn more. It is about taking the new knowledge you learn and going out into the world to make a difference. Many opportunities lie just at the fingertips of children’s grasps, and teachers are the ones who help those children reach those opportunities. When I was a child, I remember always being excited to go to school and learn something new. I was excited to be introduced to the different wonders of learning and to see my teachers again every day. I want to be a teacher that makes learning fun and engaging. I want to foster excitement in my students, so that every morning they wake up excited to come to school. Achieving dreams sometimes requires sacrifice. We have to give up certain things to obtain other things. My big educational goal, the end result, is receiving my bachelor's degree in early childhood education. Yet, in order to achieve this goal I have had to sacrifice some things. The first being that I have sacrificed socialization and free time. I started my educational journey as a dual-enrollment student in the 11th grade. This took up a lot of my free time, so I did not really have extra time to be with friends. I have also had to sacrifice going onto a college campus for my classes and instead have been an online student. I grew up the daughter of a single mom and I help my mom around the house and help her take care of our family. Therefore, I have had to sacrifice taking classes on campus and do my college coursework online. Even though I have had the sacrifice face to face interaction with my peers and professors, I enjoy being able to create my own schedule for school that works alongside my home life. One of my personal goals is to learn more about different cultures and traditions. Learning more about different cultures is a major part of being a teacher because it helps create inclusivity within the classroom. I wanted to achieve this goal through travel so that I could be immersed in the heart of a country’s culture. However, since school takes time and commitment, I've had to sacrifice traveling. Instead, I have turned to books to learn more about different cultures and traditions. Another personal goal of mine is that I want to learn how to be the best teacher that I can be. However, I have had to sacrifice the opportunity to strengthen the relationships I have with the people around me because I have little free time. Yet, I have been finding that school-life balance to remedy this. Overall, achieving dreams and goals can be challenging at times. Yet, with determination, motivation, and a little bit of creativity, everything that we aspire to be and aspire to do can and will be achieved.

“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” – Destin Sparks I got my first camera when I was eight. It was not an over the top, professional looking camera. Just a small blue camera that my family could afford. This camera became a big part of who I am. It became a defining factor in how I saw the world around me. I would take pictures of everything, from a blade of grass to my family to the architecture of buildings. Through the lens of my camera, I stopped looking at the surface of the world, but rather at the small things that are sometimes overlooked. When others saw an office building, I saw the variation in color of the bricks used to make the building. Photography is my creative passion. It is my way of capturing a moment so that it lasts forever. My photos have brought families together to reminisce about the past. My pictures have advocated for issues yet spotlighted the solutions. My passion has introduced others to the tender hand of mother nature. Most importantly, my photos have helped me show others that there is more to the world than what meets the eye. Photography, to me, is more than just whipping out a camera and snapping a picture. It blends creativity, imagination, and a specific focus point to design one picture that speaks volumes. It is about capturing a moment so that it lasts a lifetime. It is about showcasing a certain aspect of the world in a way that is much more powerful than spoken words. Some days, I do not take any pictures, and other days I am struck by the beauty of a simple object that just has to be captured on camera. Being able to spend an entire day, a total 24 hours, with nothing but my camera and the world around me would be amazing. I can already imagine the captivating and extraordinary pieces of this world that I would capture in a single photograph. I would take the time to visit new places, while telling the story of the various buildings, locals, and history there through photography. Creativity with a camera strikes when I least expect it. I never know when I am going to stumble across something that just has to be photographed. Yet, I feel the most inspired and creative when I am among nature. I enjoy highlighting the many ways that life surrounds us every day. Life through flowers, trees, birds, grass, deer, and the many types of plants. There is always something to capture and there is never a dull moment when you are surrounded by nature. In a way, nature is my muse in which my creativity is sparked.

Giving to others is not just about volunteering time. It is about making a difference and having an impact on those that you give to. When we look around us, within our communities and in neighboring families, we begin to see where our help and giving nature is most needed. Sometimes, all it takes is a different perspective and a whole lot of love. As someone who loves to give and take time to help, I have found many ways to give to others in my community. I have given a weekend of my time to help Girls Inc. sort, pack, and deliver donated items to their building to enhance the development of young girls. I help pack shoeboxes for my church around Christmas time, so children in poverty-riven countries can be introduced to the word of God. In my community, I volunteered to be a camp counselor for my school’s sixth-grade camp to be a part of the educational journey this experience would take them on. I helped clean and build a community garden that will teach both locals and visitors about the beauty of nature. Lastly, I give back to my church community by helping take care of infants at my church’s nursery on Sunday mornings. I have not just served others in America, but also in Germany. I was a Girl Scout in the Girl Scouts Overseas program. As a Girl Scout, it was my goal to help and give to those around me, either on the military base where I went to school or in the German community that I lived in. I gave back to my community by creating a health and wellness day event, where I promoted healthy eating and exercising. I also participated in a community clean-up to promote the cleanliness of our environment. It also inspired others to keep their community clean and to treat our environment with respect. By giving to others and encouraging those around me to give and serve as well, I have advanced the spirit of giving in my community. I have given hope to my family, my community, and myself that the world can be a better place if we all lend a helping hand to those around us. Giving to others has also been a huge inspiration in helping me decide what I want to do with my future. I want to inspire, to be a positive role model, to help others achieve their goals and succeed in all their endeavors. I want to teach. Teaching is the embodiment of giving. Teachers give their knowledge to expand their students' knowledge. They give their time to ensure students succeed. And they give their love to make sure every student feels loved and welcome. Giving is a part of what makes a great teacher, it is the reason most teach. We want to give to our students and ensure their success. And in doing so, we ensure that the world also succeeds in the future. Teachers are shaping the very minds of the future, and by giving to our students, we can create a future society that is prosperous and filled with people who will be inspired to give back to others as well.

I never wanted to be a leader. The stress of organizing events, standing in front of crowds, and having people follow what you teach them overwhelmed me. I kept asking myself, “Why would they want to follow and listen to me?” and “Am I willing to teach and inspire people even if that means standing in front of a huge crowd?” These questions kept me from being the leader I was meant to be. I let my fears, worries, and stresses get in the way of making a difference in my community, in society, and in the world. However, I found that even though I did not want to be a leader, I needed to be a leader. I needed to learn how to get over my fear of public speaking, I needed to learn to start trusting myself and have confidence in the message I was giving, and I needed to learn how to organize events so I could use those skills in the future. Eventually, I found that being a leader is more than just being an influence to others, it is about making a difference in the world around us, no matter how small. Learning to be a leader has been no walk in the park, but it has helped me succeed in many endeavors. If there is anything that I have learned from my limited experiences of being in a leadership position, it is that leadership takes courage. It takes bravery to stand up in front of people and be an inspiration to them. My very first leadership event was when I was in Girl Scouts. I organized an event that promoted healthy foods, exercises, and connections with exercise instructors. The entire event was going well, and I was learning how to grow more confident in my ability to lead until I had to get on stage and talk in front of everyone. I stood frozen at the bottom of the stage stairs staring at the microphone in my hands. I was so close to giving up until my mom came over to me and gave me a piece of advice that I have carried with me through the years. Her advice was along the lines of, “You need to take a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other, look each person in the eye, and go make a difference in the world.” I took this advice and made my way onto the stage, completing the event with a thank you, a round of applause, and the diminishing fear of public speaking. I started being a leader because I needed to learn how to step out of my comfort zone and make a difference in the lives of those around me. I may have not wanted to be a leader in the beginning, but I needed to become one because I wanted to show myself that I could get past my fears and show others that there is so much worth fighting for in this world. Most importantly, I found that being a leader is all about learning. It includes learning about yourself, about the problems around you, about the lives of others, and about how the world could use a female leader’s voice to carry a message of empowerment, greatness, and difference.

Volunteering has always been a big part of my life. My grandmother volunteered her time to people and organizations, and so did my mother. By volunteering, I follow along in their footsteps. However, I do not just volunteer to continue my family’s acts of service; I volunteer because I aim to make a difference in others' lives. I give a little of my time and help to those who need it the most. Sometimes, my volunteering is on a small scale, yet I impact others’ lives on a much larger scale. Especially because my faith motivates me to help others in need. By serving others, I have grown into the successful woman I see in the mirror every morning. When I am presented with an opportunity to volunteer, I do not hesitate to take it and it is because of my willingness to serve others that I have developed two important core values. Respect is number one. When I volunteer, I interact with everyone that I meet in a way that conveys respect. Volunteering has helped me strengthen this core value. I now ensure that I respect everyone that I am helping and those that are working alongside me. I respect what others are doing to volunteer. I respect others by trusting they will have a great impact in the lives of others. And I respect those that I am helping in the hopes that I will receive respect in return. Caring is my number two core value. Volunteering has shown me what it means to have a caring nature. It has shown me the great impact I can have on someone else’s life just by caring for them. Being a volunteer and serving others has taught me to put myself in others' shoes and to do so without pity, but with the determination to help. As a future teacher, being caring plays a big role in ensuring all students feel welcome and safe within the classroom. Volunteering has helped me grow this core value. I care for the organizations I volunteer for and their mission. I care for the people I volunteer for and the impact I make in their lives. I am immensely grateful for all the opportunities I have been given to volunteer my time to help those in need. It is because of these volunteer opportunities and the strengthening of my core values that I have been able to work towards achieving two life goals: becoming more mindful of how I live and being grateful. Seeing the needs of others and how they live makes me grateful for all that I have, but has also made me mindful of what I do not need to have. There are many material objects that I own that are wants, not needs. Being more mindful of what I buy has helped me live a simpler life and has helped me give what I do not need to those who need it more.

To say that I am a fan of Stranger Things would be an understatement. I eat, sleep, and breathe Stranger Things. And it all began one winter evening when I discovered the show after some thorough Netflix browsing. Cuddled up in a warm blanket, I decided to try this show and it was not until several episodes in that I noticed I had begun binging one of my now all-time favorite series. When I am not working on schoolwork or spending time with my family, my mind is running wild with possible new episodes, new character introductions, and the many ways Eddie could have survived. I have thought many times about who I would pair up to be a new team to fight the various existing evils and possible new ones. The team that I eventually settled on was chosen not just because they would work well together, but also because they all have strengths and various skills that they can bring to the table. This legendary team would include Dustin, Steve, and Eddie. Dustin: The brain to Steve’s brawn. I chose Dustin because of his expansive technology skills, his knowledge of various random topics (that somehow come in handy), his empathetic side, and his willingness to sacrifice himself for his team. In case of any technological problems or challenges encountered, Dustin is the guy. His ability to use materials available to him at the moment to create technological wonders is extraordinary and beneficial to the team. He also has knowledge of true north and parallel universes, which can come in handy when battling evil foes and exploring new terrains. He also tends to place himself in other people's shoes to see their perspective of a situation and is willing to place his life on the line to guarantee the safety of others, showing his loyalty to the team. Steve: The brawn of the operation. I chose Steve because of his protective big brother nature, his determination to stand up to every challenge, and his willingness to have a heart-to-heart talk when it is needed the most. If the team is facing a foe unlike any other, the team can count on Steve to face it head-on. Especially with his baseball bat full of nails. It does not matter if the foe is alien to the world, he knows that the safety of the team lies within his hands and is willing to fight till his last breath to keep them safe. During times of need and doubt, the team can rely on Steve to give them a motivating heartfelt pep talk that will change the entire outcome of the fight. Eddie: The optimist. I chose Eddie because of his optimistic nature, his willingness to learn from his mistakes, and his knowledge of the upside-down. The team can count on Eddie to remain the optimist in the most challenging of times. He always sees the fight ending in the best outcome. He learns from all the mistakes that he makes to ensure that he does not make them again. He is the character that has stayed a kid at heart (not afraid to be the leader of a Dungeons & Dragons club in high school) yet has experienced the most growth through the series. Through everything, he will always remain a role model to Dustin and the team can rely on him to show off his mad guitar skills if a distraction is ever needed.

One thing that I remember about my childhood is that I always looked forward to turning on Disney Channel in the morning and seeing which show was playing. Yet, the shows that I was always excited to see on Disney Channel were the ones where two shows, two worlds, collided to create an all-new experience. This scholarship brought me back to my childhood and motivated me to recall every single show on Disney that I have seen that has done a crossover. Yet, there are two of my favorite shows that have yet to meet. Imagining a crossover episode between my two favorite Disney Channel shows would take place between “Shake it Up” and “Jessie.” Jessie relates to my life. I grew up with many different nannies. Each nanny had their own unique personality, yet it was my last nanny that I felt was more like family than a babysitter. My time with this nanny felt a lot like the show Jessie. We had our ups and downs, yet she was always there when I needed her the most. In a way, I felt a personal connection between the show Jessie and my own life. Shake it up, on the other hand, taught me that sometimes the best things in life require us to step out of our comfort zone. A crossover episode between the two, titled “Dancing into New Friendships,” starts with a scene from Shake It Up. In the Windy City of Chicago, CeCe and Rocky are chatting about “Shake it Up, Chicago” during breakfast before heading to school. Before they leave for school, Rocky’s brother Ty comes in with yesterday's mail. Among the stack of bills, magazines, and advertisements, lies a paper flyer about a $5,000 dance competition taking place in New York City. The flyer states that signups close that night at midnight and the competition starts in two weeks. This is what motivates CeCe and Rocky to travel to New York City where the storyline of this crossover episode unfolds. Meanwhile, in the famous penthouse where Jessie, the nanny, works lies a similar stack of mail on the kitchen counter. Bertram, the butler, is making breakfast for all of the kids. Of course, Zuri is complaining about the food, Emma is talking about the latest school gossip, and Luke is playing with his food. Jessie strolls into the kitchen and goes straight for the stack of mail. She reads off everything in the mail pile and pauses when Luke hears about a $5,000 dance competition being held in Central Park. After some coaxing, Jessie finally agrees to let Luke sign up for the competition in two weeks. When CeCe, Rocky, Jesse, and Luke decide to go to Central Park to see where the competition will be held these two worlds collide. First, they see each other as the competition and are not very friendly with one another. However, Luke begins to fall in love with Rocky and Jessie can't help but overhear CeCe on the phone with the hotel that they were going to stay at. The hotel was fully booked because of this competition, so Jessie invites CeCe and Rocky to stay in the penthouse. Many events, catastrophes, and friendships grow and take place throughout this episode. In the end, Luke nor CeCe and Rocky win the competition. Plot twist: Ravi does. Little did Jesse know that Ravi had signed up for the competition the day signups began. In the end, this episode ends with newly formed friendships, plenty of laughs, and a $5,000 richer Ravi who uses it to spoil Ms. Kipling.

Is it a cliché to say that I grew up with Spiderman? If it was not the movies, then it was my fanatic friends, the popular Halloween costumes, and the various action figures within the store. Spiderman was everywhere. Yet, as I watched each Spiderman present a different side to the beloved comic, I would ask myself: which Spiderman did it better? If this sounds familiar, then you know the dilemma that I was and am now in to pick a Spiderman that brought different strengths and personalities to the movies. If this does not sound familiar, then you might just enjoy all of them and might be asking yourself, why should I pick when I liked all of them? After some careful and thoughtful “research” (which required a rewatching of the movies), I have decided that if I had to rewatch the Spiderman movies over and over, I would choose the Spiderman movies with Tobey Maguire. And the reason I chose this actor to be my favorite is for a few different reasons. The first reason is that Tobey Maguire as Spiderman is relatable on many levels. Maguire is not only empathetic himself but is a Spiderman who evokes sympathy in his fans/viewers. His ability to show emotion on a level that makes you feel sympathy for him and anguish for the downs of his story. His challenges and heartbreaks become our challenges and heartbreaks. The betrayal of his best friend and his death which happened in Maguire's own arms, and the loss of his grandfather; the one whose advice Peter Parker carried with him wherever he went. Not only did Tobey Maguire’s Spiderman experience great loss in the form of betrayal and death, but his idol, Doc Ock, began to change before his very own eyes into the madman that Spiderman would have to face and defeat. This Spiderman has had to fight both of the people he cared for and looked up to. Tobey Maguire gave the comic book web-slinging hero life on the screen. This spiderman, an awkward and unconfident teenager, bullied by his peers, and spending most of his time encompassed by science and academia, became his confident self because he discovered and learned who he truly was when he dawned on the spider suit. The growth of Maguire’s character came in the form of discovery. Discovery of becoming a hero, learning to fight for what is right, and experiencing love for the first time. The second reason is that Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker set the foundation on which all other Spiderman movies were based off of. He set the standard of how Peter Parker should look and act. He encompassed the storyline of growth that future Spiderman movies played off of. Tobey Maguire was the first to take the Spiderman comics and create a persona that matched the original Spiderman, delivering an original and refreshing franchise to the screen. His portrayal of Spiderman will forever be known as the “first,” for it is because of Maguire that fans of this all-time comic hero got to see him brought to life.

As someone who cannot stomach scary shows or movies, I was quite surprised to find one that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. I am even more surprised that even after watching this show on Netflix, I have been on the lookout for shows a lot like it. I also cannot wait until the second season comes out on Netflix because I know I will be the first in my family to binge-watch it. “Wednesday” is a Netflix show that perfectly blends a pinch of romance, a dash of thrilling jump scares, and a smidge of mystery. As someone who grew up watching “The Addams Family” I was curious to see how accurate the “Wednesday” show would be. And I was excited to find that the Wednesday show perfectly cast the actors and actresses while following similar ideas from the original show and comic. You may be thinking: Okay, but why should I watch this show? I asked myself the same question. After hearing about this show and watching the trailer I was not sure that I wanted to even pursue this series. However, I am glad I did because Wednesday takes what you thought you knew about the entire world of The Addams Family and twists it around to leave you wanting more. The Addams Family focused more on the family and how they lived their kooky lives. “Wednesday,” on the other hand, focuses more on the show-no-emotion daughter of the family while introducing a new place filled with people similar to her family. The show “Wednesday” revolves around “Nevermore Academy,” a school for people like Wednesday. We meet werewolves, sirens, shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. All who have their own day-to-day high school drama, but also come together to defeat an evil never seen before by Wednesday. This show also combines pieces from the original show. For instance, Thing is back in action. A hand that can move on its own may seem kind of creepy, but he also has a personality that can quickly grow on you. The original Wednesday, Christina Ricci, also plays a major role in this Netflix series. A role that none of us saw coming. However, this is not just about Wednesday experiencing high school. It is even bigger than that. After seeing a creature in the woods that she has never encountered before, she begins to investigate to figure out what the creature is and what it plans to do. This eventually moves this Netflix show into murder mystery territory. If you are someone who loves a good murder mystery with twists and turns that you do not see coming, then this show is for you. As someone who can normally predict how a show will end or who the culprit is after a few episodes, I was easily stumped when it came to this show. And “Wednesday” does not let you get away with just watching the first season because what it shows at the end of the last episode, leaves you wanting more. Lastly, this show is not just about murders, mysteries, and high school. It also includes a little romance. Romance between who? Maybe it is Wednesday or maybe another character, you will just have to watch to find out. And who knows, Wednesday, much to her dismay, might actually make a friend or two at school. In the end, if you are looking for a show that will keep you on your toes and leave you wanting more, then the next time you are browsing through Netflix, find Wednesday, click on it, and try the first episode.

My community has shaped me into who I am today. It is because of my community and the members within that I have been given many opportunities to grow into the best version of myself. The members of my community have stuck by my side since day one, regularly reminding me that I am not walking through life alone. And since my community has given so much to me, I find many ways to give back to them. Volunteering is important because it shows us how to make a difference in our community or in someone’s life. It gives us a chance to take a step back from our problems and address someone else’s. I am always on the lookout for new ways to get involved in my community, whether these are small acts of kindness or volunteering an entire week to a cause. As I volunteer, I am often benefited more than the people I am helping. I am given the opportunity to grow and learn lessons that have changed my entire life. And volunteering has allowed me to be open to many different possibilities. It has become a big part of my life, especially when I decided on my future career. My dream of being a teacher has become a motivating factor behind my acts of volunteering. A teacher’s main goal in education is not to just educate and inspire their students, it is also to make a positive difference in others' lives. So, making a positive difference in my community and in the lives of the members within has become my inspiration to be involved. I have learned so much from the positive differences I have made that I feel I have grown not only as a person but as a member of my community. I physically get to see the impact that I have on others' lives and know that I am doing something great. Seeing smiles, tears of joy, and gratitude on the faces of those that I help is what makes volunteering the highlight of my days. I also see my faith as another inspiring factor when I volunteer. As a Christian, I have been taught to put others first, always lend a helping hand, and love everyone. I find my faith to be the fuel I need to keep moving. I look for every chance I can get to help someone, whether it is simply helping someone with their groceries or volunteering my time for a big community project. Through it all, I know that my faith is the reason I keep seeking opportunities to help others. I also find that my acts of volunteering in my community are influencing change. I donated food to my local food pantry during Covid-19. A time when many people could not provide for their own families. I was able to give those families the food they needed to keep moving forward. I volunteered my time for Girls Inc., an organization that aids in the development of girls by providing them with the opportunities, knowledge, and resources they need to grow. Lastly, I helped my community clean a space for a garden at a nature preserve. This garden will promote environmental awareness, especially with children. In the end, the difference we decide to make in our community starts with a seed and as people join together, like water and sunlight, that seed blooms into a flower. A flower that will display the beauty of what the world looks like when people serve others.

When you reflect on your childhood, what is the one memory that sticks out the most? Is it playing dress-up with your parents’ clothes? Perhaps it is learning how to ride a bike for the first time. Whatever your unique childhood memory is, it is special to you because you cherish it the most. For me, getting my first Barbie house is my favorite memory. I remember the one Christmas I found a giant gift wrapped under the tree and inside the wrapping was my first Barbie house. The combination of light pink walls with white wood floors drew me in and the small box of furniture captured my interest and imagination. The opportunity to decorate a house for my Barbies was my favorite part because I could let my imagination run wild. I was always dreaming up new ways to design the rooms in the house, planning what outfits my Barbies were going to wear to the party that seemed to always take place, and determining which Barbies were going to arrive fashionably late. Later on, my imagination was no longer confined to just my Barbie house. I began to imagine that if I could live in my own Barbie house, what would it look like? And even though my dream Barbie house design is constantly changing, there are a few pieces of the design that remain the same. I traveled to Italy several years ago and I instantly fell in love with the Mediterranean style homes. The blend of the dark red tiled roofs, beautiful tall doorway arches, white walls, and expansive gardens captured my attention. The gardens outside of these houses were always beautiful and filled with many different colors, making it a must-have for my dream Barbie house. Soon after my trip to Italy, the exterior of my Barbie house was born. A Mediterranean-style house, with rich white walls, a tropical garden in the front of the house, and a redwood gazebo covered in climbing roses in the center of the backyard. Yet, my design did not stop there. Growing up on an island, I was always near the beach. Sandcastles and boogie boarding encompass my childhood. And when I picture my happy place, I picture the beach. Essentially, this is where my Barbie dreamhouse would reside. One of the places in my life that has always felt like home. Since my Barbie house would be on the beach, I would take walks on the beach at dusk, sit in the sun and listen to the waves, and always find the time to build the biggest sand castle. However, even though I dreamed up the design and the location of this house, I felt that a Barbie dreamhouse was not complete unless it had some amazing features inside. Since I am a major bookworm, I felt that it was necessary to have a place for all my books and room for more. So, my Barbie dreamhouse has a hidden library that can only be accessed from a fake bookshelf in the master bedroom. This library has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the walls, with a small red loveseat and a redwood side table in the center. I also have the iconic walk-in closet that Barbie and her friends have the tendency to get lost in, as well as a special space for the animals I adopt from the rescue, and a farmhouse kitchen that my big family can celebrate holidays in while dancing to music.

I was first introduced to Harry Potter when my cousin and I had a Harry Potter movie marathon. At first, I was not sure why the movies were such a big hit, but as we kept watching the movies I finally understood. It is not just the storyline that makes Harry Potter a worldwide phenomenon, it is the attention to detail and the no stone goes unturned attitude that makes this series truly extraordinary. I soon made it my utmost priority to track down the Harry Potter books so that I could experience the wizarding world through the art of words. J.K. Rowling is a legendary author who has a way of bringing a world made entirely from her imagination to life as if Hogwarts and Diagon Alley actually exist. However, what J.K Rowling does best is her ability to make a reader imagine what house they would be sorted into and what their experience at Hogwarts would be like. I always questioned, when reading the series, would I put my name into the Goblet of Fire? And what house would the sorting hat place me in, based on who I am? These questions became a big part of reading the series. It was no longer just picking up a book and reading the words within. It was picking up a book, reading the words, and having an internal conversation with myself filled with questions and contemplations. Instead of taking the various online quizzes that match me with a Hogwarts house, I decided to research the attributes and characteristics of each house to determine which one I would most likely align with. Even though there are characteristics of each house that I coincide with, I felt most connected to Hufflepuff. As the daughter of a single mom, I have had to work hard in a lot of aspects of my life. At a young age, I helped take care of my younger sisters, helped around the house where it was needed, and developed a put others first attitude in life. I learned how to separate my school from my home life, but still working hard in both. I have developed a personality where I treat everyone the way I want to be treated, with respect and kindness. I developed empathy by placing myself in other people’s shoes so that I could best support them. I became someone who will be there when they are needed the most, as a shoulder to cry on or to lend an ear. Also, growing up surrounded by nature and taking care of plants, I learned the importance that the environment has on the world. I am respectful to all wildlife, plants and animals alike, regarding each with a caring attitude and a gentle manner. I feel that my personality best encompasses a Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs are loyal, caring, and kind. They care a lot about the environment because this house enjoys subjects like Herbology and Magical Creatures. Hufflepuffs are there when they are needed and know how to empathize with others. They also work hard in everything that they do, giving it their all. They appreciate the value of friendship and regard everyone equally. In the end, the one Hogwarts house that I feel the sorting hat would place me in, based on who I am, is Hufflepuff.

My reading journey began on a cold February day when I was in middle school. In 2016 on Valentine’s Day, I walked into the library for a school project, regarding the shelves of books with disinterest. I was only there to pick up a non-fiction book that I would have probably never read for my interest. However, it was not until I walked to the checkout desk that I noticed books wrapped in pink paper with a small summary written delicately in the center. I remember being drawn to the mystery of what kinds of books lay underneath that pink paper. My curiosity got the best of me and after reading each summary, I found the one book that captivated me the most. This was the day my love for reading was born. Since then I have become a regular at my local library, I created a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and I always travel everywhere with a book or two. Yet, it is not just the stories within the books that I always find fascinating, it is what I have learned from those books that captivates me the most. Reading has taught me one of the most valuable lessons that any person can learn, how to be an effective listener. When I take the time to pay attention to all the details within the book, especially the smallest ones, I am able to pick up on those details in conversations. The person I am conversing with could be describing one thing, but at the same time, I am picking up on facial expressions, changes in tone, keywords, and hidden meanings. All of which help me to interpret the conversation and determine how best to respond. Empathy comes more easily to those who take the time to read a book, especially one that invokes an emotional response from the reader. As I read and get to know the main character, I begin to experience the feelings of the character as well. I begin to empathize with them. By empathizing with a character I am becoming more aware of the character's perspective in situations. I am getting to hear and feel the characters' emotions and thoughts as they experience a life-changing situation. Lastly, reading has taught me how to be more culturally aware. Through the art of reading, I have learned about different cultures and their unique traditions, which has helped me expand my horizons. Reading is also playing a major role in how I am achieving my biggest goal. I dream of being a kindergarten teacher and making a difference in my students lives. The broad range of cultures that I have been exposed to in books has taught me how to be accepting of all cultures, which will help me connect with both my students and their families, while also allowing me the chance to incorporate their traditions into the classroom. I now know how to pay attention to detail in the conversations I have through effective listening. This will be especially important with the families of my future students because I will learn not only about the concerns they may have but also how to best support them. I can also use my ability to empathize, thanks to reading, when having a one-on-one conference with students' families. Empathy will help me to share information with families in a way that is considerate and respectful. In the end, the lessons I have learned within the pages of books are the reason my goal seems more and more possible each day.

Taylor Swift: A legendary fashion icon, an inspirational activist, a powerful voice sharing musical words of change, and one person who has given me the chance to be something great. Taylor Swift has both empowered and inspired many generations, including mine. My childhood was filled with the musical brilliance of Taylor Swift. I grew up listening, singing, and dancing (not so well) to her earliest songs like “Teardrops On My Guitar" and "Tim McGraw.” She became an iconic part of my childhood. It is because of her songs and the stories behind the lyrics that I have learned a lot about who I am. Her empathetic, outgoing, and not afraid to express herself personality influenced my own personality. However, it was not until her 1989 album that I truly found myself. In 2014 I was going through a dark time. My family had just moved to a new place and not just any place, but a new continent. I became the new kid at school halfway through the school year. I became an outcast that no one really wanted to invite into their friend group but felt bad for all the same. I had a hard time finding my place and became lost. Lost inside my own head, filled with “what if’s” and a negative view of myself. I thought that maybe no one wanted to be around me because of how I dressed, looked, and acted. I trudged through school, not quite making friends but also not quite being ignored. I eventually became the source of my peers' comments. My flaws became the definition of who I was. Due to a rare hereditary disorder, certain parts of my outward appearance are not normal and my peers began to use these differences as a reason to treat me differently. August 18, 2014: A few days before my birthday, one of my many days of feeling lost, “Shake It Off” was released. One of the many great songs in Taylor Swift’s 1989 album. The moment this song came on the radio, my heart stopped. In my mind I was thinking, “How did she know?” How did Taylor Swift know that I needed a song about shaking off negative views, hate, and shame? In a way, the release of this song was just for me, at a time where I felt like I was alone. Taylor Swift wrote this song to show listeners, whether they were fans or not, that we need to just shake it off. Shake off all the rumors that people create and spread and listen to the voice inside telling me that it is going to be alright. Everyone is going to talk just to talk and it does not mean that everything they are saying needs to define who I am. It does not mean that I need to become the person they make me to be rather than just being me. In the end, I just need to “Shake It Off.” This is why Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off” is my favorite song in her 1989 album. It spoke to me at a time when I needed it the most. It was as if Taylor herself was speaking directly to me, letting me know I am not alone. All I need to do is ignore the taunts and rumors and just keep walking. Everytime I hear this song, it reminds me of the time that Taylor Swift, a musical legend, helped me become who I am today.

My journey began with an experience that took place on a cold winter day on the first of December. I woke up and got ready for class like any typical day. Yet, when I came upstairs, I found my mom crying on the phone. That’s when she told me that my grandma’s heart stopped and the doctors did everything they could. Yet, my grandma’s heart never restarted. Receiving the news was like a splash of ice-cold water to the face. I could not move for fear that if I did, I would feel everything all at once. I did not feel like continuing on because I no longer had one of the most important people in my life there with me. My grandma practically raised me. She was there when I got hurt, armed with a Band-Aid. She was there when I got a bad grade, always telling me that a cookie would make me feel better. And she was there when my dad left my family, and my mom was left on her own with three little girls to raise. To imagine a life where my grandmother was no longer with me was heartbreaking. I stopped caring about my health, I became anxious every day, and I would find excuses to not spend time with my friends. I cut myself off from everything and everyone. However, it was not until a month after my grandma passed that I began to hear stories about her health. My grandma made choices during her life that resulted in a poor lifestyle. Learning about those choices was the one opportunity I needed to turn my life around. I did not want to let my health decline. I did not want to make bad choices because my mind was not in the right place. And I did not want to leave my loved ones at a young age because of poor health choices. It is because of that moment of reflection that I began a health journey that has changed my life immensely. A health journey where I have created specific, realistic health goals that I aim to achieve each day, such as improving my fitness and stress levels. A lifestyle where I find all opportunities to educate myself on nutrition, healthy habits, and improving mental health. A journey that is abundantly filled with a network of support systems who provide me with guidance, encouragement, and support as I continue my healthy lifestyle. Yet, I have found that even though a lifestyle with routine and steadiness is beneficial, it is always life-altering to explore new and exciting things that will gift you with a whole new perspective of your health journey. I have begun to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to fitness-related activities. I have joined a yoga class, attempted to play racquetball, learned to kayak, and am planning to try out pickleball. I also joined a local non-profit gym not just to have a wide range of exercise equipment at my fingertips, but also to make new relationships and connections with the trainers there. I have learned many new techniques when it comes to exercising, learned tips on positive self-care and mental health, and learned how to release stress in a positive way. Furthermore, I have begun to embrace a minimalistic lifestyle and it has been a breath of fresh air. I have decluttered and organized my living spaces and I find more happiness from experiences rather than from material objects. My health journey has been a transformative experience and has brought me a sense of freedom and contentment.

Imagine, you have just graduated from high school and your entire future lies in your hands now. You are given a newfound sense of freedom. However, with this freedom comes hard decisions. Will you go to college? Will you go straight into the workforce? Or will you venture out into the world to find who you truly are? A multitude of questions arise when your future is up to you. It is only the beginning of your story, and the pen is now in your hands, so what will your story be like? It is with this mindset that I have reflected on what I want my future to look like for quite some time. I always ask myself that if my life was a book, and everything that I ever did, said, and decided was written inside, would anyone read it? I like to believe that people would. With my future in my hands, I decided to attend college and pursue a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. I want to pursue a career that will give me the opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life and in the world. As a future kindergarten teacher, I will have the unique opportunity to lay the foundation for a child's educational journey. I will play a crucial role in fostering a love for learning, developing essential skills, and nurturing a child's curiosity and creativity during their formative years. However, I knew that to achieve this dream, I would have to go to college. Yet, I was not scared of this new adventure, if anything I was excited and I felt more than ready for the responsibility that came with being a college student. Out of all the aspects of college, I was and still am excited to expand my overall horizons and knowledge of our diverse world. Since being a college student, I have gotten to know and work with students who are part of a broad range of diverse cultures. I have been exposed to diverse ideas and perspectives that have come from the opportunity to work with individuals that hail from different backgrounds and experiences. Every day as a college student I am still excited to broaden my horizons, challenge my preconceived notions, and gain a more global perspective to become more culturally aware. Despite the challenges that arise from holding my future in my own hands and from being a college student, remaining healthy has been my utmost priority. Maintaining a healthy body, soul and mind during college is not always easy but it is essential to our well-being. I practice self-care in the form of meditation, getting enough sleep, taking occasional breaks during the day, and finding time to take a moment to unwind and let go of stress. I stay physically active by exercising on a daily basis to reduce stress, boost my mood, and relax my mind. I have also created a network of support systems that revolve around healthy relationships with people that I trust. This support network includes individuals who are like-minded and have offered support through my journey as a college student. Everyone’s healthy lifestyle is different and unique in its own way, and it is up to the individual themselves to find the healthy habits that work best for them. In the end, listen to your body, always be kind and positive with yourself, and let self-care be one of your top priorities as your college journey continues.

Mathematics is not only about numbers; it is a language that unveils the hidden patterns of the universe, a realm of logic and beauty waiting to be discovered. Yet, for many, math evokes memories of tedious calculations and bewildering formulas. However, I write here as a testament to the transformative power of embracing mathematics and nurturing a genuine love for it. My voyage into the world of math began with curiosity. Like uncharted territory, it seemed mysterious and intimidating, but I was determined to uncover its secrets. I started by exploring the fundamental concepts—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—and gradually ventured into more complex territories. Along this path, I discovered something extraordinary: the sheer joy of problem-solving. Solving mathematical puzzles awakened my mind to new possibilities. It was like deciphering a cryptic code or unraveling a tangled thread. The process of piecing together clues, making logical connections, and arriving at a solution ignited a spark within me. It was an exhilarating dance of intellect and intuition, a journey that pushed the boundaries of my understanding and expanded my cognitive horizons. Moreover, my love for math extended beyond the confines of textbooks and classrooms. I began to appreciate the real-world applications of mathematics. From the awe-inspiring architecture that relied on precise calculations to the data-driven insights that shaped our understanding of the world, math was everywhere, silently shaping the fabric of our lives. I realized that by embracing math, I was equipping myself with a powerful tool for comprehending the world around me. My journey of falling in love with math has not only enriched my intellectual growth but also empowered me in unexpected ways. Mathematics has sharpened my critical thinking and analytical skills, allowing me to approach problems with clarity and precision. It has taught me perseverance and resilience, as the path to mathematical mastery often requires dedication and continuous learning. Through my math journey, I have discovered my potential, transcending the limitations I once believed held me back. Math is important because it allows an individual to enhance their problem-solving skills and connect them to practical applications. Mathematics develops critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. It teaches us how to analyze problems, break them down into smaller, manageable parts, and devise logical and efficient solutions. These skills are valuable not only in mathematics itself but also in various real-world situations. Mathematics is also used extensively in everyday life and various fields such as science, engineering, medicine, technology, and finance. It provides the tools and language to describe and understand the world around us, from calculating distances and measuring quantities to designing structures and analyzing data. Math also has a way of improving our cognitive abilities, creating a foundation for logical reasoning and offering us insight into quantitative literacy. Math improves logical reasoning, attention to detail, problem-solving skills, memory, and pattern recognition. It fosters perseverance, patience, and discipline, as mathematical problems often require sustained effort and multiple approaches. Mathematics is built upon a foundation of rigorous logic and reasoning. It helps develop deductive and inductive reasoning skills, as well as the ability to think abstractly and make logical connections. These skills are transferable to other subjects and areas of life. In today's data-driven world, being able to understand and interpret numerical information is crucial. Mathematics equips us with the skills to work with numbers, interpret data, and perform calculations. This quantitative literacy is essential for making informed decisions, evaluating claims, and participating in civic and economic activities. In the end, regardless of your career path, mathematical literacy is valuable for navigating the complexities of the modern world.

Growing up as the daughter of an Army veteran, my perspective on life has been shaped by a unique blend of strength, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication. As the daughter of someone who selflessly served our country, my mom’s experiences have instilled in me a profound appreciation for the values instilled in military service. The sacrifices and dedication my mom made during her military service have left an indelible mark on my identity and worldview. From the moment I understood the magnitude of her commitment, I became acutely aware of the unique perspective and responsibilities that come with being part of a military family. The impact of my mom’s commitment extends far beyond her stories; it has shaped my aspirations, beliefs, and the lens through which I view the world. Being the daughter of an Army veteran has influenced my life and inspired my career aspirations. Following in my mom’s footsteps, I pursue a career that provides me with the opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life and in the world. As a future kindergarten teacher, I will have the unique opportunity to lay the foundation for a child's educational journey. I will play a crucial role in fostering a love for learning, developing essential skills, and nurturing a child's curiosity and creativity during their formative years. By doing so, I get to witness the growth, progress, and milestones achieved by each child throughout the school year, while having the chance to make learning fun, exciting, and meaningful for my students. Ultimately, my passion to be an elementary teacher and my career aspirations have been greatly influenced by my experience as the daughter of an Army veteran. Growing up with a veteran parent instilled in me a sense of patriotism and service to my country. This has influenced my desire to pursue a career that directly contributes to the well-being of my nation and community, such as pursuing a public service career. As I grew up hearing about the stories and sacrifices my mom made in the military, I cultivated a deep appreciation for sacrifice, honor, and dedication in my life. It has inspired me to seek a career that allows me to make a meaningful impact, display integrity, and uphold values such as loyalty and discipline. Being exposed to military cultures and values from my mom helped shape my career aspirations by making me more inclined towards professions that align with those values. For example, a career in leadership, teamwork, and a structured environment. Being the daughter of a veteran has profoundly influenced the trajectory of my career aspirations. By learning about my mom’s selfless service and sacrifice, I have developed a deep appreciation for duty, honor, and the values that define the military community. It is within this context that my own aspirations have taken root and blossomed. As I embark on my journey, I am driven by a passion to make a meaningful impact, to serve others, and to uphold the values instilled in me through the example of my veteran parent. Whether it is pursuing a career in public service or working in fields that embody the values of loyalty, discipline, and service, I am committed to making a difference. The legacy of my mom’s service will continue to shape my path, driving me to embrace challenges, seek opportunities for growth, and make a positive contribution to society. I am proud to carry the lessons learned as the daughter of a veteran, and I am eager to forge my own path, guided by the indomitable spirit of those who have served before me.

“With great power comes great responsibility” – Stan Lee (Spiderman) As a Marvel fan, I enjoy connecting Stan Lee's quotes with everyday life. The quote above is one of my favorites and I feel that it greatly connects to the many challenges that I have faced in life. One of those challenges being money. Growing up in a single-parent household, I became financially aware at a very young age. Living with one parent and with only one income was hard at times. The Stan Lee quote above spoke to me in volumes because I have connected it, in a way, to the financial situations of my life. I see this quote, not as “power” but as “money.” In a way, with great money comes great responsibility. Being in charge of not only the money you earn but also how you spend it is a great responsibility. Will I save half of it and spend the other, will I spend it all on something that I do not need, or will I save all of it so that I am prepared for any future situations? As a financially aware child who made a few bucks from chores, I would ask myself these questions constantly. However, it was not until one Christmas morning during my childhood that my mom gave me a Dave Ramsey budgeting kit. She wanted her children to know how to both budget and save money to be better prepared for their futures. To a child, this was an unexpected gift, but it is because of this gift that I have learned how to be financially smart. I learned how to separate the money I earned into three different envelopes: save, give, and spend. I was taught how to not only budget the money that I earned but also how to not spend any money that I did not have. The three-envelope method has helped me keep track of my money so that I know how much I can spend and how much I am saving for college. Learning how to be financially smart at a young age has had great advantages in my life. For example, I have learned how to live life in a financially stable way. I have learned how to establish a strong foundation for financial stability. I have taught myself ways in which I can build emergency funds, save for future goals, and avoid excessive debt. This has helped immensely in reducing my financial stress and has provided me with a sense of security. Being financially smart has helped me set and achieve my financial goals. Whether it's buying a home, starting a business, avoiding debt, or traveling the world, being financially smart enables me to plan, save, and make informed decisions to reach my objectives. I have learned how to avoid excessive debt by making informed decisions about borrowing, understanding interest rates and repayment terms, and developing strategies to pay off debt efficiently. Finding ways to be financially smart has also shown me how to be financially independent and make good financial decisions. For example, being financially smart has empowered me to achieve financial independence. I now know how to make sound financial decisions, I manage my own money, and I have control over my financial future. This independence provides a sense of freedom and reduces reliance on others for financial support. It has also equipped me with the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions. I evaluate options, weigh pros and cons, and consider long-term consequences, which helps me make decisions that align with my values and optimize my financial outcomes. Throughout this entire financial journey, from the moment I got my Dave Ramsey Kit, one important piece of financial advice from my mom has stuck with me: find ways to continuously educate yourself about personal finance. I was taught that in life, we are always learning new things, especially about topics that we thought we already knew everything about. However, I believe that there is more to know about being financially smart and that I have only scratched the surface of this topic. I can read books, articles, and reputable websites to improve my financial knowledge. By understanding concepts like investing, taxes, and personal finance, I will be empowered to make better financial decisions. This is the best piece of financial advice that I have received because I can learn how to identify scams and financial pitfalls. Financial education will help me recognize and avoid common financial scams and pitfalls by helping me understand warning signs. Learning how to protect myself can teach me ways to safeguard my financial well-being. I can also learn how to manage financial challenges and improve my existing financial behaviors. Continuous education about personal finance will help me develop healthy financial habits and behaviors. It will encourage me to spend responsibly, save regularly, and create a disciplined budget. In summary, continuous education about personal finance empowers individuals to make informed decisions, protect themselves from financial risks, build wealth, and achieve their financial goals. It enhances financial stability, security, and resilience, both on an individual and societal level. Being financially smart provides an individual with the knowledge, skills, and tools to make wise financial choices, achieve their goals, and help them build a secure and prosperous future.

Watercolor has a way of teaching you more about yourself than you ever knew. It is a type of art that can be “freeing” in a way. It was not until recently that I started to develop a sense of respect for this type of art, and watercolor soon became a new hobby of mine. A few years ago, I found that I had anxiety when I began to experience frequent anxiety attacks in overwhelming situations. I lived life every day stuck thinking about the future when I should have been living in the present. I tried everything to ease my anxiety, but I could not find the one thing that helped me stay in the moment. That was until about a month ago. My sister brought home a watercolor book from the library, and it sat in the living room for a couple of days. One afternoon, I picked the book up and perused the pages. I found myself stopping on certain pages, admiring and reflecting on the different artwork pieces within. I thought to myself, I want to try this. A few days later, I sat down at my kitchen table with a small piece of paper and a watercolor paint palette and let my creativity fly. Little did I know that watercolor would become my go-to hobby for easing anxiety. The unique thing about watercolor is that you never really know what the end product will be. You can stroke water onto your paper and drop different watercolor paints on it, but the rest is up to the paint and the water. This process taught me that I cannot be in control of every little thing in my life. When a person struggles with anxiety, they try everything in their power to be in control of every aspect of their life. However, with watercolor, you kind of need to step back and let your artwork take its own shape. My love for watercolor not only comes from how beautiful the final piece of artwork will be but also because it taught me to slow down and be in the moment. Watercolor has a way of drawing a person’s eye and holding their attention as they reflect on what they see. After I graduate from college, I want to be a kindergarten teacher and I hope that I can inspire my young students to develop a love for watercolor and art while using their imaginations at the same time. Art is really just letting our imaginations and our creativity flow together to create something truly extraordinary. I want to share my two first watercolor pieces, a feather for my sister and a compass for my mom. I wanted to paint a piece for both of them in a way that would encompass who they are through objects. The compass is meant to symbolize my mom’s love of travel and her adventurous spirit. The feather symbolizes my sister’s gentle nature and the way she moves freely through her days.

When I was young my parents got divorced. I became the daughter of a single mom, who has faced many hardships in her life with very little support in the beginning. However, it is because of my mom and the strength that she showed through this difficult time, that I have become who I am today. I have learned many lessons from my mom and those lessons have carried me along my path to a higher education in order to achieve my dream of being a teacher. One of the biggest challenges that I faced was actually part of an opportunity. This opportunity gave me the chance to learn about the world and grow into a new person, but it also introduced a few challenges. My mom, even as a single mom, never turned away from an opportunity. So, I lived in Germany for five years due to my mom receiving a promotion from her work, which took my family overseas. We moved when I was nine and I had the opportunity to learn a new language at a young age and was immersed in a culture very different than my own. However, even though this opportunity to live in Germany was a great one, I did experience major hardships. After five years in Germany, we decided to move back to America, which was a challenge in itself. We left in the last month of school, so when we moved back to America, I had to begin at a new school with only a month left in the school year. Due to my school in Germany having a more rigorous curriculum, I had a difficult time adjusting to the curriculum in America. In some subjects, I was ahead and in others, I fell behind. Another challenge was getting used to not having a close-knit of family and friends in America. For example, in Germany, there are not many Americans that live in German communities. However, the American families that do live in German communities gave my family and I the feeling of being at home. There was a more sense of family with the Americans that lived in Germany than when we moved back to America. However, even though it took some adjusting after moving back to America and this adjustment was enveloped in hardship, this experience changed and affected who I am today and is responsible for my successes. I overcame these challenges by immersing myself in my studies to make sure I was not behind in certain subjects. And I became more involved in my community in America, as a way of finding that sense of friendship and family that I had in Germany. I found that I was able to learn from that hardship. I found ways to overcome the challenge itself by using what I learned when I first moved to Germany and in the process I ended up finding the real me. The obstacles that have stood in my way and the challenges that tried to bring me down, only made me stronger. They paved the way for my future of being a kindergarten teacher and have taught me that my current educational path is going to have a positive impact on the world. I plan to educate the next generation of children who will one day take their place in the world as future leaders, engineers, artists, and in many more important careers. By being a teacher, I am teaching the children who will become the foundation upon which the future of the world is built.

When I was young my parents got divorced. My dad left and my mom became a single parent taking care of not only myself but my two younger sisters as well. And at times, life was hard. My mom was on her own, with very little support in the beginning. She worked a full-time job while my two younger sisters were not yet old enough to go to school. She spent hours looking for a daycare for my sisters after a full day at work, while also cooking dinner at night. As a single parent, she faced much hardship. However, it is because of my mom and the strength that she showed through this difficult time, that I have become who I am today. In first grade, I made the decision to be a teacher and I carried this potential career path option with me all the way to the end of my high school days. By the time graduation rolled around, I was ready to go to college to earn my bachelor's degree in early childhood education. However, this was going to be a challenge to achieve because I did not have financial support from two parents, and my mom was funding one of my younger sister’s college due to her being dually enrolled. When I found out the cost of tuition and the amount of classes that I was going to have to take each semester in order to graduate in four to five years, I became overwhelmed and a little scared. How was I going to fund my classes without stressing my mom even more? Regardless of how much I tried to ease the financial burden my mom was going to face to pay for my college, she still found a way to support me. Whether it was through varying amounts of money contributed here and there to my classes or through emotional support. My biggest educational goal is going to college and learning how to become a successful teacher. Once my first full-time semester was paid for and I began my classes, my mom always made sure I was given an adequate amount of time and a quiet place to study so that I could succeed in those classes. For the college classes that required observation, my mom taught me how to professionally contact my professors, teachers, and elementary schools so I could set up times to observe. When I would receive a grade on an assignment that I was not happy with, she would sit down with me, go over the feedback from the professor, and then help me learn from the mistakes that I made. She taught me that I am going to make a ton of mistakes in life, but I can learn from them and let them be an opportunity to do better next time. Growing up with a single parent most of my life and seeing the hardships that my mom faced daily showed me that single parents work really hard to support their children. I watched my mom rise above a hardship one day, only to be challenged by another one the next day. However, through it all, she found the time to support me in all my studies and help me get closer to achieving my educational goal. And to this day, she still remains my biggest hero.

I have made it my goal in life to lend a helping hand to as many people as I can and my future career choice of being an elementary teacher reflects that. Being a teacher is more than just teaching students new concepts, it is about making a positive difference in their lives and giving them opportunities to grow. Volunteering, to me, is my opportunity to grow. Every time I volunteer my time to help those in need or offer a helping hand, I know that I am growing into the person I want to be. I began volunteering in my community when I was in ninth grade. I made it my sole mission to find places where help was needed and ever since my first volunteer experience, I have found joy in lending a helping hand. I feel a sense of accomplishment in knowing that I offered assistance to those who needed it and I have found happiness in seeing the difference I made through the eyes of the recipient. Since ninth grade, I have volunteered to be a camp counselor for my high school’s sixth-grade camp. By doing so, I volunteered to lead and manage activities, was responsible for the safety of my campers, and spent three days and nights being a role model to my campers. I also took the time to donate food to my local food pantry for families in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. I volunteered my time to Girls Inc. to help sort, pack, and deliver donated items from a warehouse to a Girls Inc. headquarters building. By doing this, I became a part of the Girls Inc. mission to aid in the development of young girls. I also participated in the creation of a community garden at a local nature preserve during my senior year of high school. This garden would be used to educate visitors about the wonders of the environment around them and how to begin their own garden. Every year, my family and I also pack shoeboxes through Samaritan's purse for our church to help spread the word of God and give gifts to children all over the world. Lastly, during my church’s Christmas Eve service, I volunteered to help be a caregiver for infants and learned quite a few valuable skills during this experience. By volunteering in the infant room at my church, I have decided to apply for a volunteer position during the children’s service at my church starting in March 2023 as well. Every volunteer experience that I have participated in has helped me grow into the woman I see in the mirror every morning. By volunteering my time, I have been given many opportunities to not only help others but to also meet the most inspiring people. Even though I volunteered in the smallest of ways, and it only took place in my community, I feel that I still had an impact on the world. Even the smallest of steps can lead to something great. I hope that I have created a brighter future for those that I have helped and hopefully given them the opportunity to move towards a future of success. I hope that I have inspired them to go out and make a difference in their community as well. In a way, the knowledge that I gained from these volunteer experiences has helped create a brighter future for me because I now know that what I want to do most in the future is help others, which solidifies my career choice.

I grew up facing many hardships. Hardships that should have torn my willpower and determination down, but if anything only made them stronger. My mom’s work has moved me from one place to the next. I consider three different places in the world to be my home, I have made friends and lost some, and I grew up learning a new way of living that was very different than my own. However, I found that the hardships I faced in life were not placed there to build a wall that I could not get past, they were placed there so that I could learn from them and find another way to get past them. I also face a hardship every day, from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Being a role model to my younger sisters is one of the biggest hardships that I face on a daily basis and if I am being honest, one of the scariest. I want to be a positive role model to my sisters and show them that with hard work comes great achievements. I want to be one of the people they look up to and I want to make sure my actions are ones that they can be proud of. Even though I face hardships in many forms and many different ways, I know that they are making me a better person and they are shaping me into the person that I hope to be. And therefore, shaping me into the future teacher that I hope to be. At a young age I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I would want to pursue one career and then decide a year later to pursue a different career. This went on for quite some time and eventually, in ninth grade, I made a final career decision. I wanted to be an elementary school teacher and this decision stuck with me all the way to graduation. And it was not until I was given a letter from my first-grade teacher, which I had written back in first grade, that I knew my career choice was the right one. It was funny to know that in first grade, in the letter I wrote, the very first sentence said that I wanted to be a teacher. And through the years I kept bouncing around from one career choice to the next until I finally ended up choosing the same career path that I had chosen back in first grade. Deciding to be a teacher towards the end of my high school years was the perfect choice because I wanted to choose a career where I could make a difference and be a part of children’s lives. Being a teacher means being a role model for my students, finding ways to make learning more personal, and encouraging them in all their endeavors. Teachers play a significant role in overall education. They make important decisions that will impact the learning environment and the way students learn. They introduce students to the wonders of new knowledge, offer students with opportunities to build new relationships, and find ways to build lessons and activities on their interests. In the end, I am pursuing a career in teaching elementary in the hopes that I will make a difference, whether it is a difference in a child’s life or a difference in the world.

It has been my dream since first grade to be a teacher for elementary school. To inspire children in all aspects of learning, to be a role model for those who look up to me, and to make a positive difference in the world. From the first moment that I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I knew that I wanted to do great things. I wanted to foster creativity in my classroom, to help my students experience lessons through their senses, like touch, and to show them that learning is more than just gaining knowledge. Learning is about taking the knowledge you learn, reflecting on it, expanding on it, and taking it out into the world to make a difference. And that is exactly what I am doing now with my education. By going to college, I am not only learning more about being a successful teacher, but I am also learning valuable information that has helped expand my overall knowledge of what being a teacher is. College has given me many opportunities and has given me many hardships to face. However, through it all, I have become a stronger version of myself and if anything, the challenges and opportunities that I face to become a teacher have only solidified my decision to pursue this profession. Affording college is one of those challenges. I have always known that affording college was going to be a hardship that I would eventually face. However, I knew that when I faced this hardship, I was going to do whatever I could to keep moving forward toward my degree and applying for scholarships has been a part of this process. This scholarship will not only help ease the burden of paying for college off of my shoulders but will also finance my way to graduation. I graduate from my community college next semester, and I am so close to the finish line for my associate's degree that I can practically see it. This scholarship will carry me the rest of the way there. It will support me as I make my way towards that finish line and knowing what awaits me after graduation is all the motivation I need to keep moving forward. When I first began my college journey, I took some time to brainstorm the goals that I would like to accomplish both in college and in my future career. These goals have been one of the various things keeping me from giving up when times get tough. I created career goals so that I could expand my knowledge, encourage myself to step out of my comfort zone, and experience new aspects of teaching. My first career goal is to experiment with different teaching styles. I would like to find the perfect style that works for both my students and myself. My second career goal is to mentor new teachers. I want to share the knowledge that I learn as I start my career with potential upcoming teachers, so they feel welcome and comfortable. My third career goal is that I want to set my students up for success and by doing so, make a positive difference in their lives. I want to be there for them, lending a helping hand, and supporting them in all their endeavors. Lastly, my fourth career goal is to create a work-life balance. I want to balance my time so that I can be both a teacher and an invested member of my family. In the end, these career goals that I have created will help me become the best teacher I can be.

A young girl sits at her desk crying and shaking. Staring at the assignment that she does not understand, she begins to sob and her shaking gets worse. Her stress levels have risen to a very extreme level and she no longer feels safe. She tries to burrow into herself, wishing that this feeling would just go away. Day after day, night after night, the feeling remains with her and sits like a rock in her stomach. She loses her appetite, loses sleep, and loses the feeling of comfort. This feeling has now become a constant in her life. That young girl is me and I experience anxiety on a daily basis. I walk around with a constant feeling of dread, knowing that something during the day is going to stress me and I will have a hard time dealing with that stress. I have tried home remedies, exercises, meditation, and going for walks, but none have helped me ease my anxiety. After a while, my mental health began to deteriorate. With little sleep, little appetite, and always in a constant state of worry, my mental health was taking a turn for the worse. I started to fear the unknown and what the future may hold. I started to have self-doubt and began to fear failure, which only added to my overall stress. Soon, my anxiety started to warp my reality. It changed how I saw the world every morning when I opened my eyes. Instead of being excited for another beautiful day and ready to learn new things, I started to see each day as another day filled with stress. It began to change the way I approached problems, I began to think negatively all the time, and began to fear things when there was nothing to fear. Anxiety took over my body and by doing so, it took away my joy, my peace, and my hope. Even though my anxiety influenced a great number of things in my life, there were three parts of myself that grew stronger. My faith, my family, and my dream. In the pursuit of each of these, there was an underlying feeling of stress but it was soon overpowered by my need to immerse myself in my faith, my family, and my dream. Some would think that experiencing a great deal of stress and always being in an anxious state would cause someone to begin doubting their beliefs. That it would cause someone to change what they believe in. However, for me, it was quite the opposite. Instead of doubting my faith and my belief in Christianity, I began to embrace it even more. I threw myself into the teachings of the Bible, began attending church more, and sought peace from my anxiety through prayer. Even though I still experience anxiety and it is still a part of my life, I am no longer afraid to walk my journey alone because my faith walks beside me. A few of my relationships have suffered due to my anxiety and they are to the point where I may not be able to repair them into what they were before. However, I have been given the chance to create new relationships. My relationship with my family did not break when I suffered from mental illness, if anything, it only bent and eventually became stronger. I began to seek support from my mom, who always made time to help me through my anxious state and gave me the chance to talk. My family was always ready with an inviting hug when I felt like crying. They taught me to start living in the moment little by little and to not always worry about the future, for it is not here yet. My dream of being an elementary teacher has helped me push through the anxiety I have of being a college student. College presents its own set of challenges and every time I face one, I begin to stress. However, knowing that I am one day closer to crossing the finish line and achieving my dream is all the motivation I need at the beginning of every day. I wanted to be a teacher since first grade, however, this career decision begin to solidify when I knew that teaching children was a career that I was going to love. Being around children brought me a sense of peace that I did not have in a very long time. By interacting with children, learning about their interests and personalities, and being a part of their developmental process, I found that with children, I began to live in the moment. Children have a way of capturing your attention and holding it there, to the point where all your worries move to the back burner for a little while. My anxiety has defined who I am for so long and has shaped the way I live my life. However, it has also provided me with many new opportunities. Whether that is to foster new relationships, act on my career choice, expand my faith, or just learn to never be afraid to ask for help. In the end, my anxiety is more than a mental illness, it is the reason I keep pushing forward.

Volunteering has been a big part of my life and in some ways, it defines who I am. Volunteering is more than just volunteering your time to help others, it is about making a difference. I am always on the lookout for new ways to get involved in my community, whether these are small acts of kindness or volunteering an entire week to a cause. However, volunteering became a big part of my life when I decided on the career path that I wanted to pursue. Since I want to be a teacher, I am always looking for new ways to make a difference in my community and in the lives of those around me. Being a teacher has been my dream since I was in first grade, and it was not until halfway through middle school that I decided to start making a difference in any way I could. A teacher’s main goal in education is not to just educate their students on important topics, it is to make a positive difference in their lives. However, since I am not a teacher yet, I look for any way that I can make a positive difference in someone’s life. Not only does this inspire me to become involved in my community, but I also like to think that I am changing the world, one volunteer service at a time. Being able to give back to my community is one of the biggest highlights of my life. I enjoy helping wherever I can, even if my help is needed in the smallest form. I also enjoy volunteering because it offers me the chance to develop a set of new skills. By volunteering my time to others, I learn communication and collaboration skills. By volunteering on my own, I learn independence and problem-solving skills. Lastly, I am inspired to be involved in my community because it makes me happy. It makes me happy to know that I am making a difference, making an impact, and knowing that my time is needed. Being a volunteer has offered me the chance to see the world from a new perspective and has given me a new experience to dedicate my time and focus to. I am inspired to be involved in my community because I want to influence change. I have donated food to my local food pantry, especially during a time of need. During Covid-19 many families were in a position where they could not provide for their families. By donating to my food pantry, I was able to give those families the food they needed to keep moving forward. I volunteered my time for Girls Inc., an organization that aids in the development of girls by providing them with the opportunities, knowledge, and resources they need to grow. I helped my community clean a space for a community garden at a nature preserve. The cleaned space was used to create a garden that will educate children about the importance of our environment, how to begin gardening, and the various plants that are in our lives every day. Lastly, every year, my family and I fill shoeboxes for Samaritan’s purse, which is then given to my church, and then sent all over the world. The primary purpose of the shoebox is to introduce children in need all around the world to the love of God and his gospel. However, no matter where I volunteer or what I do, I am always making a difference.

As an aspiring teacher, I always look for ways to educate the young minds of the future. Many opportunities lie just at the fingertips of children’s grasps, and teachers are the ones who help those children reach for those opportunities. When I was a child, I remember always being excited to go to school and learn new things. Not only was I excited to be introduced to the different wonders of learning, but I was excited to see my teachers again every day. I want to be that teacher who makes learning not only fun but also engaging. Who fosters excitement in her students, so that every morning they wake up excited to come to school. Since I am always looking for ways to educate children, I decided to start teaching my niece and a few children in my community about an important social issue known as climate change. Climate change is not a major topic taught in elementary schools today, even though it is a very important topic. So, I decided to take the time to not only introduce science to the children in my life but to also expand on that science by addressing climate change. Climate change does not just affect a single person, it affects all of us. It has become a global phenomenon and because of it, there have been significant consequences. Due to our enlarging carbon footprints and our excess emissions of greenhouse gases, people’s actions are the number one cause of climate change. Since the future of the Earth lies within our hands and soon the children of the future’s hands, I have begun teaching and acting on ways to prevent climate change. The heating of water results in the burning of fossil fuels. These are fossil fuels that are eventually released into the atmosphere to aid in the process of climate change. I have started to use less water in my home, only do my laundry in cold water, and turn off water when it is not in use. Not only have I slowed the burning of fossil fuels in my home, but I have also turned off the lights when they are not needed and have begun to throw away less food. When you throw away less food you do not contribute to the amount of waste in landfills, which is waste that eventually rots and emits methane, a greenhouse gas. However, aside from my actions to prevent climate change, I have also begun to educate a few children in my community about climate change. I begin by teaching them about the use and importance of science, what science is, and how it impacts our daily lives. Then I tell them that with science we have discovered that our actions tend to harm the planet we live on. I engage them in conversation about what actions they do and do not participate in. Then finally, I encourage them to reflect on their actions, offer them ways they can minimize those actions to save planet Earth, and explain how I am preventing climate change as well. Climate change is not an easy topic to discuss, especially with children, but it is an important social issue that needs to be addressed. By using my field of study, I have found ways to introduce children to climate change and show them ways they can prevent it starting at a young age. If the fate of Earth lies in our hands now, then we need to educate the children of the future on climate change, so that the Earth can lie safely in theirs.

Pursuing my dream has always been my biggest goal in life. I knew that my dream would help me make a positive difference in others’ lives. However, in a way, my dream is more than just a goal, it is my life. My dream is to become an inspiration to others, to change the world, and to become a role model who fosters creativity. I want to become an elementary school teacher. However, this is not a dream that can be achieved easily and achieved in one day. This goal is long term and I have encountered many hardships along the way. To become a teacher, going to college for a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education is the first part of the goal that I have to accomplish. And among the many hardships that I have faced along this journey, one stands out the most: a mental adversity. I have struggled with anxiety since I was in high school. This mental adversity not only takes a toll on my physical health but also inhibits my ability to achieve my career aspirations. I get overwhelmed with anxiety attacks when I am under pressure or feel uncomfortable. However, I have found that through researching this anxiety and experimenting with different ways to get past it, I created a group of steps that have helped me continue to achieve my dream of graduating with a bachelors and becoming a teacher. The first step I took to get past this adversity was to acknowledge that I am facing adversity or hardship. By acknowledging that you have hit a bump in the road, you can begin to change the perspective you have toward that adversity and how you would like to get past it. The second step I have taken to get past this adversity is to embrace the discomfort that comes from that hardship and by doing so, try to step out of my comfort zone. I completed this step by deciding to attend a counseling session. I have always been uncomfortable with new situations and big changes, but I found counseling to be relaxing and reflective. It also contributed to the rest of the steps that I have taken to get past this adversity. After my counselor told me a few ways to prevent anxiety, I began to try them out. I found that I liked to write my thoughts down whenever I became anxious and soon this became the third step I took. Being able to physically see my thoughts instead of keeping them all jumbled up in my mind allowed me the chance to understand what I am anxious about. Eventually, my third step led to my fourth and final step: remaining positive. When all else fails, having a positive attitude and a positive mindset can help you go a long way. When you acknowledge that failure to move past an adversity on the first try does not mean that you never will move past it helps create a great mindset to have. Even if you fail the first time, you can always try again. Overall, even though anxiety has been a big part of my college experience and has created a roadblock on my path towards my dream, I found that through a few steps, I was able to get past this adversity. I stopped letting my anxiety drag me down and keep me in a scared, negative state. Instead, I saw my adversity as a chance to grow and, if anything, it has helped me get even closer to achieving my dream.

I was not always athletic. Growing up I played soccer for a few years during my childhood, but after my family and I had to move to a new country, I stopped playing. I found playing sports was not something I had time for anymore. I was in a new environment, surrounded by new people, and struggling with my studies. Sports became a thing of the past for me. Eventually, I found that I enjoyed curling up with a good book, going for walks outside, and spending a lot of time on my schoolwork. Soon, I became an introvert. The extroverted child who played soccer for her community was no more. It was not until we moved back to the U.S. to the same community that I began to feel as if something was missing. Every time I would go down to the park with my family, where I used to play soccer, I would begin to feel nostalgic. And eventually, I felt as if I was a walking puzzle, searching for that one last missing piece. When I moved back to the U.S. I had little to no friends, and I was anxious all the time. I became immersed in my schoolwork, rarely finding time to go outside. It was not until my mom brought home a brochure advertising soccer registration for the community, that I finally felt like I found my missing piece. I went into my garage, searched for a soccer ball, and began to play. The first day of practice was a little intimidating at first, especially because most of my teammates played soccer most of their life. However, that did not stop me from giving practice my all. We ran drills, practiced some plays, and ended with a scrimmage. After practice was done, I felt whole, and soccer became a part of my life once more. Not only did soccer fill the hole that was left when I stopped playing but it also gave me the chance to make new friends. Once an introvert who liked to remain to herself was now spending time with friends on the weekends. I learned to work in a team and to shed that remaining alone attitude. It began to feel like my entire team was connected and we learned to trust one another and trust that we would work together. My anxiety was reduced to the point where I was not a stressed-out teenager anymore. I found that playing soccer became my go-to stress reliever. There is no better feeling than running down the field with the ball within my grasp, feeling and hearing the wind rush by my face, with only one thing on my mind, pass and make the goal. I found peace when I was on the field. I became more self-confident because my coach believed in me, even when I failed to make a goal. He was encouraging and helped me stay positive. He taught me to always accept failure, to not let it drag me down. Failure offers you the chance to improve. Soccer is an important part of my life and even though I am in college and do not have much time to play anymore, I still go down to the park to play a one-on-one game with my sister. Soccer had a positive impact on my life because it taught me many things about myself and taught me many lessons. Every day I am glad that I played soccer once more, for it is because of soccer, that I feel whole once again.

The biggest difference can be made by the smallest of actions. We can take small steps to solve a negatively impactful problem. Climate change is an issue that the world has faced for quite some time. Our actions have contributed to this global phenomenon, and it is up to us to fix it. Climate change has become an issue due to the choices that the world has decided to make. For example, by creating more factories to produce a surplus of goods, we release a multitude of greenhouse gases. All of which are then released into the atmosphere contributing to climate change. However, this is only one example of many because our actions are direct contributors to climate change. The most impactful way to combat climate change is through the small actions we decide to take on a daily basis. A few small actions that combat climate change include using less energy, throwing away little to no food, learning to compost, and using different forms of transportation. Energy has become one of the biggest sources of the emission of greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels takes place when we decide to use an immense amount of energy in our homes. We use energy when we turn on the lights and use water. However, we can fix this. Instead of turning on multiple lights at once, only turn on a few and only for the time period that you need it. Turn off lights when you have left a room. You can also try switching all of your bulbs to LED bulbs, which use less energy. Try using a small amount of water daily. Refrain from leaving the water running when you brush your teeth or are rinsing dishes. Use a dishwasher for dirty dishes instead of washing them by hand because they use less water. Another small action that can be taken to help prevent climate change is the use of carpooling or riding a bike to work. Not only does carpooling offer you the chance to spend time with others and possibly engage in some carpool karaoke, but it also reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Riding a bike does the same and it provides a multitude of health benefits. Throwing away little to no food reduces the amount of waste that is placed in landfills and left to rot. When waste rots, it releases methane gas into the atmosphere which also contributes to climate change. Think about beginning a compost bin that you can place organic waste into. When I first learned about climate change, I was worried that I was contributing to this global phenomenon, and I did not want to be a part of that. I remember researching and brainstorming actions that I could take to prevent this. After I had compiled a list of ways to prevent climate change, I began to act on them, and I have started to make a difference even if it has been a small one. I use less energy in my home by washing all my laundry in cold water, using as little water as possible, and only turning on the lights that I need before turning them off when I leave the room. I have also taught myself to throw away less food to prevent the amount of waste that lies in landfills. Even though the steps I am taking to become more eco-friendly are small, I know that I am making a big difference. By reducing our carbon footprint on the world, we have a greater chance of saving it.

One of the biggest challenges that I have ever had to overcome was getting past my grandma’s death. When she passed, I was consumed with grief and heartbreak. I was young when my dad left my family and my parents got divorced. At the time this was a confusing experience; not understanding why my dad would leave my family. However, the clearest part in this confusing time was my grandma’s presence. She and my grandpa came to live with my family to help my mom. In a way, she became like a second mother to me. When my mom had to go to work, she would take care of my sisters and I, while also taking care of things around the house. I remember when I was a child being in the kitchen talking to her while she cooked and remember sitting on her couch, watching a small show on the TV with her before going to bed. As I grew older, I became even closer to her. I would help her make quilts for the family and give her a helping hand in cooking her favorite recipes. Every morning I would make sure I said good morning and would offer to make her breakfast. Somedays I found myself sitting on that same couch, reading a book while she watched her shows on TV. My favorite memory of my grandma was my family’s easter egg hunt tradition. Every year on Easter, even as I got older, my mom and my grandma would go outside and hide a ton of easter eggs. And I remember looking for this one egg that my mom claimed was hidden quite easily, but I could not find it. My grandma was laughing where she was sitting, and I mean like full-on belly laughing. And as I walked over to her, there was the egg, sitting on her walker, right where my grandma hid it. My favorite part of that memory is not the easter egg hunt or finding the egg, it was her laugh. The laugh that I heard every day when I was growing up. For me, there is not a single memory that I have where she is not there. So, when she passed away, it became the biggest challenge I ever had to face. However, even though this challenge was hard to overcome, and it was hard to get past the pain of loss, I found time to focus on what matters most to me: Family and college. Losing my grandmother opened my eyes to the importance of fighting for family. To the importance of making time to get together with those you love because you never know when their last day is going to be. I did not know when my grandma was going to pass, but what I did know is that I was going to spend as much time with her as I could every day. And I am immensely grateful for the time I did get with her, the memories I have to cherish of her, and the words I got to speak to her before she passed away. So, every day I fight for the chance to spend time with my family. Even if our schedules are busy, I always find time for the ones I love. I want to build a stronger bond with my family and nurture the relationship we already have with one another, and I know that every day I am going to fight to achieve this. College also matters the most to me because it has been my dream to graduate from college and make my family proud. When I first began college, I was a stressed-out young adult with a lot on her plate. However, even through the stress and the challenges, my grandma always helped me see the silver lining. She would ask me about my day and then she would help me see the good in the bad. By the time I was done talking about my day, it no longer seemed like I had a bad day, just one filled with challenges that I found ways to overcome. And I still continue to find the good in the bad because it helps me to feel closer to her. I want to fight for my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and I know that I will fight to achieve this goal with good grades, hard work, determination, and my grandma’s inspiration. Not a single day goes by where I do not miss my grandma. She is in every aspect of my life and encompasses every little thing I do. However, when I make it to the finish line, I will know that the fight was worth fighting and my grandma’s passing only made me stronger.

When I was in middle school, I was given a Dave Ramsey budgeting kit for Christmas and a five-dollar bill. This kit taught me how to budget my money, how to save money, and when to spend my money. It taught me the difference between a need and a want. It taught me that being financially literate is an important part of life and an especially important part of being a college student. Even though I know how to budget and save money, I am still learning ways to be financially literate. The new ways that I am learning to become financially literate are learned from past financial classes and through experience. When I receive money, the very first thing that I do is place most of it in savings because college is expensive. However, past financial classes and experience have taught me to evenly split my money into three categories: save, spend, and give. This is known as the 50/30/20 rule. Fifty percent of the money I earn needs to be placed into spend, thirty percent needs to go towards savings, and twenty percent can go towards anything I want to buy. By learning about this rule through past financial classes, I have become a better saver and know how to successfully create a budget. I now know that by attending financial classes in the future, I can learn how to save money, budget, and understand the importance of using money wisely which can lead to me becoming financially literate. However, now that I have found a few ways to become financially literate, I can educate others with this knowledge that I have obtained. And I plan to do this when I become a teacher. Teaching is all about aiding in the expansion of knowledge. I can incorporate into my lessons small pieces on how to become financially literate. Therefore, offering my students a small step towards becoming and remaining financially stable in the future. The first place to start when educating my students on how to become financially literate is where I started: learning about budgeting. For example, teaching others about what a budget is, how to make one, when someone should make a budget, and how to successfully budget any money earned can help someone go a long way with their finances. After budgeting is covered, needs and wants should then be addressed. For example, I can discuss with my students what is considered a need or a want. I can ask questions to further explain this topic, like is food a need or a want and is a new play station a need or a want? Then after a need and a want are discussed, the importance of saving should be addressed. I can explain to my students that saving is more than just putting money away for a later date. It is about having enough money saved for emergencies, college, future endeavors, or if you do not seem to have enough money to pay bills. Having money saved is the most important part of being successful financially. Lastly, debt needs to be addressed. For example, I can teach my students what debt is, how it happens, and how to get out of it. By understanding the importance of debt, you can understand the importance of saving and always having enough money. Overall, becoming financially literate is more than just understanding ways to save money and budget, it is about using those financial skills effectively and building a stable financial foundation.

One of the biggest challenges that I have ever had to overcome was getting past my grandma’s death. When she passed, I was consumed with grief and heartbreak. I was young when my dad left my family and my parents got divorced. At the time this was a confusing experience; not understanding why my dad would leave my family. However, the clearest part of this confusing time was my grandma’s presence. She and my grandpa came to live with my family to help my mom take care of my sisters and me. In a way, she became like a second mother to me. When my mom had to go to work, she would take care of my sisters and me, while also taking care of things around the house. I remember being in the kitchen talking to her while she cooked and remember sitting on her couch, watching a show on the TV with her before going to bed. As I grew older, I became even closer to her. I would help her make quilts for the family and give her a helping hand in cooking her favorite recipes. Somedays I found myself sitting on that same couch, reading a book while she watched her shows on TV. There is not a single memory that I have where she is not there. So, when she passed away, it became the biggest challenge I ever had to face. However, even though this challenge was hard to overcome, I found that music and talking with others helped me the most. I would find myself putting in my earphones and pressing play on the first song I could find and eventually I found that music helped me get through this pain. I could focus on the rise and fall of the beat for each song instead of the grief I had felt. Eventually, I found the courage to talk to my mom because, she too, was having a difficult time. We found solace in one another, and I learned that talking to others was a great way to overcome any challenge. Through the process of overcoming this challenge, I noticed that hardships help us grow. This difficult challenge taught me one thing about myself. I learned that I tend to rush through life, and I am always thinking about the future, rather than living in the present. After losing my grandma and being forced to slow down and take the grieving process one day at a time, I found that I needed to learn to slow down. To live life day by day, focusing on the now. This scholarship will help me complete my final semester at my community college before I graduate with my associate's degree. I can graduate without the stress of repaying loans and worrying about debt. And placing me one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a teacher for young children and inspiring them through the beginning of their educational journey. Losing my grandma made it hard to enjoy my hobbies at first because we shared quite a few of them, but when I learned to overcome my grief, I found that my hobbies started to mean a lot more to me. I love reading and curling up with a book that takes me on a new adventure every day. I enjoy being among nature and listening to the sounds of life around me. I find happiness when I can sit down, grab a needle and thread, and quilt, just like my grandma taught me. And I love inspiring others, just like my grandma inspired me.

At a young age, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. However, I remember deciding on pursuing many different careers through the years to make sure that the choice I had made at a young age was for me. It was not until ninth grade that I decided to stick to the career choice I made back in first grade. I wanted to choose a career where I could make a difference in others’ lives and in my community. I decided that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I want to not only encourage my future students to learn new things, but I want to also inspire them. I made the decision to become a teacher because I want to change the world. Out of every possible career choice I could have chosen from, I chose mine based on the fact that teachers are more than teachers. They inspire their students in all aspects of their life, not just in their studies. My teachers have always inspired me to go out into the world and make a difference. It did not have to be a difference that changed the entire world, but a difference that changed a single person’s world. And when I made the decision to pursue education, I knew I could make a positive difference in a person’s life. I am passionate about teaching because I want to become a role model to my students, giving them the courage and support they need to grow and become the person they hope to be. I want to encourage my students to always have a positive attitude, even in the most difficult of times and teach them to be genuine. I want to ensure my students achieve success in both their short- and long-term goals. And I will encourage them to not only see their potential but to also use it. I hope to inspire youth to become the best version of themselves, the version they want to be when they venture out into the world on their own. The version of themselves that will one day change the world in the most amazing ways. In order to achieve this dream, however, I must earn my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. My journey of pursuing the career choice I am most passionate about and earning my degree to achieve my dream of teaching has been an eye-opening experience. My goals of earning my bachelor’s degree and learning to become the best teacher I can be are close to being achieved but have involved great sacrifice. I have given up my summers in order to earn more college credits. And by doing so, I have sacrificed the time I spend with my family and the strong relationship that I have with them. During the summer semester, I find myself missing the quality bonding time that my family engages in due to my studies. The relationship that I have with my family was strong, but due to wanting to achieve my goal of graduating college with my bachelor’s degree, I have had to sacrifice the strength of that relationship. Another sacrifice that I have made is the time I spend on my self-care. College has added to my overall anxiety and by spending most of my week focusing on my studies, I have very little time to myself. Time that I would normally devote to meditation and relaxation. Diving into my studies to become the best teacher I can be has led to less time for myself. However, success cannot be achieved without sacrifice.

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” – B.B. King Among a teacher’s many responsibilities, lies one responsibility that stands above the rest: to inspire the next generation. Teachers not only teach students how to grow, but they also encourage them to keep growing. I made the decision to become a teacher when I was in first grade because I wanted to change the world. Out of every possible career choice I could have chosen from, I chose mine based on the fact that teachers are more than teachers. They inspire their students in all aspects of their life, not just in their studies. My teachers have always inspired me to go out into the world and make a difference. It did not have to be a difference that changed the entire world, but a difference that changed a single person’s world. And when I made the decision to pursue education, I knew I could make a positive difference in a person’s life. How I plan to inspire youth with my career is a growing list I created in high school, but a few ways stand out the most. I plan to become a role model to my students, giving them the courage and support they need to grow and become the person they hope to be. I want to encourage my students to always have a positive attitude, even in the most difficult of times and teach them to be genuine. I plan to ensure my students achieve success in both their short- and long-term goals. And I will encourage them to not only see their potential but to also use it. I hope to inspire youth to become the best version of themselves, the version they want to be when they venture out into the world on their own. The version of themselves that will one day change the world in the most amazing ways. When a teacher inspires their students, their students achieve great feats. And a teacher’s motivation during youth encourages their students to stay motivated in the future. A teacher has the ability to inspire change in the lives of their students and I hope to one day be that teacher.

Midnight Adventures By: Hannah Best Ack! What was that sound? It was me; I had fallen onto the ground. My bed still rests next to me, But I found some way to wriggle myself free. But wait, what else do I hear, My stomach is making quite a cheer. As if hundreds of sports fans were in the stands, Yelling, cheering, and clapping their hands. Not only had I fallen out of bed, But the noise in my stomach was starting to spread. In the kitchen I now stand, Perusing the fridge for something not so bland. What is this that I hold in my hand? And why must all the food be canned? This is not what I had planned. I had hoped for chocolatey goodness and a galore of breads, Like the dream I was having where food began to dance in my head. I hoped, that when I faced the frozen tundra of the freezer, I would not be welcomed by a salad of Caesar. Where are all the foods that will help me add weight, The foods that are claimed bad but taste so great. Where is the package of cookies that I swore slept in the pantry, The ones with the icing that always looks so fancy. Where is the loaf of really sweet bread, It cannot have grown legs and just fled. My stomach continues to yell, Wondering why I have not done anything to make the sound quell. This fridge glares at me with disgust, Knowing that I am also regarding it with mistrust. I have a feeling that it decided to get rid of all the best food, And frankly, I find that quite rude. I ask the fridge, “What have you done with my bottle of pop?” And it says nothing back because it knows it’s been caught. It’s all the fridge’s fault that I am as hungry as a horse, The reason my stomach is still yelling of course. I turn away from my new enemy with a big huff, And reach for the shelf that I know houses my marshmallow fluff. As my hand skims a bare empty slab of wood, I begin to finally accept that there is no more food that is good. I step back from the shelf and reach for a pear, Because that is the one thing that pretty much lives in this kitchen, I swear. As I bite into my pear with a satisfying crunch, My stomach quiets down as I begin to munch. I finish my fruit and go back to bed, Feeling quite tired from the adventure I just led. As I close my eyes and fall asleep, All I can keep thinking about is a nicely cooked roast beef.

The characteristic that I value the most is my compassion. I enjoy bringing kindness into the world and understanding the feelings of others. Compassion is also more than just understanding others’ emotions, it is being able to connect with them and walk with them through the hardship they are facing. However, even though I value my compassion, it was not always a characteristic of mine. When I was a child, my dad left my family and my parents got divorced soon after. I remember feeling confused and angry because I did not know why my dad had left. My anger grew with every passing day and it began to fester inside me. When others claimed they knew what I was going through, I mentally questioned if they really did. However, after a while, being angry just made me sad and grew exhausting. It kept me from growing closer to my friends and frayed the bond I had with my family. And after recognizing this anger, I began to come to terms with the fact that this is not who I wanted to be. I did not want to be angry with the world for the rest of my life. Soon, I began to let go. I let go of all the negative feelings that held me down, the anger that kept me from moving on, and the past that haunted me. And in its place grew compassion. I learned forgiveness, I began to understand others’ emotions while making sure I was always there for them, and I began to give kindness to everyone around me. I value this characteristic of mine because it gave light to a place of darkness. What started out as a seed of anger, grew into a flower of compassion. And not only has this characteristic played a significant role in my life, but it will also guide me along my journey of becoming a teacher. Having compassion helps me connect with others and build strong relationships with them. It encourages social connection. I plan to become a kindergarten teacher after I graduate from college, and I know that compassion is an important characteristic for a teacher to have. Creating strong social connections with my students can make them feel more comfortable in the classroom, encourages positive behavior, and enhances their social skills. Being compassionate also gives me a deeper understanding of others’ emotions and offers me the chance to connect with them. Compassion takes empathy to a higher level and allows me to understand what a student is going through. It allows a teacher to identify a student’s non-verbal cues and see a problem from their perspective. My characteristic of compassion encourages me to put aside all judgments and keeps me from walking away from a challenging situation. Noticing a problem and choosing to offer my assistance instead of letting someone else take care of it, perfectly encompasses compassion. In the end, I value my compassion because it changed how I view the world around me. It helped me through a tough time and has carried me through many hardships. I learned to be forgiving and found ways to offer kindness. And it is because of this compassion, that I know I will succeed along my journey of life.

“A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart” – Unknown I have always found joy in guiding others along their path to success and finding ways to inspire them. I enjoy being a role model to others and making a positive difference in the lives of those around me. Offering a hand when it is needed, and teaching others has always been a passion of mine. At first, I did not know what specific career path I wanted to pursue. Did I want to teach high school or be a guidance counselor? However, I noticed that I felt more alive and energetic when I was around children. And in those moments, when the little light bulbs went on after learning something new, I knew that I wanted to pursue early childhood education. My major of choice became very personal to me as well. On the day I graduated, my first-grade teacher handed me a letter that I had written to myself back in first grade. And the very first line read, “I want to be a teacher.” In that moment, I really saw how my passion and my major choice came full circle. My passion for pursuing early childhood education not only stems from wanting to teach children and inspire them to do great things but stems from a personal experience as well. When I was in kindergarten, I had a hard time connecting with other students. I had just experienced my dad leaving and my parents getting divorced, and I was afraid to make new connections. I was cautious when I walked into the classroom yet felt curious as I took in the new environment. However, the one person who made an effort to get to know me and encouraged me to connect with others was my kindergarten teacher. She helped me and my peers through activities and gave us time to interact with one another. I remember my kindergarten teacher being someone that I looked up to, a role model in a way. I remember feeling safe when I walked into class and saw my teacher greet me with a smile. And it is because of this experience as a kindergartener that I have chosen my current career path. I hope to one day inspire students to make a difference in the lives of those around them and become a role model to each and every one of my students. I hope that I can encourage my students to get to know one another and to find ways to always lend a helping hand. Kindergarten is the first step a child makes into the world of learning, and it offers kindergartners a multitude of benefits that will aid them through the rest of their school experience. By pursuing my passion of teaching and inspiring others, I hope to become the best kindergarten teacher I can be.

When I was six, my dad left, and my parents got divorced soon after. To a child, this experience can be quite confusing. I would ask my mom why my dad decided to leave and if he was coming back. And even though this experience was confusing and left me feeling a little lost, being the daughter of a single parent taught me many important life skills. At a young age, I had to learn responsibility. I helped my mom take care of my two younger sisters, helped her clean the house, and would attempt to help her cook. As I grew older, I made it my responsibility to always make sure the house was cleaned, and dinner was started when my mom got off of work. I learned to be independent, making my own breakfast and completing my homework by myself. Watching my mom take on the responsibilities normally shared by two parents taught me the importance of hard work. My mom earned an income, while also cooking, cleaning, shopping, fixing things around the house, taking care of her children, and still finding time to have a social life. And she worked hard every day. To a child, watching their mom do almost everything, makes them seem like a superhero, and soon my mom became my hero. She taught me to embrace adversity and always face challenges head-on, while also finding ways to work towards the future I want. Each life skill that I learned from being the child of a single parent has shaped my educational journey. I began my college pathway as a dual-enrollment student, always working hard to succeed in completing a full high school course load while being a part-time college student. When I face adversity in college and in my life, I list all possible ways to overcome that challenge and never give up. Even at times when I feel as if the world is against me and I just want to give up and move on, I always remember that if my mom could face challenges and succeed, then so can I. I have taken on the responsibility of still not only helping around the house but also being a full-time college student. I organize my schedule to make time for cooking dinner, completing my college work, and helping my mom with anything else she may need. I also take responsibility for all my assignments and aim to always remain honest and maintain academic integrity. My independence helps me to be conscious of the time needed to complete all assignments in college and learn to be respectful of the freedom I am given as a college student. I also use my independence to seek assistance and help in college. When I complete my educational journey, with the help of these life skills, I hope to become an elementary school teacher. By doing so, I plan to give back to my community by educating the bright, young minds of the future. A teacher, in a way, becomes a role model to their students. Becoming someone they can look up to, while offering their students a safe space. My mom was my role model, and I hope to be my students role model as well. I also plan to volunteer and lend a helping hand where it is needed in my school and in my community. The life skills I was taught at a young age have had a great impact on my life and my educational journey. And every day I am proud to be the daughter of a single parent.

I began my college pathway as a dual-enrollment student and at the time I believed this to be my biggest challenge, however, becoming a full-time college student for the first time was by far my biggest hardship. I obtained quite a few skills during my time as a dual-enrollment student and even though those skills came in handy as a full-time student, I found I still had to grow as a college student and as a person. Becoming a full-time college student is one event in my life that inspired my personal growth. It brought on its own set of challenges that challenged me to be open to change, to learn to work with peers, and to always be willing to ask for help. However, by enduring this hardship and learning to grow from it, I learned quite a bit about myself in the process. Since I became a full-time college student, various things have changed since my time as a high school student. I find that I hardly procrastinate anymore. By knowing that I have set deadlines on assignments and various other class assignments due that week, I rarely find time to stray away from my classwork. My leadership skills became stronger and sharper. After being a part of a few group projects, I found that I was placed in a leadership position for all of them. By being a leader for those group projects, I learned to sharpen the leadership skills I already have and learned a couple of new ones along the way. I also find that I experience more stress being a full-time college student than I did in high school. My stress-coping methods started to change as well, and I began to experiment with methods that help alleviate my stress and identify those that do not. However, even though there were a few changes in my life as a full-time student, some things remained the same. I have always been a social butterfly and I find that my communication skills only grew during college. I find time to collaborate with everyone, whether that be my professor, my peers, or just other fellow college students. My organizational skills have remained the same as well. Every morning I create a to-do list for the day and always keep my assignments in designated class binders. Lastly, my time-management and responsibility skills have not changed. My mom taught me at a young age to always manage my time efficiently and to always be responsible for everything I do. If anything, after becoming a full-time college student, these two skills have grown even more. I now manage my time efficiently to make sure I have enough time to complete assignments for each class, while also taking full responsibility for all the assignments I submit. Overall, through this personal growth process, I have learned what my goals and dreams are. I have been able to identify what I want to achieve in my life and as a college student, like good grades and a steady career as an elementary teacher. I learned that my values align with who I am and who I want to be. A few of my values include kindness, generosity, and courage. And I have noticed that I am a very curious person, always looking for ways to expand my knowledge. In the end, not only has being a full-time student introduced me to my journey through self-discovery and shown me who I am, but it has shown me how to grow into the person I want to become.

I lost my grandma last year and the one thing I did to help alleviate the pain and grief I felt was to immerse myself in music. The various notes, tones, lyrics, and emotions that embody music helped me move along in my grief. At first, I just sat down on the floor in my room, put my headphones on, closed my eyes, and listened. At that point, listening was all I could do. I began to find the rhythm within the music, and I would let the music flow through my body taking all my pain with it, letting the world around me silence. And as I submerged myself in music, I happened to come across one song that spoke volumes to me. “When I get where I’m going” by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton scrolled across my playlist screen during my time of grief. And I remember sitting on the floor of my bedroom staring at the song title and listening to the lyrics. This song is more than just a song to me, it is my reason for moving on. My reason for moving past my grief and pain and living with the rest of the world. The two lyrics that opened my eyes were, “When I get where I’m going, there will be only happy tears” and “When I get where I’m going, don’t cry for me down here.” I recall many days of listening to music and crying, but those two lyrics taught me to cry for happiness, not sadness. They showed me that my grandma may not be with me physically, but she is with me spiritually and she has risen to a place of great opportunity. And from that point on, my headphones came off and I learned to live once again.

Some may claim that the universe holds many answers. Answers to how the Earth came to be, answers on whether life exists beyond our solar system, and answers regarding how we can get to a new solar system. Among those answers lies the importance of why we must work to better understand the nature of our universe. It is important that we work to better understand our universe because there may be other life forms beyond Earth. There may be no found life forms in our solar system but who’s to say that there are no life forms in another solar system. By learning more about the nature of our universe and how to understand it, we may find that we are not the only human beings in the entire universe. Another reason that it is important to understand the nature of our universe is that we can learn more about other planets and by doing so, we can learn more about Earth. For example, Mars was once like Earth, however, scientists have found the asteroid's impact on Mars and by researching further into it, they could eventually find how the asteroid changed the entire planet. This can also lead to better preparation and the prevention of the same thing happening to Earth. And there has been a success in changing the trajectory of asteroids on their path towards Earth. I may not be going into a field that revolves around learning about the planets and understanding the nature of our universe, but my younger sister is. She plans to become an astrophysicist and it is her goal to understand the universe and how it works. And I play a role in her pursuit of this career field. I make sure I get her to all events regarding her degree and when she is stumped with ideas revolving around the universe I am always lending her a helping hand and assisting her with her brainstorming. I find ways to give her the quiet space she needs to work and brainstorm, even if that means giving up my space. And I helped review her moon pod essay that she wrote for a NASA contest. Even though she did not win the contest, her essay was placed in digital format on Artemis I and sent into space. Knowing and understanding the nature of our universe is important to understanding the nature of our planet. The answers we need regarding the existence of planet Earth, other life, and the other planets lie just beyond our reach. And by learning about our solar system, Earth, and space as a whole, we can become closer to the answers we need regarding the universe

My community is the place where I feel most at home. The people, the families, and the diversity that I see within my community give me the chance to get to know the people that surround me every day. There are three major changes that I wish to see take place not only in my community but also in my state and in the world. The first is regarding the issue of food insecurity. Food insecurity is a major issue that not only takes place in my community but also takes place in the world. Many third-world countries and poor countries do not have access to the food they need to survive. Many families in my community suffer from not having enough food to feed themselves and to feed their families. I hope that in the future, food insecurity will become a problem of the past and that families all over the world will begin to have access to the food they need. The second change I wish to see revolves around the lack of housing available in my state. Many people experience unemployment or lack of wages which results in people living in their cars, unable to maintain rent, or living in local shelters. I researched further into this topic when I had to write about a major issue, for a college class, taking place in my state and lack of housing was among the top issues. By writing and explaining this issue along with brainstorming possible solutions, I raised awareness for this problem. Lastly, I hope that we can begin to see a change in the future regarding clean and available water in poor countries. For example, many countries must travel miles a day to access clean water and they walk these miles back and forth each day. And half the time, the water that is available to these people is not clean, resulting in illness and poor health. Other issues arise within this major issue and have a negative impact on the citizens in those countries as well. I want to see change take place regarding this issue and hopefully in the future, all countries will have easy access to clean drinking water. I am taking steps to make a difference in my community as well. I donate food to my local food pantry to tackle food insecurity in my community. I pack shoeboxes with my church that will be delivered to children in need who live in poor countries. These shoeboxes contain toys, hygienic products, and the word of God. I helped clean a local garden in my community to promote environmental awareness and to provide a space that an organization can use to educate children and adults on the importance of nature. I always find ways to make a difference in my community and I hope to one day inspire others to do the same. The issues that take place in my community, my state, and the world will hopefully be changed. Until then, even though I volunteer in small ways, it makes a big difference in many people’s lives.

When my mom was in the Army, she played an important role in this country, alongside many others. She made an impact, not only in her country, but also in my life. When she became an Army veteran after ten years in the service, a few important lessons and outlooks stayed with her. My mom was taught to always embrace new experiences. Many opportunities are going to come and go in our lives, but whether we take them or leave them will determine our future. My mom, no longer in the army, still finds ways to always take advantage of the opportunities in her life and I have learned to the do the same. As the daughter of a veteran, I am not afraid of change and new experiences. I embrace them with open arms, just like my mom does. New experiences and opportunities help you grow and can shape you into the person you see in the mirror every morning. They not only introduce you to new aspects of the world around you but can help you embrace those new aspects. When my mom received a job offer in Germany, she did reflect on the outcome of this opportunity and decided that it was an opportunity that she needed to take. And I am glad she did because living in Germany taught me more about myself than I even knew. I found that I enjoy learning about new cultures, and I am accepting of people’s differences. I always look for adventure and never walk away from a challenge. All good qualities for my future career. I want to be a kindergarten teacher and by following this career path I aim to make a positive impact not only in the lives of my students, but an impact in my community. Just like my mom made an impact when she was in the military, I want to make in impact in my career. I want to help my students to learn new concepts with an open mind and learn to embrace everyone’s differences. I want to build my students foundation of learning, so that when they move through school, the new knowledge they receive builds on that foundation. I also want to be an accepting teacher who treats all her students with kindness and respect, regardless of their differences. Being the daughter of a veteran has also taught me how to be a leader and to approach challenges with an open mind. Even though my mom is no longer in the Army, there are bits and pieces where I can see the Army is still with her. She is a natural born leader, however, being in the Army solidified her leadership skills. Watching her in her current job and whenever we go places, I can see the leader inside her, and I find that, I too, am a leader. I hope to be a leader in the classroom when I stand in front of my students and teach them new knowledge. I hope to lead my students through activities, while also motivating and guiding them in their endeavors. In the end, being the daughter of a veteran has shaped my life and who I am. Every lesson, every outlook on life, and every opportunity I take, I owe all to my mom. It is because of her that I am proud, each and every day, to be the daughter of a veteran.

Mental health is very important when maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our mental health dictates how we handle our stress, the choices we make, how we control our emotions, and how we interact with others. As a student going to college, being able to maintain a healthy mental state determines the outcome of the entire college experience. And having poor mental health can lead to greater challenges in college and in life. I am an online college student, however, my college experience can still be negatively and positively affected by my mental health. For example, when I get very little sleep, I have a very hard time focusing on my schoolwork the next day. So, I try to maintain a minimum of eight hours of sleep, so that my focus the next day is perfect, and the assignments I turn in are of better quality. This is only one example of how I maintain my mental wellness. Aside from eight hours of sleep, I tend to keep what I eat healthy. My meals consist of all main food groups, and I find that eating healthy has not only improved my overall physical health but has helped me regulate my emotions better and has improved my focus. Having a healthy diet can play hand in hand with a healthy mind. With college taking up a majority of our schedules and with due dates sometimes right around the corner, we may find that we skip meals all together. This can also have a negative impact on our mental health because skipping meals can cause our blood sugar levels to decrease, can lead to less focus, and can result in unpleasant mood swings. I make it my priority to always set an alarm for when I need to eat lunch and step away from my schoolwork. This break also gives me the chance to come back to an assignment with a fresh mind. I also practice guided meditation and I find it helps immensely with lowering my stress. By taking five small minutes to sit, breathe, and let all my thoughts drift away, I am improving my overall mental wellness and also ridding my brain of all negative thoughts. This also connects with my use of deep breathing when I am stressed. On days where I do not have five minutes to spare, I can just sit, close my eyes, and focus on my breaths for a minute. Even though guided meditation and deep breathing have helped me maintain my mental wellness, I find that having a positive outlook on all aspects of my life plays an even bigger role. By casting away the negative voice in my head and letting positive affirmations take over, I am more calm and ready to tackle any challenge that comes my way. Mental health is more than just making sure our mental state is in good condition. It is about making sure we take the necessary steps to maintain our overall mental wellness. During college, this can be quite hard, and we sometimes forget to take time for ourselves, but when we do take a few minutes to just breathe or go for a walk, our mental health thanks us. Overall, small acts of improving our mental health can go a long way.

There has only been one dog in my life, and she means everything to me. Her name is Misty, and she is fourteen years old. At an old age she tends to sleep most of the day, however, there are days when she decides she wants to be a puppy again and will run all around the house. Growing up with a dog has not only played an important role in my life, but she has also helped shape who I am today. In some ways, she has become my mental support system. She has helped me through a multitude of hardships, and she knows exactly when she needs to be near someone. I started having anxiety attacks when I sixteen and at the time I did not know handle them. I was under an immense amount of pressure and my stress levels remained high all day, every day. I would struggle to calm myself down and eventually my anxiety took a toll on my mental health. However, one day, when I had the worst anxiety attack I had ever experienced, I looked up and Misty was sitting right next to me just watching me. And as I watched her back, I found that my breathing started to even out and my body stopped shaking. All she did was watch me and my body immediately responded in a positive way. Misty has become my most important mental support system and I always spend time when her when I need to calm down. In other ways, Misty taught me to be responsible and she helps me feel less alone. The daily routine of taking care of my dog has helped me develop my skill of responsibility and has also taught me routine and consistency. Both of which are important ways to prevent my anxiety. Dogs are also very affectionate pets and always have an immense amount of unconditional love. Misty provides me with companionship and when she decides to act like a puppy, she encourages me to play and run with her. Lastly, Misty has given me the motivation I need to be more active. Every day, I take her for a walk outside and the moment my lungs breathe in the fresh air and my feet hit the pavement, I feel instantly calm. I have learned to be more active by walking with Misty or running around the house with her. I have also found that Misty can be an incredible workout companion and when I feel like stopping to take a break, she motivates me to keep walking. Having a dog in my life has not only taught me who I am, but my dog has played an important role in my mental and physical health. She has taught me to be the best version of myself. Most importantly, with a dog in my life, alongside with my family, I feel whole.

Growing up, I was a major Disney fan and I still am. When my eight-year-old niece comes to visit we watch a multitude of Disney movies. And it’s as if I am living in the world of Disney right next the character themselves. However, one character has always been my favorite. He’s made of snow and always has a positive outlook on life; his name is Olaf. When I first watched Frozen, I was in middle school. I felt like I could instantly relate to Olaf. I love Olaf not only because of his personality but also because I see a piece of myself in him. Olaf’s one goal in his life is to experience summer, which is my all-time favorite season. I was born in the summer and even though I enjoy playing in the snow with my niece, I prefer the sun shining and the warm weather. Another aspect of Olaf’s personality is that he is adventurous and always on the look out for a new adventure, no matter where it takes him. When I was in third grade my mom received a job offer in Germany, and she took it. For five years, I learned a new language, got introduced to a variety of German traditions, and got to visit many different places. This experience led to my love of adventure, which has led me to never let an opportunity pass by without taking it. And this love of adventure connects me with Olaf because I am always looking for my next adventure whether it be college, learning to live on my own, or learning a new skill. Lastly, Olaf has the biggest heart and never stops to think about helping someone, he just does. And this encompasses who I am. I want to be a kindergarten teacher and the very first step to being a teacher is to always be willing to lend a helping hand. My ability to empathize with others and show compassion on a daily basis proves that I have a big heart and I know that when I become a teacher, I will be both kind and generous. Disney has taught me many important lessons. However, Olaf, my favorite Disney character, has shown me who I am and how to conquer any challenge because in the words of Olaf, “I love happy endings.”

I began college as a dual-enrollment student, so I was always stressed. This stress eventually led to the recognition that I have anxiety. Anxiety became a big part of my life and played a major role in how I maintain my mental, physical, and nutritional health. My anxiety, in a way, became a motivating factor when I started to create a healthy lifestyle. And it is because of my anxiety, that my health journey has been a great success. Every time I experienced anxiety, my mental health was in a bad state. I found that a variety of anxiety reducing methods did not work, so I created my own methods. Exercise has become my favorite and most important way to prevent my anxiety and any anxiety attacks I experience. It also plays an important role in maintaining my healthy physical lifestyle. Every time I exercise, I feel as if all the stress and tension is being released from my body and leaving only encouraging thoughts in its place. I first started exercising with my mom one morning to help motivate her and ended up finding that exercise really helped me handle my stress. Every day I find some way to exercise, whether that be going for a walk outside, lifting weights with my mom, completing cardio exercises, or walking up and down the stair’s multiple times in my house. I have also recently started to focus ten minutes a day on guided meditation. This has helped my anxiety and my mental health immensely, especially during days when I am in a bad mood. Guided mediation has taught me to focus on my breaths and stay in the present. I made a few changes to my nutritional health too. I grew up living a healthy lifestyle and not a single piece of junk food or sweets was ever present in my household. This really helped me understand the importance of eating healthy. Every day I make myself homemade dinner, instead of eating out. I always make sure I incorporate the five main food groups in all three meals of the day. And I have started to incorporate vitamin tea into my diet every morning. When I sit down to eat breakfast, I make myself a cup of vitamin tea, which gives me a multitude of vitamins, like vitamin A and B, and helps me stay hydrated. In the end, school does give me anxiety and stress, but because of this, I have created myself a healthy and everlasting lifestyle.

Even when I was a child, my lifestyle has always been a healthy one. Growing up, my mom rarely bought junk food and sweets. So, as a child, I grew up eating vegetables, fruits, and the five main food groups. Eating healthy played a major role in how I grew up and the healthy food choices I made. For example, when I started high school and bought my lunch from the cafeteria, I always chose the healthiest food option. In a way, eating healthy became a habit for me and it was never something I had to really think about. However, even though the food aspect of my health journey was good, my mental health was not. Towards the end of high school, when I became a dual-enrollment student, I faced major amounts of stress. I found that I stopped eating when I was stressed, I would shake when I felt overwhelmed, and my mental health state became really bad. Eventually, I learned that I had anxiety. I had to always be in control of every situation, which led to an increase in my anxiety every time I was not in control. Having anxiety became a major obstacle along my health journey. I would research different ways to prevent anxiety from happening, but most of them never worked. However, I found that by creating different ways to stay healthy, whether that be food wise or developing anxiety solutions on my own, I was able to remain in control of my life. With this control, I learned how to be less anxious and live healthier. Through the years I have made many changes to my lifestyle to make it healthier. I tend to exercise more, I incorporated a new healthy food into my diet, I have found one method that works for my anxiety, and I cook homemade meals more often. I first started exercising with my mom one morning to help motivate her and ended up finding that exercise helps with my stress. Every day I find some way to exercise, whether that be going for a walk outside, lifting weights with my mom, completing cardio exercises, or walking up and down the stair’s multiple times in my house. I have also incorporated a new healthy food into my diet, which is vitamin tea. Every morning, when I sit down to eat breakfast, I make myself a cup of vitamin tea, which gives me a multitude of vitamins, like vitamin A and B, and helps me stay hydrated. Recently I have started to focus ten minutes a day on guided meditation. This has helped my anxiety and my mental health immensely, especially during days when I am in a bad mood. Guided mediation has taught me to focus on my breaths and stay in the present, while also teaching me how to control my mind. Lastly, most nights during the week I make myself dinner from scratch. Homemade foods are better than going out to eat and ordering fast food because I know the exact ingredients that go into them, and I know what I am eating is healthy. In the end, my health journey has been greatly influenced by my childhood and, today, I am still making changes to make my lifestyle healthier.

From the moment I learned how to write and wrote a letter to my future self, I knew that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. The day I graduated from high school, and I opened the letter I wrote in first grade, the very first line read, “I want to be a teacher.” And it was in that moment that my dream of being an elementary school teacher started to become a reality. I started on my college path as a dual-enrollment student. This decision was made based on tuition cost and that my college credits could be used in the place of high school classes. However, my journey towards college started the day I made my decision to be a teacher. Teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and I knew that college was going to be a big part of my life because going to college will bring me one step closer to my dream. Higher education is important me because it means that I will successfully achieve my dream of being a teacher. It means that I will learn how to create an engaging classroom, how to create effective lesson plans, how to interact with my future students, and what skills I need to develop in order to be the best teacher I can be. I want to come to work every morning with a smile on my face because I will have made my dream into a reality. I want to touch the minds of young children, show them the joy of learning, and guide them along their path to success. I want to be a role model to my future students and hopefully one day give them the chance to write a letter to their future self about the dreams they have. By going to college, my future seems closer and closer. And eventually, when I graduate from college, the words on this page describing my future, will be more than just words, they will my reality. In a way, higher education is more than just learning about your career and obtaining a degree. It is a journey that introduces you to who you are, introduces you to new skills sets, and gives you perseverance to help you through the toughest of challenges. Higher education gives us the opportunity to identify new ways of thinking and helps us step out of our comfort zone. It prepares us for the world and gives us the chance to make a difference in our life, in others lives, and in society, which is what I hope to achieve as a future teacher.

When I made my career choice, I was asked the same question day after day by my peers. They would ask, “You’re going to go to school, then graduate, and then go back to school?” and my answer would always be the same, “Yes.” I made the decision to be a kindergarten teacher when I started first grade. My motto as a future teacher is that learning never stops. Most of us go to school and either enter the workforce or go to college. However, we learn in both environments. Those of us who go to college learn new topics, learn about our degrees, and learn about the different actions we can take to make our community better. Those of us who go into the workforce learn how to complete our job correctly, learn how to interact with other people, and learn new information on other jobs available or how to aim for a promotion. Everyday is a new and exciting adventure that involves some form of learning and I find this is what makes lifelong learning important to me. I want to wake up every morning and wonder about what I will learn that day. I want to show my students that learning is constant and there is not a single moment in our lives we are not learning. For example, the mistakes we make are learning opportunities, and in most aspects of life there is always a lesson to be learned. Being a teacher is more than guiding our students through the learning process and helping them grow into the future people they will be. It is also about learning from our students as well. As a teacher, we learn the different personalities of our students, we learn what lesson plans and activities work and do not work, and we are always learning how to improve the many aspects of our teaching career. We find ways to make the classroom environment more inviting and engaging, which we can learn from other teachers or from our experiences as children. I plan to continue learning when I become a teacher in the future because I know that every step of the way I am going to learn a lesson, learn from a mentor, or learn from a mistake. And not only will I be learning myself, but I will also be helping my students learn new concepts. I want to teach my future students that every part of life has a learning opportunity. Sometimes, we just have to open our minds up the possibility that the things we learned in the past and the things we learn in the present, will determine how we learn in future.

One professor, one class, and one grade changed my life. All through elementary, middle, and high school I was not a fan of math. It all started back in third grade, when I came face to face with multiplication facts. My mom and I spent days trying to help me learn my multiplication facts, but it was no use. We even asked my third-grade teacher, but she told my mom that she could not make extra time to help me. After that, I fell behind in math, I received bad grades, and I stopped feeling motivated to complete my math assignments. I would always end up telling myself, “What’s the point? I am going to get it wrong anyway.” After third grade, I struggled with math even more. Eventually, when I started high school, math became my least favorite subject. That was until I started my first math college course. My math college course was intimidating at first, especially to me because I had little to no math skills. However, the very first day of my class, I learned new math concepts and I had a professor who was willing to take the time to help me through questions. Every week in class, I started to raise my hand, I started to help my peers with their assignments, and I started to learn many math concepts at my own pace. I remember the very first exam that I took in this course, and I scored higher than I had ever done before. And it was in that moment, when I came face to face with my grade, that I started to have some hope that I could learn math and eventually one day excel at it. Every time I got a question on my math homework correct, or I answered a question in class, or the moment my mind finally figured out how to correctly solve a math problem, I fell more and more in love with math. I went from being the student left behind, struggling in math, to the student who enjoys learning new math formulas and helping my peers through math problems. And in the end, after I finished my math course and said goodbye to the one math teacher who was the most patient with me and my struggling math skills, I found that math became my new favorite subject.

College has always been a big milestone for me, alongside learning to drive and graduating from high school. When I first started college, I was nervous and anxious. There was a small amount of excitement underlying those feelings, but as a new student in a new environment, I was stressed. After my first college course, I learned that I had nothing to be worried about and after the stress went away, I found that I had a lot of fun being a college student. The one thing about college that excites me the most is getting to step out of my comfort zone. Since I was in high school, I have been finding ways to expand who I am and in doing so, I have created ways to get out of my shell. College has been a big adjustment for me, but with each class I have taken, I have found that I have stepped out of my comfort zone little by little. I hope that as I continue with college, I will meet new people, participate in events at my campus, and possibly take on a leadership position in future class projects. As I learn to lose my security blanket and become a new and improved me, I also find the time to maintain a healthy body, mind, and soul alongside all the challenges I face. I maintain a healthy body by creating and sticking to a healthy diet. My diet consists of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables that help keep my immune system strong and my body in tip top shape. In order to maintain a healthy mind and mental state, I practice mindfulness, I keep a healthy diet, I exercise, and I always get eight hours of sleep at night. It is important as a college student to maintain a healthy body and mind, but it is very important to maintain a healthy soul. My soul feels full and complete when I spend time among nature, attend church, and take the time to meditate. Being among nature is one of my favorite past times and unfortunately, as a full-time college student, it is not something I get to do often. However, I find time to squeeze in a small walk outside or some meditation on the grass between my schoolwork. By attending church every Sunday, I learn how to nourish my soul and keep it healthy, giving me the chance to feel whole. Although college brings excitement, it also brings challenges that get in the way of focusing on ourselves, like our mind, body, and soul. However, by making the time, even if it is only five minutes, to nurture our mind, body, and soul, we make the time to nurture ourselves. As a college student it is easy to lose focus on what my body needs, but as I begin this new semester, I am making it my goal to not only nurture myself but to also embrace my newfound excitement of stepping out of my comfort zone and becoming a better me.

When I go grocery shopping, the very first place I head to is the produce section of the store. I walk up and down each produce aisle, picking and choosing the vegetables and fruits that make up my eating habits. A cart filled mostly with vegetables and fruits does turn some heads, but to me, I find that having a cart filled with healthy foods has the biggest impact on how I live. With a cart full of healthy groceries and a mind full of energy, I feel unstoppable. Unlike some children, I found vegetables to be quite delicious at a young age. At every meal, I requested a different vegetable to be served. If anything, my mom was ecstatic that her child ate every vegetable under the sun. As I grew up, I learned that the vegetables I have come to love and crave were not only good for my physical health but also my mental health. Eating healthy and creating healthy eating habits is important for not only our bodies but for our minds. Healthy foods give our brain a boost, give our bodies the energy they need to thrive during the day, boost the body’s immune system, and give you the chance to live a longer and healthier life. During a difficult time in my life, I found that having healthy eating habits made a difference. At the age of sixteen, I experienced my first anxiety attack. I had gone weeks with pent up stress that was not only detrimental to my immune system but was also wreaking havoc on my mental health. However, I found that eating healthy foods high in antioxidants helped alleviate the symptoms and I felt calm once again. For anxiety, I learned that having food high in antioxidants, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins lowers and prevents the symptoms of anxiety and anxious feelings. I noticed that when I get stressed, my immune system is stronger due to the healthy foods I eat, allowing that stress to cause little to no damage on my immune system. By incorporating these nutrients in my diet, I have experienced less anxiety attacks and found that I have a better time staying calm during high-stress situations. After seeing the difference that healthy eating habits has on my body and mind, I have made it my goal to always stick with my healthy eating habits. As I walk through the grocery store and head straight to the produce section, I know that the choice I am making is a great one. Without healthy eating habits in my life, I would have never found a way to prevent my anxiety attacks and I would have never found the new me. The choice to eat healthy is a powerful one, but when it is made, the difference is phenomenal.

Mental health can be an internal battle, one that wages war on the mind. The mental health issues that people face can be compared to a battle, there are times we push forward and fight to be victor and times when we fall back, knocked down by the enemy. However, this battle can be won, no matter how many times we get knocked down. At the age of sixteen, I experienced my first anxiety attack. At first, I did not understand what was happening to me. My palms dripped with sweat, my breathing became fast, my body started to shake as if an earthquake was taking place, and my mind was in a state of chaos that was only focused on one thing: fear. This went on for about twenty to thirty minutes and it felt as if I was never going to be the same again and in a way I was not. After my first anxiety attack, I found that I experienced these attacks frequently, just not as extreme as my first one. The stress of school, home, and social life had built up inside of me to the point where one last stressor triggered the attack, and I accepted that I have a mental health challenge. As I searched for a way to prevent my anxiety attacks, I found that being a volunteer and an active leader in my community was the perfect treatment. By volunteering my time to others, I found a sense of solace from the anxiety I faced. After my first anxiety attack, I volunteered to help an organization known as Girls Inc. sort, pack, and deliver donated items from a warehouse to their Girls Inc. building. I was nervous at first because I thought that the stress of the situation would overwhelm me, leading to a surprise anxiety attack, but I found that it did the opposite. Volunteering my time to an organization that helps young girls grow into young women made me feel safe and calm. I became a leader for this volunteer work by instructing volunteers how to pack the donated items into various vehicles to prevent multiple trips and I helped direct volunteers on the moving process of items from the warehouse to the vehicles. I volunteered a second time by helping clean a community garden that will be used to educate children on different plants, allow children the chance to learn to garden, and will enhance the overall appearance of our community. By giving five hours of my time, I was able to make a difference in my community and lead my peers in the weeding process. During those five hours I was focused solely on the gardening process and not on anything else, which helped alleviate any stress I was feeling beforehand and gave me a clearer mind for the rest of the day. As a person who struggles with a mental health problem, I know that finding the one solution that helps prevent it is comforting. I have found a way to give back to my community and help myself in the process. By volunteering my time to those who need assistance, I prevent any major anxiety attacks from happening and I give myself the chance to practice good mental health. From this day forward, I am a volunteer who always looks for the chance to make a positive difference in both my community and in my mental health.

It all started with kale, a pesky green vegetable that my sister would not touch. My mom tried desperately to get my sister to eat kale, but she would not go near the green, leafy vegetable. One day my mom was grilling outside and decided to try something new. She cut up a bunch of kale and placed it on the grill. They crinkled up, became a little charred, and turned into a crispy deliciousness. We all watched, with wide eyes, as my sister tried the grilled kale, and she LOVED it. Now every time we grill outside, my mom tries to grill some kale because it has become a family superfood favorite. I went from a child who ate minimal vegetables to a teenager who eats every vegetable under the sun. When I found that my favorite food group contained many superfoods, I was ecstatic. Not only was I eating the foods I love, but I was giving my body the nutrients and vitamins that it needed. Superfoods are known to prevent diseases and keep our bodies in a healthy state. By eating superfoods, I found that I could maintain my body weight, had more energy during the day, and my mood was relatively better. I fell in love with superfoods because I wanted to live a long, healthy life. From every superfood in the vegetable food group, my most favorite ones include cauliflower, kale, and brussels sprouts. My mom makes a healthy stir fry that uses cauliflower instead of rice. This dish became the reason I enjoy eating cauliflower and I find that I prefer this white vegetable over broccoli on most days. My love for kale came from my mom’s grilling experience and my love of brussels sprouts came from a Thanksgiving dish, one that normally has no leftovers. Each superfood that has become my favorite is tied to a memory or an experience that makes the vegetable much more delicious. After learning about superfoods and what they do for my body I find ways to incorporate them into my diet every day. At dinnertime, I make it my goal to include at least one superfood in my diet. By doing so, I am getting to enjoy my meal and keep my body healthy. My experience with superfoods has given me the chance to live a healthy, strong, and well-lived life. With superfoods in my diet, I give my body the chance to feel “super.”

Putting others before myself has always been a personality trait of mine. I find that I spend most of my time helping others and putting their needs before my own. I have grown up as the daughter of a single mother and with two younger sisters. After my parent’s divorce, I learned that I needed to be there for my little sisters and for my mom. I found that I used selflessness at a young age, and I still use it today. I embody selflessness by putting others before me, through both small and large acts. For example, I hold the door open everywhere I go. I let people go ahead of me in line when I am waiting to use the restroom at a rest stop, movie theater, or gas station. I also make sure my sisters are taken care of first before I worry about myself. For example, when my family faces a stressful situation, I make sure I help my sisters through the challenge before I help myself. However, looking back on every time I have used selflessness, there has been one experience that stands out the most. In the beginning of this year, an organization known as Girls Inc. asked for volunteers to help sort, pack, and deliver donated items from a warehouse to their building. I made the decision to volunteer five hours of my Saturday to putting others needs before my own. When I arrived at the warehouse, there were four long metal pallet racks stacked with boxes that needed to be sorted through. We had to throw away broken items or items with missing parts and we had to sort the items into certain sections. For example, some of those sections included furniture, toys, and household appliances. Helping Girls Inc. with this task was both physically and emotionally demanding. Not only did I have to lift heavy boxes, but I was also overwhelmed with the emotions of joy and happiness because I knew I was making a difference in a young girl’s life. I was making a positive change in someone else’s life, and I knew that the volunteer work I was participating in was making sure someone’s else’s needs came before my own. I live every day knowing that I make a difference in the lives of those around me. I find security and comfort in knowing that someone else’s needs are met before my own. Helping in my community, helping Girls Inc., and helping my loved ones has given me the chance to practice selflessness. I want the chance to change the world, and in my book, that means learning how to put other people in need before myself.

Science has been around for many decades and even dates back to the BCE era. Science has been the breaking point for society as we know it. Many cures, medicines, discoveries, and improvements to society have come from science and the scientists behind them. The work of Marie Curie gave us the discovery of Radium and Polonium. The work of Thomas Edison gave us the invention of the lightbulb, phonograph, and the motion picture camera. Scientists make discoveries that change the world around us. Out of every single scientific discovery, genome editing is by far my favorite. Genome editing was first discovered around the 1900s, but the new technology used for this process was built in 2009. Gene editing targets a certain DNA strand, where the removal of certain parts of that strand are taken and replacement DNA is added. Gene editing has been a big discovery for scientists because it allows them the opportunity to study diseases in an easy way and brings them one step closer to finding their cures. Genome editing was discovered by Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna and they were both given the Nobel Prize in 2020 for this discovery. This scientific discovery is my favorite because it allows scientists in the future to create crops that can live longer and produce more food to help prevent food insecurities. Scientists in the future will also be able to create crops that can withstand harsh environments and climate change. For humans, gene editing in the future can lead to a faster identification of diseases in the DNA, find and create cures for those diseases, and eventually lead to the prevention of certain diseases. Gene editing has become a scientific discovery that will not only change DNA but will also change the world as we know it.

I learned at a young age that life is never easy. Life is going have many bumps in the road, obstacles standing in the way, and hardships that need to be faced. When I was around six years old, my dad left my family. A few months after he left, my parents got divorced. At such a young age, I learned that life can be hard, but you need to learn how to embrace those hardships because it is the only way you will grow. My mom became a single mom of three girls after my parents got divorced. At the time, my sisters and I were ages 2, 3, and 6. I watched my mom struggle to not only take care of my sisters and I, but also take care of herself. My mom had to put me on the bus every morning for school, take care of my little sisters during the day, and work a full-time job all at once. Eventually, my maternal grandparents came to live with us and took some weight off of my mom’s shoulders. But having a single mom as a parent and watching her struggle every day, impacted my life as child. I saw worry, anger, and sadness in my mom’s eyes, but I also saw hope, love, and determination as well. This experience did not break her, it only made her stronger. I ask my mom if there are days that she wishes she could have changed the past, and she always says no. My sisters and I have grown into the women she always wanted us to be. She knows that as a single mom she has helped us grow, become stronger, and gotten us to this point in life, making her proud of who we have become and for never giving up. This experience may have had a lasting impact on my life, my sisters’ lives, and my mom’s life, but it helped us learn how to move past difficult situations both from the past and in the present. From the very first day my mom became a single mom, she became my role model. I follow her guidance, I ask for her advice, and I have learned many important lessons from her words and actions. These lessons have been the motivation I needed to move past my past experiences and to always keep moving forward. The one lesson that I learned from being the daughter of a single mom is that no matter how hard life gets, no matter what is thrown at you in life, you need to remember to stay strong and always move forward. I learned that when you live in the past, you tend to lose focus on what is happening around you. You lose sight of the beauty in the world when you focus on the bad. So, I taught myself from my mom’s guidance, to always look for the beauty in a situation even if you feel there is none. Out of everything that makes up my mom’s personality, I find her strength and her determination is what inspires me the most. Every day when I am faced with hardship or a challenge, I recall every moment, time, and memory of my mom being strong and facing those challenges with determination. I am proud to be the daughter of a single mom and I would never go back and change the past because those experiences have helped me learn who I am and who I want to become.

I have not always had the easiest life, yet again life is not supposed to be easy. My parents got divorced when I was around five years old. After the divorce, my dad left and my mom became a single mom of three daughters who were one, three, and five years old. Growing up, I watched my mom struggle to take care of three young children on her own. After a few years of hardship, I learned to confide in God. I paid attention in church, I learned how to pray, and I always made sure my actions were direct reflections of the Christian girl I wanted to be. I started to see all the ways God was taking care of my family after the divorce. He gave my mom the assistance she needed through the help of my grandparents. He provided my mom with a stable job that helped keep a roof over my family’s head and food on the table. Most importantly, He helped me believe that everything will be okay as long as I believe in Him and believe in my faith. God has helped me in life by giving me a beginning to my story. My story began with a divorce that left my family in a tough situation. However, my story also reflects on how I have grown stronger as a person and the important lessons I have learned growing up. Receiving help from God through my grandparents has showed me that God listens to my prayers, and he has helped me move past a traumatic experience that should have left me angry, sad, and broken. He gave me this experience so I could grow, adapt, and be grateful for all that I still have left in this world; a good family, a place to live, and a job that helps keep my family’s bellies full. My future career revolves around making a difference in our future society. I want to become an elementary teacher not only because my passion is teaching, but because I want to teach my future students that they have a chance to make a difference in the world, no matter their past. I also want my students to know that they can come to me with any problems that they are facing personally or at home. I want to teach them that our pasts do not define who we are and who we become. My faith can help me make the right decisions as a teacher. When I feel lost and unsure of what I must do, I will look for guidance from God through prayer. I will ask God to watch over my future students’ lives as they move through the years and ask Him to help teach them how to live the life they want to live. Aside from teaching at a school, I want to teach at my church’s children’s ministry. By teaching children at my church, I not only get to teach children about their faith and God’s love, but I also get to combine the two things I love the most in this world: teaching and God. God has given me the chance to learn from my past and grow into the Christian woman that I want to be. In the end, I hope that the plot of my story is a great one and that it shows how I have embraced my Christianity to be a woman of change and love.

Living a healthy lifestyle is not just a choice but a commitment. It is a commitment to always loving yourself. It is a commitment to creating a routine that is comfortable, fun, and works with your schedule. And it is a commitment to a life that you want and will make you happy and healthy. Living a healthy lifestyle not only benefits my body but it also benefits my overall life. I find that creating a healthy lifestyle helps me live longer, accept who I am, control my stress, and has increased my self-esteem. Longevity is possible with a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, healthy foods, and self-care all play an important role in securing a long and healthy life. Aside from living longer, I also feel confident in myself. I have learned how to love myself, flaws and all. Exercising daily has helped me grow confident in my body and tends to leave me in a better mood with a positive attitude. Life, in general, is very stressful. Stress is inevitable and there is always going to be one part of the day that will cause a challenge. However, with a healthy lifestyle, we can overcome those challenges and stressors. Exercising has become my go to stress reliver. When I feel like something is impossible, I grab some weights, a bottle of water, a towel, and start exercising. Last but not least, having a healthy diet, exercising every day, and following a self-care routine has taught me how to look at myself in the mirror with confidence. I have learned to love my body and who I am, allowing my self-esteem to increase and teaching myself to not care about what everyone else thinks. My healthy lifestyle is important to me because it makes me comfortable in my own skin. I am no longer afraid to be myself. Thanks to my healthy lifestyle, I look in the mirror every morning and smile because I love who I am.

If I have learned one thing in life it is that dogs never let you down. Dogs will always love you as long as you love them back and they will always be by your side no matter what. I have faced many challenges, obstacles, and hardships in my life. I first got my dog, Misty, when I was five. I learned responsibility at a young age, and I learned what love feels like. A few years after we got Misty, my dad left. My parents got a divorce a few months later and at such a young age, I did not know what was going on. I eventually learned that my dad was never coming back, and I was devastated. I stopped being happy, I cried for many days, and I started to give up on many things. However, through this entire challenge, my dog was by my side. She would lay on my bed at night to comfort me, she would do funny tricks to get me smile, and she always came to check on me during the day. Just recently, I lost my grandmother, and grief took over my body. I stopped being myself and I grew distant, but Misty was by my side every day; from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed at night. I have faced many hardships in my life, but through it all my dog has remained a constant. Many people have come into my life, only to leave, but Misty has always stayed. She senses when my family or I are in pain or grieving and she positions herself by our sides watching us trudge through the day and finding the perfect times to bring a smile to our faces. A few days ago, I was having a bad day and Misty sat right in front of me, smiling her perfect doggy smile, and after she bumped her nose against my leg. After that, my entire day was brighter and better. Having a dog has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Experiencing pain and grief at a young age can sometimes break a child’s spirit and mine would have broke if it had not been for Misty. When I lived in the dark, I just needed to be near Misty, and everything brightened again. When I felt like giving up, I looked at my dog and I told myself that “she has never given up on me.” When life became hard, spending time with Misty made everything that felt impossible seem possible. I am grateful for a dog who understands me, loves me, and has saved me from the darkest parts of life. Misty has motivated me to fight for my future and she has done so by being the positive change in my life.

My dog rescued me during a time of great hardship. My dog, Misty, always finds a way to make a day better. From the moment I walk through the door, she has a smile on her face and a wagging tail. Misty has taught me how to be responsible, how to care for animals all around the world, and has given me the motivation I need to adopt rescue dogs in the future. This is why I love dogs, not just because they are cute and cuddly, but because they make me a better person. I grew up with a genetic disorder that appears in my hair, skin, and nails. In school, I saw being different as a bad thing. I was bullied from the fifth grade all the way to eighth grade. I was called names, I was shunned at lunch, and I was asked questions that I was not comfortable answering. The bullying grew so persistent that I stopped participating in class and tried to hide from the spotlight. However, even after a hard day at school, my dog was always waiting for me. She was always by the door awaiting my arrival and when I walked into the house, I was bombarded with kisses and tail wags. Every day, I faced the same taunts and stares, and every day I came home to a dog who loved me for who I was. One night, I looked over at Misty and she watched me right back and right then I promised myself, I was not going to hide who I was. I was going to embrace my differences because they make me special and unique. That morning at school, I walked through the halls with my chin held high and a smile on my face. The following days, I started to participate in class and the days after I made a friend that I could spend time with inside and outside of school. When I felt like giving up, my dog was always there. When I felt like the world was against me, my dog reminded me that it was not. When I felt like I was different, my dog reminded me that I was special. Having a dog in my life has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even though she is fourteen years old now, Misty still tries to bring a smile to my face, and she always finds a way to make a bad day a better one. Her impact on my life changed how I look at myself and has encouraged me to embrace my differences.

My dog rescued me during a time of great hardship. My dog, Misty, always finds a way to make a day better. From the moment I walk through the door, she has a smile on her face and a wagging tail. Misty has taught me how to be responsible, how to care for animals all around the world, and has given me the motivation I need to adopt rescue dogs in the future. This is why I love dogs, not just because they are cute and cuddly, but because they make me a better person. I grew up with a genetic disorder that appears in my hair, skin, and nails. In school, I saw being different as a bad thing. I was bullied from fifth grade all the way to eighth grade. I was called names, I was shunned at lunch, and I was asked questions that I was not comfortable answering. The bullying grew so persistent that I stopped participating in class and tried to hide from the spotlight. However, even after a hard day at school, my dog was always waiting for me. She was always by the door awaiting my arrival and when I walked into the house, I was bombarded with kisses and tail wags. Every day, I faced the same taunts and stares, and every day I came home to a dog who loved me for who I was. One night, I looked over at Misty and she looked back and right then I promised myself, I was not going to hide who I was. I was going to embrace my differences because they make me special and unique. That morning at school, I walked through the halls with my chin held high and a smile on my face. The following days, I started to participate in class and the days after I made a friend that I could spend time with inside and outside of school. When I felt like giving up, my dog was always there. When I felt like the world was against me, my dog reminded me that it was not. When I felt like I was different, my dog reminded me that I was special. Having a dog in my life has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even though she is fourteen years old now, Misty still tries to bring a smile to my face, and she always finds a way to make a bad day a better one. Her impact on my life changed how I look at myself and has encouraged me to embrace my differences.

I have faced many obstacles and hardships in my life; bullying, funding college, losing a loved one, and living on another continent. Bravery is about learning to move past your worries, struggles, and obstacles and coming out on top. When I practice bravery, I am teaching myself to keep moving forward and to never look back. I am deciding to teach myself to stop living in the past, and to focus on the present and the future. Each hardship that I have faced has not only taught me how to grow, but it has also made me stronger and has helped me practice bravery. I practice bravery in three ways. The first way is by facing my fears. This includes the obstacles that I am afraid to face because I am worried that I will fail. I take a deep breath, focus on the obstacle and how I can get past it, and take it one step at a time. The second way is to recognize that I am different and to remember that those differences make me special. I make it my goal to embrace my differences, no matter what other people say. The third way is to step out of my comfort zone. I feel brave when I can accomplish a challenge that took me past my comfort zone. For example, eating escargot in France. Conquering my fears, facing obstacles, and practicing bravery has given me the chance to live boldly.

The biggest and most important finance lesson to me is, “always save and always budget.” When I was a child, my mom bought me a Dave Ramsey budgeting kit. She believes that budgeting and saving your money is something that should be taught as a child, so for the future, I know how to plan accordingly. And she was right. Ever since I got that kit, I learned how to separate the money I earned and received into three different envelopes: save, spend, and give. I learned how to budget my money and to not spend the money that I do not have. As a teenager, I earn commission for chores that are not done as a family. For example, cleaning the car or cleaning the whole house. When I earn my commission, I separate the money into those three envelopes. I use the give envelope when it gets close to birthdays or Christmas. My save envelope holds the money I am putting towards college, and I use the spend envelope when I shop. Learning how to budget and save as a child has helped me in the long run. It has taught me how to save for college, a car, a future house, and any extra expenses in the future. The lesson, “always save and always budget,” is going to help me move through life and along my path to success.

I lost my grandmother last year, a few days before Christmas and it was devastating. I kept thinking about how life would be like if she were still here and opening presents beside me. After hiding away in my room surrounded in a bubble of grief, I finally found the light and learned how to stay optimistic. I first created a gratitude journal, where every morning I wrote down ten things I am grateful for in my life. I also started adding kindness to my everyday routine. I gave kindness to others around me, even complete strangers, and I was kind to myself. Instead of blaming myself for all the times I never said "I love you" to my grandmother, I started to forgive myself. I told myself that nothing was my fault and even though I did not say "I love you," my grandmother still knew. I also took a day where I allowed my emotions to escape. Instead of keeping my anger and my sadness locked away, I let them out. This allowed me to move past the negative feelings that were holding me down and afterwards I felt lighter. I also went outside and lied down on the grass, just watching the clouds roll across the sky and the sounds of nature surround me. Being around nature gave me the chance to practice mindfulness and boosted my mood and mental health. Staying positive even on the worst days can make a great impact on my mood and I find that by staying optimistic, I have a chance to start every day anew.

I find my appreciation of art through Theatre. Last summer, I took a Theatre class at my college in the hopes that it would introduce me to the different forms of art and how they are made. With Theatre, there are a great number of elements that go into creating a masterpiece. These elements include set design, costume design, producers, technicians, the actors, and actresses themselves, and many more. Many hours of the day and the night are dedicated to creating a story, so realistic that it feels as if you were living it with the characters. My favorite play and piece of art is “Allegiance” based on a true story. The play focuses on the character Sam Kimura and his dedication to enlist as a soldier to fight a war but is denied because he Japanese. In the play, many Japanese families are forced out of their homes and brought to a place where they will wait out the war. Eventually, Kimura was allowed to fight in the war, and he fell in love with a nurse, but she died when he went to fight. I enjoy this play because it makes me emotional. This story made me cry, made me smile, and made me gasp many times. I could feel the tension and the passion between characters. I find my appreciation for art through Theatre because each play I read and watch has a way of making me feel like I am a character as well.

Not everything you see and learn has to be black and white, there is some gray in between. This one sentence changed everything. It changed how I see the world, how I learn about new things, and how I think. I learned this sentence from various classes that I have taken in high school. This sentence was said in various different ways but had one constant meaning. That everything I see in the world, encounter in life, and learn about does not have to be one thing or another, but can be many other things. For example, if I encounter a problem at work, instead of looking at only two options, I need to think outside of the box and consider the possibilities that there are other options. This sentence was perfect for determining my future path after high school. I had to choose what college I wanted to attend and what major. At the time, I was stuck between choosing a major of Child Care or Early Childhood Education. Instead of deciding on one, I asked myself, “why can’t I choose both?” And I did. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education, but I would like to begin my career as a college student working at a day care. I also had to decide whether I wanted to be an in-person student at college or an online one. So, instead of choosing one or the other, I chose an option between them. I chose the gray area and decided to take some online classes, some in-person classes, and remote classes with video meeting times. This lesson played a significant role in choosing what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I now have a perspective where instead of choosing between two things, I find the in-between?

Mentoring is the ability to guide someone else along their path to success. A mentor needs to be an influence, a role model, a guide, and most importantly a friend. I am a mentor to my sisters. I ask them what they want to accomplish in life and how they want to get there? I ask them if they are willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone to achieve their goals? And I ask them, that when everything is done, will they feel happy after everything is accomplished, and if so, what’s next? By mentoring my sisters, I have taught them that life is challenging. There are going to be times that a challenge will arise and will get in their way. But are they going to stop trying or are they going to try to get past that challenge and continue on? My sisters have grown into amazing young women, and I want to believe that I am responsible for that. But I am not. They are who they are today, not because of me but because of themselves. I was a mentor, a guide, and a role model, however, everything else they did on their own. I hope that my mentorship has made an impact on their lives. I hope that I have shown them how to move past obstacles and how to not give up trying. I also hope that when they move through life on their own, that they will take my mentoring to heart and become mentors to their future children, friends, colleagues, and families one day.

If I had $1,000 right now, I would put it into savings. I have been saving for college since I was 10. My mom got me a Dave Ramsey budgeting kit for Christmas that year, and I was so excited to put $5 in a savings account. Ever since then, I have been adding all the money I get from birthdays, Christmas’s, and from my commission into that savings account. Even though I have been saving for the past seven years, it is still not enough money to get me through college. Tuition costs have increased each year, along with the necessary materials to complete college courses. If I had $1,000, it would go straight into my savings account allowing me to have more money to put towards college. My long-term goal is to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree and debt-free. Without having to worry about funding my next college class, I can focus on my studies and keep my grades high. I can also move along in life after college, without the stress of paying back loans and using most of my paychecks to pay off my school. My $5 savings account has increased through the years, but $1,000 would make a real difference in my life and would help me move along my path to success.

As children learn and grow, safety is the number one priority. Teachers have the responsibility to protect and keep their students safe in and out of the classroom. In order for teachers to keep their students safe, they need to know the necessary first aid protocols and know how to keep students from getting in harms way. Playground safety is important because students can not only get hurt but can also find themselves admitted into the hospital. Playgrounds are meant to be fun for students. They provide students with time to bond with others, to take a break from learning, and give students time to get fresh air. I know that when I was in school, my favorite part of the day was recess. I enjoyed getting to play with my friends and having time to just be a kid. Being safe on the playground goes a long way. By keeping students safe, teachers ensure that children go home harm free to their parents. It also allows parents the chance to not worry about their children’s safety and also takes the burden of hospital bills off of families who have a low-income. A few actions I would take to keep students safe on the playground include educating teachers in first aid, provide equipment that is age appropriate, asking for ground cover that protects a child if they fall, looking around the playground for any harmful debris lying around, and bring recess inside if the equipment is too hot to play on. Each of these actions can eliminate or lessen the amount of harm that can come to a child on the playground. By offering first aid classes to teachers, they will understand the necessary steps that need to be taken in certain situations. For example, giving CPR or tying a tourniquet. Equipment on the playground should be age appropriate, meaning that the equipment for young children should not be too high off the ground in case of falls. Another action I would take is asking the principal to change the ground covering around the playground. Concrete, brick, and sometimes grass, are painful to fall upon and can cause a child to bleed. An appropriate ground covering for the playground should be rubber, sand, or chips made of rubber or wood. Sometimes trash is lying around the playground due to high winds the night before or by people dropping their trash. By inspecting the playground beforehand, teachers can pick up trash or other debris before students come outside to play. Another unsuspecting harm that can come to students on the playground is when the equipment is too hot. Plastic and metal can both trap heat, making the equipment hot to the touch. If this happens, then teachers can bring recess indoors and play games inside the classroom during that time or in the gym. By taking action for better playground safety, we can keep our students safe and our playgrounds injury free.

Stress is like a snake. It finds a way to slither past your defenses, hisses negative comments, and always finds the perfect time to strike. This snake lives inside of me, coiled up tight and it sleeps until the time is right. The smallest amount of worry that I feel, is like the blaring noise of an alarm clock to this snake. When I worry, I stress, and the snake awakes from its nap. So, I find ways to keep myself from worrying and keep the snake asleep. The first tip that I use to help clear my mind is I write it out. I place my pen on a blank paper and fill it entirely with my thoughts. Not once does the pen leave the paper, and once my mind is empty, I take the paper and throw it away. Sometimes I read the paper because it helps me sort through what I am feeling, but afterwards I toss it in the trash. I find that when I throw away the paper, it is like letting go of everything that is keeping me from moving on and is allowing me to be free once more. The second tip that I use to clear my mind is I plug in my earphones, turn up the volume, and let the music move through me. Listening to music has helped me move past my stress and just focus on the individual beats of the song. I enjoy dancing in my room with my eyes closed, letting the music move through my entire body. In the end, my mind is relaxed, and I feel much calmer. The third tip that I use to clear my mind is by daydreaming or zoning out. My brain can get pretty tired and burnt out when I focus on a task for too long. By day dreaming, I allow my mind to just wander off and give my brain a rest. Daydreaming also allows me to reflect on the problem I am facing and all the creative solutions I can use to solve that problem. Mental health is important because it plays a vital role in how we act, respond, and handle our stress. When I use these tips to clear my mind, I help keep the snake of stress asleep and give myself the chance to improve my mental health. When you can learn to clear your mind, you can learn to live a stress-free life.

Everyone deserves the chance to go to school, but with high tuition costs, that chance is never given. Many people in this world want the chance to further their education. To obtain a degree in a career field of their dreams, be offered more job opportunities, and eventually achieve their long-term goals. But this is not always the case. Some students finish high school and start college but after a few classes, they do not have the money to pay for more. They move on to finding a job to pay for more classes, but after a few years of working, they notice they do not have the time to work and go to college at the same time. Some start families during this break and have to take care of their families, losing the chance to go back to school. High tuition costs are the reason many choose to take a gap year after high school and never make the choice to go to college. That many decide to work or take out expensive loans and end up going into debt. Most of the tuition money is given to the board members of colleges rather than the professors themselves. One of my professors stated that she works two jobs and she gets paid more working her second job than she does as a professor. Yet we pay thousands of dollars to go to college. This needs to be changed. I believe that in order to make education better for future generations we need to find ways to decrease the tuition costs for college. By doing so, we give future generations the chance to further their education without the stress of finding a job and not making much money or taking out loans. We give future generations the chance to go to college for a degree in a career field of their own choice and allow them to focus on their studies rather than how they are going to fund their next class. Many people will say that the money that we put towards school is understandable, that the big amounts of money we pay makes sense. But it doesn’t. What about the people who come from low-income families, who wish to go to college to make a better life, and who have not won any scholarships? Do we look over them without ever giving them a chance to make something great of themselves and to make a positive impact on the world? Do we leave them to fight for a future that they know may never happen? By making college affordable for everyone, we give everyone a chance. A chance to make their lives better, a chance to further their education, a chance to live a life debt-free, and a chance to make a difference in the world. If we cannot give our generation the choice of going to college for an affordable price, then let’s do it for the future generations of America.

Ethiopia, Tanzania, and many more places all face a similar crisis: Unclean water. And with unclean water, major illnesses and diseases can occur within the population of these places. Clean water is fundamental to the way we live our lives. It rehydrates our bodies and sustains most of Earth’s population. However, there are countries who do not have access to clean water. They rely on the closest sources of water that they can find and most of the time, that water is unclean and ridden with disease. Unclean drinking water is the cause of most diseases in poverty riven places. The parasites and worms that reside in unclean water lead to disease’s that can or cannot be cured. Think about all those lives that are put at risk each time a cup of unclean water is consumed. If clean water was accessible all around the world, diseases and illnesses could be prevented. With unclean water, the amount of hospital visits around the world increases. The more people who get sick, the less room they have in the hospitals, the less medical supplies they have, and the less help they can provide to patients. With a limited amount of assistance available, there is a limited amount of help that can be given to people who contract illnesses caused by unclean water. We can help those in need of clean water by traveling to these places and drilling water rigs to locate clean water. We can also start using rainwater harvesting systems that will collect clean rainwater that is safe for consumption. We can also help provide water treatment by using filters and disinfection devices to help purify water in people homes and towns. With clean water, we can improve the quality of life around the world.

Men and women standing on the front lines witnessing death and chaos. Holding onto the hope that they will make it home to see their loved ones again. Watching as their friends and fellow soldiers lay down their lives to fight for this country. Making the decision to do the same. Everyday, I think of the people who have made the major decision to fight for their country. The ones who have decided to join the military, whether it is right after high school, or twenty years down the road. They all decided they wanted to make a difference in the world, and it is a decision that my mom made too. Straight out of high school, my mom joined the Army. Every morning she was up at the crack of dawn, throwing on her regulated exercise clothes, and running around the perimeter of the base with her cabin mates. She learned how to fire a weapon, throw a grenade, put on a gas mask while enveloped by tear gas, and completed various obstacle courses. Sounds hard, right? Well, it was, and she did this for ten years. After ten years of vigorous training where she dripped buckets of sweat and her body screamed in protest, she was honorably discharged from the military. However, she did not stop there. She became a civilian and started working for the government, was given the opportunity to live overseas, and went to college to receive her bachelor’s degree. Her continuous hard work, determination, and the choice to never give up got her to the place she is today. A successful woman with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to make a difference in the world. I am proud to be the daughter of a veteran. Not only because she taught me to work hard, but also because she helped shape my career aspirations. I have made many goals in life. Some short-term and some long-term, but they all have one thing in common. They require hard work if they want to be achieved. My aspirations will lead to my success as a teacher in the near future. My biggest aspiration is to make learning fun, engaging, and enjoyable no matter what age group I end up teaching. Every student deserves the chance to find the fun in learning because no student wants to sit for an hour and listen to a teacher talk for all of class. Students want to get up out of their seats, learn lessons with hands on activities, and engage with a lesson in a creative way that requires them to think outside of the box. Another aspiration of mine is to guide students’ past obstacles they may be facing with school and life. I come from a family that has seen hardship up close and has learned how to face it many times. I want to teach my students how to work hard for their futures and use determination to make a difference in the world around them. I come from a military family that has encountered challenges, obstacles, and hardships. But through it all, we have come out on top each time. We have proved to ourselves and the people around us, that life can throw as many things as it wants at us, but we will not back down. As the child of a veteran, I have learned that I need to work hard to achieve my dreams and to make a difference in the world.

“The best things in life do not always come easily.” This is an important life lesson that I learned as I have moved through my life. My family has shown me that when you want to succeed, you need to work hard. My mom’s parents could not fund my mom’s college education, so my mom decided to join the military right out of high school. She was taught how to throw a grenade, fire a weapon, how to work on the technology needed in the field, and was required to work through military obstacle courses. She also climbed to the top of a wooden structure in a military obstacle course even though she was terrified of heights. And this was not an easy task. My mom told me that at times, the things she did in training were challenging, but she worked harder and pushed past those obstacles to make it out on top. After leaving the military, she started to work for the government and eventually went to college to further her education. My mom taught me that the things we want in life require hard work in order to obtain them. Most of the time, the harder we work, the closer we are the achieving our dreams. I have come across many obstacles in my life. The passing of my grandmother, moving over seas as a child, learning to manage my time as a dual-enrollment student, and learning how to deal with the divorce of my parents. However, by taking this advice to heart, I know that all my hard work will pay off. That by working hard in life I can achieve my dreams. This lesson will help me move forward past any obstacles I may come upon in the future and will help remind me that all the best things in life come from hard work. After learning this lesson, I have become stronger, more determined, and have grown successful in both my studies and my life. The obstacles in my life will try to prevent me from moving forward and will slow me down, but by working hard I plan to overcome those obstacles. My determination to accomplish my goals and dreams comes from my ability to use hard work in every aspect of my life and has helped me reach success and accomplishment in many aspects of my college education. After learning that all the best things in life do not come easily, I have found that I am willing to work hard so I can reach for my dream, achieve my goals, and be the successful woman that I know I can be.

Caring for seniors brings me peace, happiness, and a smile to my face because they remind me of my grandmother. My grandmother passed at the age of 84, about 24 days before Christmas of last year. When I lost her, I lost my best friend. Every day after school, she would always ask me how my day went and what I learned. Then we would talk for hours about her past and how she grew up and what she learned in school. After she passed, my family and I made the decision to donate some of her possessions to a senior center. Her walkers, canes, assistance items like a stocking aid device and a shoehorn, plus many more items were all donated. All of her possessions would go to help other senior citizens who needed them the most. It was not a big thing that I did for senior citizens, but by donating her possessions I helped make a small difference in the lives of elderly people and in my community. I knew that by donating, I was helping relieve the stress of paying for a walker or buying a cane. I miss my grandmother every day, but I know that she was there, right by myside and with a smile on her face, as I was making this difference.

As an avid reader, I do not leave home without a book with me. Wherever I go, a book follows. In my room, stacks of books tower off the floor threatening to topple over. But with all the books I own, only one is my most favorite: Tigers Curse by Colleen Houck. This book blends fantasy, magic, romance, and adventure all into one mesmerizing and page turning story. My attention was captured at the very first paragraph and I was captivated by the delicate and precise details given to the written story in my hands. This book taught me a lot about the world. It taught me about a culture and traditions different than my own. I learned about different exotic food and what they smelled and tasted like through a description of words. I also enjoy a good adventure due to my adventurous spirit. Growing up, I traveled all over the world from France, to Germany, to Spain and many more places. My adventurous spirit comes from my travels and getting to experience a new place in a book feels almost as if I was there. Any book that can keep me on the edge of my seat, make me burst out laughing, and smile all at once is a book worth reading and Tigers Curse did just that. Reading is not just about reading words on a page, its about immersing yourself in a world different than your own. It is about learning different lessons that will teach you how to grow in both body and soul. And most importantly, reading is about letting go of what you believe is real and embracing an unknown reality. A good book contains a story that will take you an adventure that you wish would never end.

The most remarkable feat that this world has seen is the missions we have taken into outer space. Katherine Johnson, a mathematician, a scientist, and physicist, graduated from college at the young age of 18. Her ability to use numbers and crack mathematic equations gave her the chance to move through school at a fast pace. She went on to work for NASA after she graduated from college, but she was rejected the first time she applied. However, she did not give up because she applied at NASA the next year and got the job. She helped NASA send an astronaut, by the name of John Glenn, into outer space after cracking a mathematic equation on the orbit of the spaceship. Johnson sent the first men to the moon and helped with the plans on a mission to Mars. She was also the first woman to receive credit for a research report that she wrote. And she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama for her work and contribution to the STEM career field. I admire Katherine Johnson, not just because she is a female working in a male dominated career field at the time, but because she stopped at nothing to show the world her true potential. My future career does not deal with mathematic equations or sending people to space, but I want to make my own impact on the lives of the children I teach and a positive impact on society. Johnson has encouraged me to never give up, even if I get rejected the first time. Her story continues to inspire me and has taught me to never stop reaching for the stars.

“With great power comes great responsibility” – Stan Lee (Spiderman) The real world encompasses this quote. But instead of power, its money. So, in a way, with great money comes great responsibility. When I was a child, my mom bought me a Dave Ramsey budgeting kit. She believes that budgeting and saving your money is something that should be taught as a child, so for the future, I know how to plan accordingly. And she was right. Ever since I got that kit, I learned how to separate the money I earned and received into three different envelopes: save, spend, and give. I learned how to budget my money. As a teenager, I earn commission for chores that are not done as a family. For example, cleaning the car or cleaning the whole house. When I earn my commission, I separate the money into two envelopes. So far, I have an envelope for saving and spending. I use the give envelope when it gets close to birthdays or Christmas. My save envelope holds the money I am putting towards college, and I use the spend envelope when I shop. When my mom taught me and showed me how to separate money into three different envelopes to help me budget was the best advice I ever received. Instead of having to worry about whether all my money should go into college savings, I now know what percentage should go in and how much I should use for “spending” and “give” as well. My mom also taught me about the 50-30-20 rule. 50% goes into needs, 30% goes into wants, and 20% goes into savings. Overall, the best financial advice I received was on how to separate the money I earn and how much money should go into spend, save, and give.

We can all keep our mental health in a positive place by learning how to alleviate the stress and worries that plague our everyday lives. We live in a world that contains stressors around every corner and those stressors can trigger a negative effect that can impact our mental health. However, by learning how to control our stress and identify our stressors, we can learn how to keep our mental health states in a good place. As children, what is the one thing that most of us would do? Daydream. Living in our own little world that is created by our thoughts, dreams, and goals. A world that holds no stressors or worries, where we get to be free and allow the weight of the world rise from our shoulders. By daydreaming, we allow our minds to relax, while also allowing them to work through problems in creative ways. When we daydream, we allow our minds to find a solution to a problem, rather than trying to force a solution to work. We give our brains a break when we choose to daydream. Our minds need to relax every now and then. Our minds are not meant to focus on tasks for extended periods of time. By daydreaming, we allow our minds the time to relax while also relieving tension in the body. Daydreaming is not a hard thing to do. You start by looking away from whatever is causing you stress, then take a few calming breaths, and lastly, think about something that is meaningful to you or something that makes you happy. Daydreaming is an easy and effective way to relieve stress and anxiety, and keeps our mental health in a positive state.

I find that I live in my own little world. One where the leaves on the tree’s don’t just turn orange and red, but also turn pink and purple. Where the grass is squishy beneath my feet like a soft trampoline. Where the clouds are made of cotton candy that can be molded by my hands and are quite tasty too. This is how I apply creativity in my life, through daydreaming and by looking at reality in a whole new way. I have always been a child at heart, it is what makes my future career path so exciting. And I believe that being a child at heart is the reason I see the world in different ways, because I see the world in a new and exciting point of view. A child’s imagination never stops, and children are able to view the world and everything in it as if the rules of reality did not exist. I spend about ten to fifteen minutes daydreaming during the day. By allowing my mind to wander, I am to create unconstrained solutions to problems. I am able to reflect on my own personal goals in a creative manner and daydreaming helps me diversify the different parts of my brain. I apply creativity to my life through daydreaming and by viewing the world in a way that bends reality. By doing so, my days become fun and interesting, allowing me to step back from the worries and stressors of everyday life. To expand our creativity, we need to learn to think outside the box.

“Life is not without pain, but life concerns itself with how we handle that pain, or joy, or confusion, or triumph. Life is more than time passing before death; it is the sum and total of all we make of it.” - Elegos A’Kla (I, Jedi) As a Star Wars fan, most of the advice I take to heart comes from the characters themselves. This quote, by Elegos A’Kla, was not something I heard but something I read. As an avid reader, I come across sayings, quotes, and thoughts that all change the way I see the world around me and how I live my life. The quote above taught me that I need to live in the moment. That instead of concerning ourselves with the pain we feel and the confusion we experience, we need to learn to embrace the joy and the triumph as well. There is no life without pain, both physical pain and the pain we feel on the inside. However, depending on how we choose to live our lives, determines how we handle those emotions. This quote also taught me that life is not simply meant to be the time we have till we leave this world. We need to make the most of it and experience everything we can before death comes upon us. I have the habit of counting down the days in the week or living in the future when I need to start learning to live in the present. Elegos A’Kla, a character in the novel I, Jedi, taught me that life is more than what we believe. There is more to life than what is seen on the surface, you need to dig a little deeper to learn what life truly means to you.

My future is all about moving forward with college and my career. I have created goals for both of these. My first educational goal is to find more ways to get involved in my college community. I can join a club, volunteer my time at the campus library, and I can attend campus activities. Another one of my educational goals is to gain the most knowledge from my studies. I want to learn how to be an active listener, take the opportunity to teach my peers, and always remember to ask questions. My third educational goal is to maintain my 4.0 GPA, so I can remain a member of HACC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK), as I advance through college. I set career goals to expand my knowledge, to encourage myself to step out of my comfort zone, and to experience new aspects of teaching. My career goals can help me improve and grow as a teacher. The first career goal that I have is to teach an extracurricular. I would like to have the opportunity to expand my overall knowledge with teaching and educate my students about fitness, music, or technology. My second career goal is to experiment with different teaching styles. I would like to find the perfect style that works for both myself and my students. My third career goal is to mentor any new teachers. I want to use the knowledge that I learn as I start my career and share that knowledge with potential upcoming teachers. Lastly, my fourth career goal is to create a work-life balance. I can take the time to grade assignments and create lesson plans during my lunch breaks, leaving my weekends free and allowing me to get home at a decent time after school.

If you’re like me, you stress studying. However, with great preparation, that stress can easily be ignored. When I study, I use a few preparation strategies that help me ace a test and relieve my stress. The first strategy is flash cards. Each flash card contains a question or word on the front, while the answer is on the back. You can use flash cards by yourself, or you can have a friend quiz you with them, but either way works. Flash cards work great for studying because you can carry them with you anywhere, it engages the memory, and allows you to be creative with the way you make them. I draw pictures alongside the questions or words to help me remember the answers. The second strategy I use is creating catchy phrases. It can be challenging trying to recall multiple math formulas or different cell parts. I create a phrase that allows me to retain the formula or cell parts while also sparking creativity. For example, each part of a cell lives in a town and they each have a certain job. The Mitochondria works at the electric company because it powers the whole town and the Golgi body sorts and delivers proteins to other parts of the body, so this is the post office. Overall, studying does not have to be painful. Find a study strategy that works best for you and brainstorm ways to make it creative and fun to help with memory. With the prefect strategy, you won’t stress the test.

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you” – Frank Lloyd Wright As a child growing up in a military family my home is never in just one place. When I was nine, I moved to Germany with my family, and we stayed there for five years. By moving to a new place, change is inevitable. Experiences, people, and lifestyles all change. But the one part of my life that did not change was my love for nature. I love watching the leaves on the trees change color through the seasons. I love watching the trees and plants move with the breeze as if they were dancing just for me. I love how I feel alive and rejuvenated when I lay on top of the grass and listen to the birds sing, the leaves rustle, and the wind whistle. I seek nature when I need to escape from reality. My stress and my worries disappear the moment my bare feet touch the grass. I currently live in a secluded place that is surrounded by trees and by walking outside the door, I already feel as if I am in a world made of fantasy. That if I travel far enough through the trees, fairies just might take flight and tree nymphs may walk out of their trees to greet me. Even though I live in a place surrounded by nature, I still love to travel and take hikes to appreciate all of the nature that the world holds. By taking hikes I learn about the different plants I see, the various wildlife, and the best ways to preserve the most beautiful part of Earth. Just as Frank Lloyd Wright says, by appreciating nature, it will never fail you.

In the third grade, I fell behind in math. I would stare at a math problem for hours and I still would not understand what I was supposed to do. Since I had trouble with math, I lost my recess time and I turned in homework that was only halfway complete. When my mom noticed that I was struggling, she asked my teacher to help bring my math skills back up to where they needed to be. My teacher refused, so I fell behind. Without the fundamental components that third grade math provided students, it was hard to progress to fourth grade math. I struggled in fourth grade, struggled in fifth, and struggled all through middle school. Without the help of my teachers, I became discouraged and lost hope that one day I could complete math successfully. Until one day, I decided I needed to push past this doubt and start working harder. I decided to challenge myself by taking a college math course. I found a math teacher that was willing to assist me with bringing my math level up to where it should have been. She was my college math professor. I struggled with math all the way until my first year of college. My math professor asked us a question when we started her class. She asked, “What do you want to obtain from this class?” My answer was simple: I want to challenge myself in order to be successful with math. And my answer came true. My math professor was patient and gave me the chance to work through a problem by myself first and then assist me with it afterwards. She gave me tutoring one-on-one every day after class and I was finally able to conquer my biggest obstacle and challenge.

Math was not always a favorite subject of mine. It was by far the hardest subject that I encountered. In the start of third grade, I was proficient in math. I understood math concepts, knew how to complete math in my head, and was able to teach my peers how to complete certain math problems. Until, halfway through third grade I feel behind. I was not understanding the different math concepts and what was being taught. I started to count on my fingers instead of in my head. I missed recess because I had to finish my math assignments correctly. My third-grade teacher chose to let me learn on my own instead of teaching me one-on-one. And this is what caused me to fall behind. When fourth grade came around and I had to move overseas, my fourth-grade teacher decided he would try to help me. But it was a lost cause. Without the fundamental components that third grade math provided students, it was hard to progress to fourth grade math. I struggled in fourth grade, struggled in fifth, and struggled all through middle school. Eventually I found a math teacher that was willing to assist me with bringing my math level up to where it should have been. She was my college math professor. I struggled with math all the way until my first year of college. My math professor asked us a question when we started her class. She asked, “What do you want to obtain from this class?” My answer was simple: I want to be better at math. And my answer came true. My math professor was patient and gave me the chance to work through a problem by myself first and then if I struggled, she would step in. She gave me tutoring one-on-one every day after class. She would ask me to answer questions in class and would encourage me to teach my peers. I love math because it made me stronger, made me work harder, and gave me the challenges I needed to face in order to grow. Math is the reason I am so successful today because when every teacher gave up on me, I did not. I continued to learn and taught myself how to solve math problems even when I felt like giving up. And having this mentality, that math helps us grow in both body and mind means that math is important to us and to the world. Math, has you look at a problem and identify the multiple number of ways you can solve it. In life, there is most likely a number of ways to solve problems. Math teaches us to think critically, analytically, and has us use reason to arrive at the solution. Like math, in life you need to approach a problem with a critical eye, find ways to analyze the problem, and use reasoning to find the solution. I love learning math because even though we were enemies in third grade, we have become friends through the years. Math has challenged me, has created obstacles in my life, and has given me the chance to prove myself. I have become stronger, I have grown into the woman I am today, and I have proved to myself that I can do it. That math does not have to be my enemy because it has gotten me to where I am today.

The meaning of life is more than just a meaning. It’s a feeling, a gift, and an experience. There is no definition for what life means, but to every living person the definition is different. To a doctor, the meaning of life may mean giving people a second chance to live. To police officers and firefighters, the meaning of life may mean saving people from the dangers of this world. To me, the meaning of life means experiencing the good, the bad, the pain, the pleasure, the grief, and the happiness of everyday life. The meaning of life does not have to be a scientific discovery. It does not have to be defined by a formula or a math equation. And it does not have to be given a label, because everyone’s meaning of life will not be the same as the person sitting next to them on the bus, or in the office, or walking on the side of the street. Achieving the meaning of life can be a challenge and can be easy. It depends on how you see it. I achieve the meaning of life when I spend time with my family, when I lose loved ones, when I experience my first heartbreak, yet experience love at first sight. My experiences, since the moment I was born, have become the meaning of my life. And every day I live, I achieve it.

Our little acts of kindness are going to change the world. Being selfless is more than just putting others before you, it’s about being able to identify the hardships this world faces and finding a way to change them. It is important to help others because it allows us to feel useful, to direct our attention away from ourselves and towards others, and gives us a chance to make change in the world. Helping others creates a happy and growing environment. It allows each and every one of us to step back from our own lives and our own problems in order to make a difference in the world. The difference we decide to make in our community starts with a seed and as people join together, like water and sunlight, that seed blooms into a flower. A flower that will display the beauty of what the world would look like if people helped others. As we help others, we are often benefited more than the people we are helping. We are given the opportunity to grow ourselves and learn lessons that can change our entire lives. Once you find the beauty in helping others around you, you start to see the beauty in yourself. You start to see how you have grown as a person and a member of your community. By helping others, I have grown into the successful woman I see in the mirror every morning. From a five-year-old child to a 17-year-old teenager, I have found many ways to serve others in my community. I volunteered my time to help Girls Inc, I packed shoeboxes for my church, and I volunteered to be a camp counselor. Each time I served someone in my community or school, I grew into who I am today.

I appreciate many things in my life. My family, my friends, the opportunity to go to school, a roof over my head, and many more. However, I am most thankful for being given life. I would not have all of these things, family and friends, if I was not brought into this world. Being given the gift of life, the gift of our first breath, and the gift of seeing the world through new eyes; are all gifts we should be thankful for. Every day, I thank God and my mom for bringing me into this world and giving me a chance to make a difference. Living with gratitude means being thankful for everything you have, no matter how small or big it is. Gratitude is what makes the world around us a happier, healthier, and much more peaceful place. Gratitude is something that I do not practice, I just do. I thank my mom, my friends, my sisters, and my dog for being in my life and shaping me into who I am today. I thank my teachers for giving me the chance to show my true potential and I thank people around me when they show acts of kindness or just need a smile. I show gratitude in the form of smiles and compliments. Everyone has a bad day, but a simple smile and a compliment can turn that frown upside down. Compliments help people by showing them that they are noticed, and they are important. I am grateful for the people I love in my life. I am grateful for the chance to go to school, expand my knowledge, and pursue the career of my dreams. And I am grateful for being given the chance to live and make my own mark on the world.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” -Walt Disney My dream is to become an elementary teacher for the next generation of bright, intelligent students. I have both the courage and the confidence to reach for my dream and achieve it. I set career goals to expand my knowledge, to encourage myself to step out of my comfort zone, and to experience new aspects of teaching. The first career goal that I have is to teach an extracurricular. I would like to have the opportunity to expand my overall knowledge with not just teaching basic concepts like math, science, and reading, but also teach my students about fitness, music, or technology. My second career goal is to experiment with different teaching styles. Certain teaching styles work with certain teachers. I would like to incorporate a different teaching style with each new year I teach, so I can find the perfect style that works for both myself and my students. My third career goal is to mentor any new teachers. I want to use the knowledge that I learn as I start my career and share that knowledge with potential upcoming teachers, so they feel welcome, comfortable, and less overwhelmed. Lastly, my fourth career goal is to create a work-life balance. Teachers spend most of their time at school, and most of that time is past school hours. I can take the time to grade assignments and create lesson plans during my lunch breaks, leaving my weekends free and allowing me to get home at a decent time after school. Overall, being an elementary school teacher requires a lot of skills, and the career goals that I have created can help me become the best teacher I can be.

My goals for the future consist of educational goals and career goals. My goals will help me achieve and strive for success as I become a teacher for the next generation of students. The first educational goal that I have is to find more ways to get involved. This involvement can be in my college community through joining a club, volunteer my time at the campus library, or attending campus activities. Another one of my educational goals is to gain the most knowledge from my studies. I need to develop a growth mindset, rather than a fixed one. I also need to learn how to be an active listener, take the opportunity to teach my peers, and always remember to ask questions. Overall, my two educational goals are going to help me be the best version of myself and allow me to be a successful student. My first career goal is to experiment with different teaching styles. Certain teaching styles work with certain teachers. My second career goal is to mentor any new teachers. I want to use the knowledge that I learn as I start my career and share that knowledge with potential upcoming teachers. Lastly, my third career goal is to create a work-life balance. I can take the time to grade assignments and create lesson plans during my lunch breaks, leaving my weekends free and allowing me to get home at a decent time after school. Each goal that I have created aids in my success for the future. My educational goals are going to motivate and encourage me to gain the most from my college experience and help me gain the social skills I need. My career goals will give me the opportunity to expand my teaching experience to help me achieve the best success.

A simple pat on the back, a small smile, and words of praise. Each offers encouragement to the person on the receiving end. I use each one of these to help encourage those around me. A small act of kindness can make a big difference. Kindness can encourage others to grow strong, to continue moving forward, and shows others that they are appreciated. The first time I worked on a group project, I did not know my team members. Without a connection between one another, our work was not our best. Eventually, a few days before it was due, I gave praise to each team member individually. I made them feel important. After I gave them encouragement, we worked harder on our project. I smiled at each team member when they asked questions or had an idea that they wanted to add. By the end of the project, we received an amazing grade, and we gave each other a pat on the back. Without encouragement in our lives, we would be forced to work through our obstacles on our own. Encouragement gives people the strength, courage, and the motivation they need in order to succeed in life.

If there is one thing that I am good at, it is venturing out of my comfort zone. I find adventure in every aspect of life. I seize any opportunities that come my way and I find joy in everything that I do. I made my first bucket list when I was young. On it, there were only three things: eat something exotic, travel to a different country, and try something new that I have never done before. I accomplished all three. I moved to Germany with my family when I was nine. I grew up learning German, learning about their traditions, and getting to meet people from all over the world. As we lived in Germany, my family traveled to many different places including Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, and many more. By living in Germany and visiting different places, I achieved my “travel to a different country” bucket list item. While visiting France I got to eat an exotic food: escargot. It was an interesting and new experience, but I accomplished this bucket list item as well. The last item on my list could have been accomplished by a number of experiences, but I was waiting for the right one. At the time, I did not know what the right one was but about two years ago, I found it. I wanted my experience to be adventurous and exhilarating: I had my first motorcycle ride. This may not seem as exciting, but the hum of the engine beneath me, the wind flowing past me, and the speed that can be compared to flying made my adventurous spirit soar. I accomplished all three things on my bucket list, and I have yet to make a new one, but when I do it will be more adventurous than the first.

Confidence is the feeling of bravery that helps us conquer our fears. Its a feeling that allows us to be confident in ourselves. Confidence to me means that I am confident in who I am and what I stand for. I am confident that I am able to face challenges straight on without fearing the outcome. When I was a child, being confident was not a skill I had. I was born with a genetic disease that makes me look different on the outside of my body. Having my differences visible for the whole world to see scared me and I became ashamed of who I was. Until, one day a student walked up to me and gave me a compliment. That moment I knew that I needed to stand tall and show the world that I was not ashamed of who I was. By doing so, my confidence grew, and my self-esteem strengthened. Going from an ashamed girl who always hid who she was to the confident woman I am today was not an easy feat. There were times where I felt like giving up halfway but instead, I practiced a few ways to raise my confidence. The first way was to stand up for myself. When the stares increased or the whispers grew more constant, I did not back down. I explained to others about my differences and once they understood the stares stopped happening. The second way was to learn how to be fearless. I made it my goal to conquer my fear of being criticized by others. Eventually, I learned that everyone has their own insecurities, and we are all scared that others may criticize us because of them. I was able to conquer my fear and now I am a confident young woman.

We all need someone who is willing to listen. Someone who is going to be by our side when we need them the most. Someone who shows concern and gives advice when it is needed. To my friends and family, that someone is me. Growing up it was hard to see other people hurt or crying. I wanted to cry with them or understand what they were going through so I could help them. I found that this connection with other people was my empathy. Empathy has taught me how to connect with others, when to give appropriate advice in certain situations, and also helps me understand what others may be going through. On a daily basis, I find that I treat everyone with respect and empathy. I listen to everyone and hold my comments and advice until I know for sure that they are done speaking. I try to understand people’s beliefs and their values even if I disagree with them. I ask questions to better understand the people I meet and get to know them a little better and I put myself in their shoes to help imagine what they may be going through or feeling. My friends and family talk to me about problems they may be having or how to handle a certain situation. Empathy has given me the chance to bring my loved ones together both in person and in heart.

There is nothing more soothing than sliding into a warm bath, filled to the brim with bubbles. There is nothing more calming than curling up with a warm blanket from the dryer and falling asleep to the sound of the rain outside. There is nothing more relaxing than taking nice, big deep breaths while visualizing the beach as my happy place. Each of these are the ways that I love to relax, and they help me feel more grounded and calmer. I live a stressful life. I am a dual-enrollment student who is taking high school classes alongside college courses. I am getting close to graduation for high school so there is a lot of planning taking place, and I am always helping my mom take care of my younger sisters and around the house so she can focus on her work. With all these stressors and tasks during the day, it can be hard to find time to relax. However, when I can relax, I take a bath, take a nap, or take calming deep breaths. Relaxing has given me the peace that I need in my life. Relaxation provides me with the strength to conquer my stress and allows me to keep a positive mindset. With relaxation, I have time to just be in the moment or give myself the time I need to work through problems. By relaxing my mental health is in a good place and has given me the strength to achieve my goals, to take better care of my health, and to reach for my dreams.

The sound of page flipping in a book. The adventures and stories playing a silent movie before your eyes. The feel of a cold breeze caressing your cheek as the main character glides through the forest. These are all the things I experience as I open up a book. There was a time in my life where I stopped trying. I stopped trying to do my best, I stopped trying to connect with other people, and I stopped trying to move forward. Instead of living in the present, I started living in the past. All the times I failed and the people I lost kept me from moving on. However, I found that when I opened a book, I was able to immerse myself in a story and learn new lessons. I learned lessons from the main characters, and I learned how to move forward. Books have taught me more lessons than I have taught myself and have given me different viewpoints on what life is. Life is meant to be hard and challenging. Life is going to create obstacles, but it is up to me whether I choose to keep moving forward. Reading books is my favorite hobby because I learn lesson from both the characters and the stories. I also love to curl up during a cold winter day or sit by an open window when its raining while reading a book. Books saved me from a time where I gave up and they continue to give me the encouragement and the hope that I need to move forward with my life.

There was a time when I struggled to express my feelings. Until one day, I grabbed a paper and pen and let my feelings go. Who knew that the way I cope with my emotions and my stress, is the one thing that I consider a talent? My pain, my grief, my anger all became words on a page and that page became a poem. I have the talent of being able to dip deep and place images behind the words of my poems. My poems are not just about myself and my emotions, but also about the opinions I have that I am scared to share. During a time where I struggled with opening up to others, I found that instead of having to talk about my emotions, I could write about them. My talent or writing poetry also grows from my love of rhyming. I grew up reading children’s books that always had rhymes. When I can incorporate rhymes into my poems, I find a way to take the edge off of a dark and powerful message. Anytime I am feeling a strong emotion, I grab a paper and let my pen fly. This is how I practice these skills. I also play a rhyming game with myself where I write a rhyme on a paper and try to find as many words as I can that rhyme with the original word. Poetry is my talent, and it is a talent that I would like to share with the world. Poetry has taught me more about myself and has given me the chance to express who I truly am. Overall, poetry finds the parts of me that I try to hide, exposes them to the light, and creates a piece of art filled with raw emotion.

Nothing brings me more joy than watching my seven-year-old niece finally understand a lesson she is being taught. The moment the light bulb goes off in her brain, I know that my future career is the perfect choice. Being an elementary school teacher is a job that entails responsibility, social skills, experience, and finding joy in teaching young children. I believe that when I become an elementary school teacher, I will obtain and grow these skills, allowing me to be the best teacher I can be. In a world that is constantly changing and experiencing hardships, I find a way to help my community in any way I can. The little steps that I take to help my community is a little step in the direction of making the world a better place. I want to make my community and possibly the world a place of security, a place of new knowledge, and a place for growth for the students of the next generation. As a student pursuing a career in education, taking the lead is all about being able to take initiative. Being a teacher requires you to plan, coordinate, and execute lessons to successfully teach anyone. Though my career will focus more on opening up kindergarten minds to the wonders of learning, being a camp counselor for my schools overnight camping trip brought me a scope of a different age group. My sophomore year of high school, I signed up to be a counselor for a group of sixth graders. Being a counselor was a new experience and I did not know where to start. I had a group of six girls, all with opinions on everything we did. The first night of camp, I sat outside and brainstormed ideas to make their camping experience amazing. It was my responsibility to take my campers to their activities, have them to bed before midnight, and support them in their studies. I created a special bond with my campers, and when they looked up to me, I found that I wanted to do this for a living. I wanted to inspire children to learn, to be a role model to all my future students and encourage my students to enjoy learning. My campers went home after camp with new friendships and new knowledge because I encouraged them to grow. I also found that while they learned from me, I learned from them, and they became the reason I want to pursue a higher education for the opportunity to teach young children. Spending time with an age group completely different than mine made me realize that I felt happier after spending time with them. The things I was taught by the girls in my group and the tasks I had to take on by myself guided me to the career choice of early childhood education. I knew I wanted to teach young children and get to experience the joy of showing children there is always something new to be learned. Being a camp counselor, me showed me that I enjoy bringing smiles to people’s faces, knowing I am sending them home with memories they may cherish forever. By volunteering for this experience, I learned more about myself than I ever did before and I made the decision to be a future teacher.

The person I am today was built my family and by mentorship. I grew up changing my mind all the time on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I went from wanting to be a fashion designer to a nurse then to pilot, and eventually to the career I have chosen today. Even though I did not know my future career path growing up, I did have an experience that solidified the choice of the career I want to have. A few years ago, in 2019, I volunteered to be a camp counselor for my school’s sixth grade camp. By volunteering, I was put in a mentorship position that allowed me to embrace my field of study and gave me the opportunity to be a mentor to my campers. I was a counselor for a total of six girls and it was my responsibility to take them to their activities, have them to bed before midnight, and support them in their studies. I created a special bond with my campers, and when they looked up to me, I found that I wanted to do this for a living. I wanted to inspire children to learn, to be a mentor to all my future students and encourage my students to enjoy learning and embrace their old and new knowledge as they grow in both body and mind. My campers went home after camp with new friendships and new knowledge because I encouraged them to grow. I also found that while they learned from me, I learned from them, and they became the reason I want to pursue a higher education for the opportunity to teach young children. I played the role of a mentor when I was a camp counselor. My campers came to me when they had a problem they needed to work out, when they had trouble understanding an activity, and when they needed help connecting with their fellow campers. I was able to mentor them when they came to me for assistance. I gave them advice when they asked for it and I showed them how to expand their overall knowledge of themselves, their learning, and the world around them. Being a mentor has showed me who I truly am and has played a major role in the decision of my future career. As a child, the world is a large and intimidating place, but having a family who travels the world showed me the beauty that lies within. Being a member of a military family is something I am proud of. My mom has been through both thick and thin, and instead of letting the hardships get in her way, she has persevered through them and grows stronger every day. When I was nine, my mom was given the opportunity to live overseas. As a single mom, she brought my two younger sisters and myself with her. I grew up learning a new language, exploring different places around the world, and I got to learn about the different cultures and traditions in each place I visited. Growing up in a military family can be challenging, but there are opportunities that only happen once in a lifetime. I consider “home” to be two places. The place where I grew up and live now, and the place that has shaped me into the successful and adventurous woman I am today. Overall, I am proud to be a part of my military family.

There is no better feeling than the feeling of accomplishment. The feeling I get right after I finish a full work out, or receive an amazing grade is what motivates me on a daily basis. When I push myself to always aim high, the sense of accomplishment in the end is worth it. When I was in middle school, I did not really care for learning and school. My grades started to slip, and I stopped completing my assignments. I was not motivated to even participate in class and some days I stopped wanting to go to school. Until one day, I decided to study for a math test, and I received an A on it. This was the moment that I felt like I accomplished something and my motivation to accomplish things was born. With each new assignment, I aimed for an A, so that I could feel a sense of accomplishment afterwards. I now try new things, I participate in discussion in class, and I take the necessary time to study. With accomplishment as my motivator, I have become a successful student and I always strive to get the best grade possible.

Our love languages come in different forms. You may show others love through gifts, physical contact, or actions. My love language is compliments and words. I take the time every morning to say thank you to my mom for putting a roof over my head, giving me a good life, and always being my support system. I compliment my sisters when they get an A on an assignment, and I thank them for all the help they give me on my schoolwork and around the house. With my love language, my family knows that when I compliment them or just talk their ear off, I am expressing my love for them. I like to find little ways to show my family that I love them. I compliment them, I ask them about their days, and I also like to make them smile. I find that when I can bring a smile to someone’s face, my entire day brightens. I tell my family jokes and I tell them funny stories just to get them to laugh. I compliment, talk, and bring smiles to my family members faces to show them that they are loved.

The moments in life that bring a smile to my face are the moments I find joy. I find the most joy in laughter. My favorite pastime is making others laugh. I like to tell jokes and tell funny stories so I can bring a smile to someone’s face. I seek out joy by adding happiness into my life. Happiness comes in the form of family, friends, and my hobbies. Curled up with a good book, laughing with friends, or playing games with my family brings me happiness and joy. When I add happiness into my life, I am able to leave behind my stressors and my problems of the day. I can focus on just being in the moment and the joyous feeling I get from being happy. I am someone who gets stressed easily and it can be hard to find joy most days. However, when I can find ways to stay calm and grounded, my stress leaves and in its place, I can find joy. When I can change my mindset to look at the good in the situation rather than the stressful parts, I am able to conquer tasks and the sense of accomplishment brings me joy. Overall, seeking out joy in life can be life-changing and can lead to a better lifestyle.

December 1st, 2021, was the day my entire world went dark. Grief, sadness, and despair coiled and twisted inside of me. My hope was lost, and my days blended together. This was the day my grandmother passed away. When I was a child, I grew up with two sets of parents. My mom, and my grandparents. My grandmother and I were close friends and there was not a single day where I left her side. Losing my close friend was one of the hardest moments of my life. I had to learn to live without having my grandmother by myside, which was the most challenging part of her death. Even though losing my grandmother was a challenge to get past, I was able to persevere through this difficult situation. The first step I took was letting my emotions out. Instead of leaving the anger and the grief bottled up and tucked away, I opened the bottle and let the emotions pour out of me. The second step I took was accepting what happened. At the time of my grandmother’s death, I was in denial. I refused to believe that I would never see my grandmother again, but when I finally accepted it, I was able to persevere. The last step I took was talking to my family. My mother was the most devastated over my grandmother’s death and taking the time to talk to her about what I was feeling felt great and we were able to comfort each other. I preserved through the death of my grandmother and even though there were times that it seemed tough, I was able to accept and move on.

Letting a car turn before I do, holding the door open for someone, or asking people how they are doing. All of these are small acts of kindness, but I complete them every day. My favorite way to help others is by offering kindness every day to other people. I compliment my family each day, I hold the door open for everyone, and I call my friends and family to see how they are doing. By offering kindness, not only do I become a happier person, but kindness can brighten someone’s day. When I pass someone on the street, I ask them how their day is going, or I compliment them on something they are wearing. There are many great ways to bring a smile to someone’s face and through my small acts of kindness I bring a smile to each person’s face. By offering kindness, I help someone have a better day or I lend a hand when someone needs help with an assignment or needs help carrying something. The world could use more kindness and more smiles. As I help others through acts of kindness, I help brighten someone’s day and help add kindness to the world.

My ability to lend an ear to someone who just needs to talk is a skill that I value. When I was placed in a group for a project I was completing, I found that my group members talked to me about the project and their life-related problems. When one of my group members was having trouble with a class she was taking, she came to me and asked how I would approach the problem and how I remain focused on my studies. At first, I could not figure out why my group members came to me when they needed to talk and not anyone else in the group, but eventually I asked, and they said it was because I was a great listener. My listening skills have helped me in many different classes and have given me the opportunity assist my fellow peers. I learned that I am an active listener, and I value my ability to focus on the person speaking to me and giving them any assistance, they ask for. My future career requires a listening skill. Being a kindergarten teacher, I need to listen to my students and encourage them to talk about things if they feel something is bothering them, either in school or at home. Overall, I value my listening skill and hope that this skill will grow as I move through college and into my career.

The parts of myself that I do not show the people around me are contained in the poems that I compose. My anger, my grief, my joy, and my compassion encompass the words and lines on the pages of my poetry. The feeling of the pen tip gliding along the firm page brings me comfort and helps release all the emotions I keep bottled up. Since my poems contain the deepest parts of who I am, they are raw, powerful, and opiniated. I want my legacy to be my poetry. My poems address the problems in the world and how I feel change should be made. Readers may not always agree with my opinion, but I would still share every poem with the world. Our greatest memories, feelings, and fears find their ways into the world through actions, works of art, speeches, and poetry. I would like the world to see how my poems were born from the hidden parts of myself. I want the world to cherish, contemplate, and question what my poems truly mean. My poems have different meanings behind the words. You need to read between the lines to not only learn the cover story but to also unlock its secrets. The legacy I want to leave behind is my poetry and how it may change the world for the better.

The impossible is just not possible yet. This is the one sentence that I would share with the world because even the most impossible things can be made possible when you put your mind to it. The key word in this sentence is “yet.” A task may seem impossible, but you can still make it possible over time. For example, maybe you want to learn four different languages at once, but it seems impossible. It is not impossible, it just takes time, effort, and may not be easy to master “yet.” I grew up overseas and I had to learn a different language in order to interact with the locals in my town. German is not an easy language to master, especially at a young age. It may have seemed impossible to master a different language at times, but I eventually learned how to understand German and interact with the locals. I created this mantra when I started to try new things. For example, learning two different languages at the same time or taking a college level math course. Both of these things may have seemed impossible in the beginning, but they became possible over time. It takes both effort, time, and confidence to master impossible things, because the impossible is just not possible yet.

The memories that I cherish the most are the ones I make with my family. When the pandemic hit, my family rarely saw one another. We talked over the phone, but it just was not the same as spending time in person. A week before Christmas in 2021, my grandmother passed, and it was one the saddest moments of my life. However, my family decided it was time to reconnect with one another. One of the happiest moments of my life was the moment I got to see my family all together again. Our favorite past time is to play charades and we can get very competitive. We also gather around the table after we eat dinner and play trivia while also reminiscing in the funniest moments of our past. And during these talks, I learn a lot about what my family did growing up and the trouble they would get into with my grandmother. The memories I have from spending time with my family always brings a smile to my face every time I think about them. I also enjoy spending time with my sisters. All of us are busy with school or college but getting to spend even a small amount of time with my sisters makes me really happy. During the small moments I do get with my sisters, we are either joking with each other or discussing the books we have recently read. With our busy schedules and the pandemic, it was hard to find time to spend with family, but we still found a way to see one another again. My loving and competitive family brings a smile to my face and brings happiness into my life.

“You should know your beautiful just the way you are. And you don’t have to change a thing, the world could change its heart.” – Alessia Cara “Scars to your beautiful” by Alessia Cara is a song that helped me through a hard time. Due to a genetic disease that I have, my nails, fingers, hair, and eyebrows make me stand out from everyone else and I am sometimes judged or avoided by my peers. Ectodermal Dysplasia makes my nails thicker than most and they do not sit on a flat nail bed. My hair is thin so my scalp can be seen in some places, and my eyebrows are almost non-existent. Being treated differently caused me to be self-conscious and I tried to avoid everyone in school, so no one could stare or make rude remarks. When I heard the song, “Scars to your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara, how I viewed myself changed. I stopped trying to hide who I was. Every time someone pointed at me or made a remark, I ignored them and reminded myself that I am “beautiful just the way I am, and I do not have to change a thing, the world can change it’s heart.” This song helped me grow my self esteem and inspired me to always believe that our flaws are what make us beautiful. When I wake up in the morning, I look in the mirror and I sing this song in my head, reminding myself that I should never be ashamed of what I look like on the outside. “Scars to your beautiful” inspires me to embrace my flaws and helps me maintain a high self-esteem. Listening to this song changed my entire life for the better.

As a child, you are learning about everything. Your curious mind creates question after question. Your rambunctious energy has you running from one place to the next and your fingers have a mind of their own, wanting to touch everything they see. When I was a child, I wanted to learn things on my own. I believed that I was smart and did not need help with anything, but believing I knew everything created the funniest memory. I was six years old, and my grandfather would always sneak me and my little sister’s gum. One day, my grandfather gave me a minty fresh piece of gum. I chewed, smacked, and popped this piece of gum and I kept chewing it without throwing it away. As I was getting ready for bed, I thought “If I push my gum to the side of my mouth, I can sleep with it.” This was a horrible mistake. I woke up the next morning, with gum on the side of my face and in my hair. However, this was not the funniest part. I still believed that I knew everything, so I never asked my mom how the gum got into my hair. For a few weeks, I believed the gum got into my hair in the most bizarre way. At a young age, I was still learning about how the body worked and how it functioned. When that piece of gum got stuck in my hair, this is what I believed happened. I had told my mom a few weeks later, “I do not think that falling asleep with gum is healthy because it goes up into your head, through your hair follicles, and ends up being stuck in your hair.” My mom laughed so hard, tears came to her eyes. She explained to me, still in tears, that when I fall asleep with gum in my mouth, the gum falls out of my mouth, onto my pillow and I roll onto it in my sleep. I was so embarrassed that I had believed gum could find a way into your head and go up through your hair follicles. But eventually, I too, laughed with my mom. From that day forward, I do not assume that I know everything, and I always ask questions when I have trouble understanding something. I also have not lived down this memory and my family always finds a way to bring it up as a joke or in a conversation. In the end, my family and I all had a good laugh.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Have you thought about your major?” “What are you going to school for?” All questions I could not answer. Until I volunteered to be a camp counselor for sixth grade camp at my school. Then, finally, I found my answer. By volunteering for a camp counselor role, I was put in a leadership position that allowed me to embrace my field of study and gave me the opportunity to be a role model to my campers. I was a counselor for a total of six girls and it was my responsibility to take them to their activities, have them to bed before midnight, and support them in their studies. I created a special bond with my campers and when they looked up to me, I found that I wanted to do this for a living. I wanted to inspire children to learn, I wanted to be a role model to all my future students, and I wanted my future students to enjoy learning and embrace their old and new knowledge as they grow in both body and mind. My campers went home after camp with new friendships and new knowledge because I encouraged them to grow. I also found that while they learned from me, I learned from them, and they became the reason I want to pursue a higher education for the opportunity to teach young children. In the future, I hope to utilize my education to teach young children. The knowledge that I obtain, the lessons that I learn, and the education that I receive will all benefit my future career of teaching. My one experience of being a camp counselor opened up my eyes to what being a role model is and I loved watching the light bulbs go off when a student finally understood a concept. Education is important to me because teachers make the greatest impact in the lives of children. Teachers are the foundation of the teaching community and they are the role models that students look up to. Without teachers, the world would be greatly impacted. Without teachers, children would not learn the concepts they need to know and the skills they need to have in order to be successful in the future. When I become a teacher, I want to be a role model and I want to make a positive difference in the lives of my students and in the teaching community.

Imagine you are waiting for a heart transplant, but no donors are eligible. You have a limited number of days to live, yet you still hold onto hope. Hope does come, not in the form of a donor but in the form of technology. 3D printing has started to play a major part in organ transplants. This technology is still fairly new but imagine how much help it could give to doctors and hospitals if all organs could one day be transplanted. So far, 3D printing is used for heart tissue, skin grafts, bones, and some organs. Technology is not only saving lives but also taking the definition of technology to the next level. With this new way of acquiring skin grafts, tissue, bones, and much more, doctors do not have to rely on finding eligible donors for patients. However, there can be some negative effects to using 3D printed body parts. The patient’s body can refuse to accept the 3D printed version, the patient can get sick, or by the time the body part is printed it may be too late. But with 3D printing we are giving hope to patients when they need it the most and with the growth of technology today, we may find a much more amazing way to create these transplants without problems. I believe that the world will become a better place if 3D printing can create every functioning body part. Think about the number of lives that can be saved and how happy and relieved their families will be when they find their family member can live longer. Technology is everywhere in this day and age. In the form of phones, computers, televisions, and much more. And this technology, that we are constantly using, may just save many lives one day in the future.

A few years ago, in 2019, I volunteered to be a camp counselor for my school’s sixth grade camp. By volunteering for this position, I was put in a leadership position that allowed me to embrace my field of study and gave me the opportunity to be a role model to my campers. I was a counselor for a total of six girls and it was my responsibility to take them to their activities, have them to bed before midnight, and support them in their studies. I created a special bond with my campers and when they looked up to me, I found that I wanted to do this for a living. I wanted to inspire children to learn, I wanted to be a role model to all my future students, and I wanted my future students to enjoy learning and embrace their old and new knowledge as they grow in both body and mind. My campers went home after camp with new friendships and new knowledge because I encouraged them to grow. I also found that while they learned from me, I learned from them, and they became the reason I want to pursue a higher education for the opportunity to teach young children. Great leadership means to be willing to make hard choices in the form of self-sacrifice. A great leader needs to be willing to take responsibility for their actions and they also need to show respect to their fellow team members. Even though leadership is a power role, it does not mean that the leader should abuse that power. By abusing this leadership power, they lose the respect of their team and can experience back lash. Being a great leader also means getting to know the people you are working with. A leader needs to take the time to get to know each person’s personality, strengths, and find different ways to communicate well with one another. Being a leader is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to motivate other people. When I am in a leadership position, I do not think about the power that I have and what I can do with it, I think about the well being of the people I am working with and strive to find connections between each one of us. When I am a leader, not only do I motivate people, but I also find ways to inspire confidence in my team, encourage communication, and most importantly, I make sure that each team member knows that they are an important part of the team. No one should be left out and no one should feel as if they do not belong. Being a great leader means involving everyone and every idea to achieve greatness and success.

There are many people willing to open up their eyes, but not so many are willing to open up their ears. We have become immersed in a reality that involves around technology. We all have very limited to no time at all when it comes to listening to others. Our minds are focused on the next thing we have to complete we have to do rather than the listener. However, when we take the time to not only open our eyes but also our ears, we gain an amazing skill: active listening. To be honest, I am guilty of not being present in the moment and there are days that I tend to tune people out, but I have started to train myself to become an active listener to break this habit. When I actively listen to those around me, I make sure I make eye contact with the speaker, listen to any non-verbal clues, and I do not interrupt by waiting to speak when I know the speaker is done talking. By making eye contact with the speaker, the speaker knows that you are paying attention to what they are saying, and eye contact also helps you stay focused on the speaker instead of what’s going on around you. I watch facial expressions when the speaker is talking because facial expressions convey a message just as powerful as the words being said. I wait my turn to talk and wait a moment to make sure the speaker is finished before answering. Listening, to me, means being able to focus on the speaker, their message, and understanding what is being asked or conveyed. I also believe that active listening is a great skill to have in any career, most importantly mine. Being a teacher requires attention, patience, and listening skills.

I was recently given the opportunity to be a part of something amazing. I was given the opportunity to assist Girls Inc. with the sorting, packing, and delivery of donated items to their Girls Inc. building. Girls Inc. is an organization that partners with multiple schools to help girls focus on their overall development. Girls who are a part of this organization are given the opportunity to be themselves and are constantly supported through their growth both physically and mentally. This organization teaches girls how to be leaders, how to live a fulfilling life, and how to help their own community. When I volunteered to help Girls Inc. pack the items donated to them, I was not aware of the situation I was getting myself into. Walking into their warehouse and seeing piles of donations lining the shelves showed me just how many people wish to help and make a difference in others’ lives. The task was both physically and emotionally demanding. I lifted, carried, and loaded multiple boxes filled to the brim with toys and clothes for girls who needed them the most. Aside from the physical aspect, I was also overwhelmed with the emotional impact that this task had on me. Seeing all of these toys and clothes going to a good place for girls of all ages brought me a sense of joy and gratitude. When the task of packing and loading these items was complete, I then assisted with the delivery to the Girls Inc. building. I learned that the girls who are a part of Girls Inc. come from a variety of different backgrounds. They come from single parent households, from foster care, from crowded households, and so on. When I completed this community involvement task, I made a difference in the lives of girls.

There is not better feeling than slipping into a warm bath after a long tiring day or cuddling up with a blanket fresh out of the dryer. No better feeling than the pitter-patter of rain on the roof and the occasional thunder that breaks the silence and no better feeling than making someone smile. In this day and age, our schedules are busy, our stresses are doubled, and we rarely have time to relax and enjoy life. But there are times during the day, when our schedules clear up, that allow us to cherish our simple pleasures in life. After a long day, I find pleasure in a taking a warm bath with bubbles to the brim. I take this time to close my eyes and relax or read a book to escape the stressors of the day. When I get out of the bath, I feel like a knew person and as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders allowing me happiness. I find pleasure in cuddling up with a warm blanket straight out of the dryer and a good book. The smell of fresh laundry brings me a sense of comfort and clears my head of any negative thoughts. Listening to the rain hit the roof in a light drizzle or a heavy downpour is a pleasant feeling, especially when the occasional rumble of thunder makes its way into the mix. When I am feeling adventurous as well, I go outside to dance in the rain letting all my worries wash away. Lastly, I find pleasure in making someone else smile. Bringing a smile to a someone’s face after complimenting them, engaging in a small conversation, or making a joke, brings a smile to my own face, instantly uplifting my mood and making me happy.

When the world encountered an enemy like no other, the world crumpled with the force. This enemy materialized out of thin air, traveling from one place to the next, hurting people and disrupting the lives of many. We fought back with everything we had, but the enemy would not back down. As the enemy grew and grew, the threat became major, and the enemy continued to prosper. That enemy was COVID-19 and it attacked with no remorse. During the year 2020, COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic, hurting and killing millions of people. This was a time of great need and I decided to act. I traveled to the grocery store, bought many non-perishable foods, and donated them all to my local food pantry. By donating this food, I was able to help multiple families in this time of need. They were allowed to stay safe in their homes, away from COVID-19, and I also gave them hope. The hope that the world would one be better if everyone found the time to help one another. Giving to others is important to me because it strengthens my empathy, allows me to grow close with other people, and gives me the opportunity to make a difference in the world, even if that difference is a small one. By donating food to families who needed assistance during this brutal time, I helped make a big difference in my community and a small difference in the world.

Being passionate about something means finding joy in the things you love. I find joy when I am spending time with animals and children. I find peace and comfort when I spend time with my dog because she listens patiently when I need to talk and offers love when she can sense I need it. My relationship with my dog is uncomplicated, unlike other aspects of my life, making the time I spend with my dog a breath of fresh air. Dogs offer unconditional love to their owners and in return we give them love back, allowing us to grow closer to our pets but also closer to our passions. Aside from being passionate about being a pet owner, I am passionate about teaching young children. This passion came from the time I spend with my niece. As she talks about what she learns in school and the excitement she has when she is able to show me what she knows, makes my entire day better and my future career path worth it. I want to be a teacher that gets their students excited to learn something new and guide them onto their path of success. With my strong passion of wanting to teach and inspire children, the career path I have chosen was no mistake and I am excited to do great things.

College is the gate to success. As I stand in front of this gate, I await the time that will come for my hand to lay against the cool metal and with a slight push, the opportunities that I will have once I cross through it. When the time comes, I can step through this gate and achieve success. Academic goals vary from one person to the next, but they all lead up to possibly the same end result: success. When we set academic goals for ourselves, we aim to succeed in our academics and also our career. My academic goals will reach that end result of success. The very first academic goal I have is to maintain a 4.0 GPA in college. A 4.0 GPA will open up different opportunities in college. For example, honor societies, dean’s lists, and honors programs. The second academic goal for me is build my communication and interpersonal skills. Building these skills in college allows them to grow and be fully developed by the time I start my career. As a future kindergarten teacher, the ability to interact with both my students and other teachers is a major part of my career. Having these skills will help me accomplish and succeed in this part of my career, while allowing me to grow and learn in various other parts. Lastly, my third academic goal is to research internships that I can partake in before I graduate from college. By participating in internships, I am given the opportunity to obtain firsthand experience in my field. This will make the transition from student to teacher a little easier. My academic goals will lead to my success in college and also to my future career of teaching young children.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” – Audrey Hepburn I am the gardener of my life and the lives around me. I plant seeds of change in the rich soil of hope. I return day after day to water those seeds with love and cut away the shade of doubt and despair, so that they may see the sunlight again. I nourish and provide for these seeds of change and watch them grow into the great impacts that will change the world. Even though I am the gardener of these seeds, I may never see some of them grow, but I will know in my heart that I still helped plant those seeds and I started that change. In my future, I hope to continue to be the gardener of change. The impact that I will leave on the world comes through the opportunity to teach and learn. The children that encompass the next generation need teachers who will inspire them to believe in themselves, encourage them to always try, and to never be afraid of failure. I plan to be that teacher. By inspiring children to believe in themselves, they grow confidence and courage. By encouraging students to always try, it allows that student to mature and be successful in both their present and future. Lastly, by teaching students to never be afraid of failing, they learn that they have the chance to grow their problem-solving skills and to learn from their mistakes. This is the impact that I, the gardener of change, wish to leave on the world.

I tell myself, “Plan ahead and accordingly and everything may just work out,” and this saying changed my life. When I first received my own checking account, I was overwhelmed. I finally had a place to hold my money, but I did not know what to do afterwards. Thankfully, I learned how to invest my money. I planned to invest for retirement and wanted to have my savings grow. As I was learning about investments, I also learned what I should and should not do. One of the best investing tips that I took to heart was to plan for the amount of time it will take before I need the money that I am investing. I have always planned ahead, and I believe that this trait of mine has helped me in many situations. I find that when I have a plan and a back-up plan, I feel more prepared and less stressed. This investing tip is great for planning to invest in long-term goals. When I understand and can estimate the amount of time it will take until I use my savings, I am able to plan for what investments to choose and the risks that come with those investments. Learning this tip has changed the way I see investments and I have taken this tip to heart.

You know the saying, "having the internet at your fingertips," well what about "wearing the internet instead of carrying it." This is exactly what google glasses is trying to accomplish. With google glasses, the internet is right in front of your eyes. Imagine, instead of having to continually stare at a computer screen in front of you and stay sitting in a chair that gets uncomfortable after a while, you could wear google glasses and the internet and your work comes with you. You can get up, away from your computer and walk around. Google glasses does already exist but there are plans to improve these glasses and start selling them for a much cheaper price. Google is now focusing on a way to make these glasses more efficient, affordable, and find ways to incorporate more capabilities into them. Just imagine what these glasses could do for the world. Aside from these glasses allowing people to walk around while never really leaving their workspace, google glasses can assist doctors, students, politicians, and many more. Most of us are faced with a busy schedule and it can be hard to find time to do what we would like to accomplish in one day. Google glasses allows you to complete your work and be present in meeting, while leaving your hands free. I personally am excited to see what google does to take these glasses to the next level. If google is able to accomplish this feat, then I believe other technology companies will not be far behind. If technology can take on the form of eyeglasses, I wonder what other forms technology can take. I also want to see how these glasses could assist people who have trouble seeing. The glasses could read aloud text messages and the consumer can respond back without ever having to use their hands and read the messages. Finding an opportunity to help someone who has trouble doing certain things makes me happy, so this is another reason I am excited for this technology. I am excited for not only google glasses to be affordable someday, but to also see how the technology part of this world will grow. I firmly believe that any the possibilities are endless.

I learned an important lesson in life. I became a dual-enrollment student my junior year of high school. At first, I was overwhelmed with the stress of keeping track of all my assignments, when I had to get certain tasks done, and still making time for family. There was only one solution that I could think of that would solve each of these problems: organization. I organized my schedule, assignments, and wrote out to-do lists for each day. Being a dual-enrollment student has given me a head start on managing my time wisely because this skill is going to come in handy when I become a full-time college student in the fall of 2022. The way I organize consists of folders, spreadsheets, and lists. I have one folder for each high school and college class, a folder for all my to-do lists with the most current one on top, and a folder for any miscellaneous that does not have a specific folder but is still important. I have spreadsheets on my computer to keep track of each scholarship I apply for. Lastly, my to-do lists keep me on track through the day. With these organization skills, I have a better way to manage my time, assignments, and tasks. There are so many places in the world where clean water is scarce. Without this necessary need, the people who live in these places are having to travel miles for clean water or instead they drink dirty water. I was inspired by a video that I saw relating to this problem. The organization Charity: water was my inspiration and explained what places with scarce clean water go through. If I had the money and resources to solve a problem, I would solve this issue. I believe that everyone in this world deserves clean water. With the money and resources to solve this problem, I could travel to these places and help build wells for clean water. This would provide the locals with clean water, save them from diseases and sickness, and they would not have to walk miles to get water. The detailed plan for this solution would start by first gathering volunteers to help with this problem. The more volunteers, the more ideas that are generated. This leads to the next step: brainstorming. Each volunteer could brainstorm or think of different ideas on ways we could help places in poverty. The third step would be to create a plan. How much money must be spent? What is it being spent on? Where are we going? What are we doing to help? And how can we take this project to the next level? The last step would be to act. Once the plan is created and the volunteers are gathered, we can take action and start helping countries in poverty obtain clean water. Overall, I created a way to organize my time and resources to solve the problems that I face. I have also taught my two little sisters a few of my organization methods. And with the right resources, money, and a good plan, we could help those in need of clean water and get one step closer to saving lives from poverty.

“With great power comes great responsibility” – Stan Lee (Spiderman) This quote encompasses the real world. But instead of power, it is money. In a way, with great money comes great responsibility. One Christmas morning when I was a child, my mom gave me a Dave Ramsey budgeting kit. She believed that her children should be taught to both budget and save money. Ever since I got that kit, I learned how to separate the money I earned into three different envelopes: save, give, and spend. I was taught how to budget my money and to not spend the money that I did not have. As a teenager, I earn commission for chores that are not done as a family. For example, washing the car or cleaning the whole house. When I earn commission, I separate the money into those two categories: save and spend. So far, I have an envelope for saving, giving, and spending. And each time I earn money I am grateful that I learned how to budget. The one personal finance lesson that I believe has the most importance in my life is budgeting. When I create a budget, I create a plan for the future. Having a budget ensures that I do not spend any money that I do not have. With the knowledge of how to budget, I have grow up with good spending habits and I try to always be prepared for emergencies. Overall, one personal finance lesson that I find important is budgeting.

She watched as her baby girl grew out of her cocoon and turned into the butterfly that she knew she would become someday. She looked through the eyes of her daughter as she took in the world for the first time. She paved the way for her child so that she could grow beautifully and become the successful woman she is meant to be. My mom built a life for me when no one else could. On her own she worried day and night, afraid that she might fail. She did not fail because I am right where I want to be. I am the butterfly that came out of my cocoon, and I have grown to be successful. I am proud to be the daughter of an amazing woman. At the young age of five, I was burdened with anger and guilt. Why did my dad leave? Was I not good enough for him? Did he want something better than what he already had? I waited every day after he left, holding on to that one sliver of hope that one day he would come back. That one day he would realize he made a mistake and would drive back home and envelop me in his arms. But that day never came. My mom, left on her own, raised my two little sisters and me. The weight of responsibility pressed hard on her shoulders as if she were Atlas holding the world. Life is going to always find a way to make you fall, but it is up to you to get back up, and that is what my mom did. She may have been a single mom raising three daughters, but she kept moving forward and left the past behind her. She taught me that in order to succeed in life you need to keep moving forward and leave the past where it already is, in the past. So, that is what I did. I became a dual-enrollment student in the eleventh grade. I am a straight A student and I volunteer in my community to help others in need. Growing up in a single parent household has inspired me to aim for high grades and to keep moving forward on my educational journey. My mom gave my sisters and I everything, and in return, I thank her every day and I give to my community. I have donated food to the local food pantry in my community for the families in need during COVID-19. I volunteered five hours to assist in sorting, packing, and delivering donated items for Girls Inc. that will positively impact the growth and development of girls. I have given my community a breath of fresh air. I get closer to my future with each new day and each new step that I take. I plan to volunteer again at Girls Inc. in the future because I want to play an important part of the development of young girls. I want to help them embrace their inner butterfly and help them come out of their cocoons because I believe that everyone is meant to fly.

I was always a curious child. I found adventure in every little thing and always had a story to tell. Even now as a teenager, I always find the adventure in an experience. Growing up, I loved the animated show "The Backyardigans" because the characters would find all their adventures in their backyard. There was no limit to their imaginations. So, as a child I found my adventures in my back yard as well. My swing set became a pirate ship and my siblings were my fellow pirates. Each adventure I created is still a vivid memory even to this day. As I grew up, I never lost my imagination. I find the creative spark in every little thing that I do. The entire "Backyardigan" series taught me to find the adventure and creativity in every aspect of life.

I have always been a caretaker for my family in more ways than one. As a child, I helped watch over my two little sisters when my parents got divorced. I took care of my grandmother when she came to live with my family and me. I also took care of my mother by giving her the time she needed to finish her school. And through all of this, I have been able to find myself and my personality. I am a caring, gentle, and compassionate person who has a lot of empathy for others. This part of my personality will help with my future career of being a kindergarten teacher. I manage my time wisely and have taught myself to be more patient, even if it is hard at times. This helps with being a college student and helps me stay on top assignments and schedules. Overall, the responsibility that comes with taking care of people other than myself has taught me who I am and who I can become. I have been a dual-enrollment student since 2020. Being a dual-enrollment student has helped my family financially because the tuition is cut in half. With paying only half the tuition, my family is not burdened with financial debt. Once I graduate from high school soon, I become a full-time college student and the tuition jumps back up to its original price. I can take certain steps to avoid college debt. The first way to avoid college debt is by saving. I have started saving for college since I was in the sixth grade and have quite a bit of money in my savings but not enough to put me through college. So, I need to keep adding to my savings. The second way to avoid college debt is by applying for aid and as many scholarships as I can. If I am eligible for aid or I win scholarships, I have more money I can add towards my tuition and savings. The third way to keep away from college debt is by doing college online. This can reduce the cost of gas and housing. The fourth way to avoid college debt is by attending a college that is local. In state colleges have a lower tuition cost for those living in their states. Also, private colleges will cost more than a public college, so I plan on attending a public college. Overall, there are several steps that can be taken when trying to plan for what college to attend and how to save money. The more money I save, the less likely I am to have college debt. As a future full-time college student I plan to follow these steps and make sure I graduate from college debt free.

The world was created by the most influential individuals in history. They impacted the world in good ways and bad ways but have given us all the push we need. The push to make a mark on the world and to put ourselves out there. When we do not take risks in life, we miss out on the opportunities that could have been life changing. The influential figures in the world have helped shaped the world into what it is today. If I was a highly influential figure, I would stand for equal rights for women. Throughout history, women have been seen as a product of beauty. We are meant to be seen, not heard. Our voices have been silenced and opinions lost with the oppression of women’s freedom. In a world grown from this history, men are still seen as superior. Female oppression is corset worn since the dawn of time, one seemingly impossible to unlace. It takes a lot of effort for women to even begin to climb up the ladder to the male pedestal. We have to claw our way to the top, covered in our sweat and tears of a treacherous climb, only to be knocked down by the pay gap and glass ceilings and poorly worded labels. We face more obstacles on our climb up and we grab at crumbling foundation looking for a good grip. I would stand for women to have the same rights as men because we are normally second best. Gender equality is still an issue even in today’s society, so standing up for equal gender opportunities can make a great impact on the world.

What do I want most from life? I want to be my own person. I want to start being true myself rather than trying to be like everyone else. In a way, I have already started being true to myself and I learned to stop trying to please other people all the time. I have a hard time saying no and I always make it my mission to help someone who needs assistance. But at the same time, I lose focus of the things that are important to me, and I live in a world where I come second. It is good to put yourself first every once in a while, but it is not good to always be at everyone’s beck and call. Now that I say no and have learned when it is the right time to put myself first, I have started to stay true to myself. I have given myself the time I need to figure out who I am and what I want from life. I want to graduate from college with my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and I want to be a kindergarten teacher who shows kids the joy of learning new things. And the only way to make this a reality is by making sure I put myself first when I need to. When I stop trying to please everyone, I also stop looking for approval for every little thing I do and once you learn to go your own way and be your own person, life gets a whole lot better. I stay true to myself on a daily basis by not looking for constant approval on things and by starting to make time for myself

The day my grandma died, I found peace and comfort in reading. My entire life I have enjoyed traveling through the pages of a good book. The adventures that live inside the words on the pages provides me with an escape from my own reality. Reading was a mere hobby of mine as a child and a teenager but after my grandma passed, I found that books took away the pain. I was able to focus on the characters problems rather than my own. Eventually reading became an important part of my life because it made me feel safe and secure. The lessons that I learn from the books I read have allowed me to reflect on various aspects of my life. I learned that I need to leave the past behind so that I can focus on the present and the future. Books have also taught me that the challenges we face in life can give us the opportunity to grow stronger both mentally and physically. My grandma’s death was painful and caused a lot of stress in my life, but I have taught myself to keep moving forward and view my challenges as a chance to grow stronger. Books may have given me a sense of peace in life, but they have also been a great way to expand my mind. As a child, I was encouraged to think outside the box. For example, if a problem cannot be solved one way, there is always another way to solve it. Sometimes the solution to a problem can come in a very creative form. The characters in my books showed me what it looks like to think outside the box, even if the story is not real. I can learn a lot from the characters that venture beneath the words on the page. Reading has become my number one favorite hobby because it allows me to find peace in life, to learn lessons, to encourage creative thinking, and has brought me closer to my grandmother in more ways than one.

I consider myself like a tree. Even though my roots struggle to find a firm foundation, I still have the ability to grow. There are many things that I love about myself, but I feel that there is only one that I love the most, my ability to love and forgive others. I am always finding ways to show my love for others. I show love through hugs, through encouraging words, and by being someone’s friend. I had a rough start to my childhood. When I was five, my family and I moved to a new state. My dad and mom got divorced a few months after we moved. I was not only coping with the aftermath of moving to a new place, but I was also coping with having a single parent. My dad would make promises after the divorce that he never kept. He hardly visited me and only called me on occasion. This experience for a child can cause lack of trust and for me it did. As I child, I had a hard time learning to love others because I felt that if I showed love then I was putting my trust in them as well. And I knew that trust could easily be broken, and I did not want to feel the pain and grief that I felt as a child all over again. Eventually I knew that I was going to have to move on from the past and create a better future for myself and leave my past behind. My dad may have chosen a different path than the one I wanted but as I got older, I learned to forgive him, and I taught myself to love and forgive everyone. My love and forgiveness has created a firm foundation for my roots.

When I think of creativity, I think of life. The way I see life, the way I experience life, and the way I embrace life. Creativity is my way of showing the world that I am unique. It is my way of showing others that I am proud to be different than everyone else. I show my creativity the most through my poetry. I started writing poetry as a way to express my opinion, myself, and my feelings. For a few years I lived through life with pent-up emotions and was afraid to talk about what I was feeling. I used to always become stressed and angry with myself because I could never form the words to describe the emotions bottled inside. Until one day, I just wrote everything out on paper. I found that writing was my form of therapy. It was my way of talking about my emotions. Poetry took over the stress in my life and formed it into creativity. I recently lost my grandmother in 2021, and every emotion that I felt from her passing, I bottled it up. I was too afraid to acknowledge what I was feeling because it would make everything around me seem so much more real. I spent days living in denial and my soul was a storm of pain, fury, and grief. A few days before my grandmother’s funeral, I sat down with a pencil and paper, and let everything out. My emotions turned into words which turned into sentences which turned into a poem. A poem of the love for my grandmother. All of those emotions that turned into words became the poem that I read at her funeral. My love of poetry was birthed from the experiences I have had in life. It was born from the way I see life and it was born from the way I embrace it. I found my creative outlet in poetry and aside from using poetry as a way for me to move past my experiences I also use it to make others laugh and smile. In my opinion, poetry is the rawest form of writing because it goes deep into the soul and heart of the writer. It has become to window to my soul. Poetry became my release for my pent-up emotions and my stress. A poem that I wrote to bring smiles to my family and friends faces has been attached.

In a way, I am a pillar of strength. My hard exterior can sometimes be intimidating to others, but on the inside, I am caring and a social butterfly. I have been knocked down by life’s many challenges, but I have also found the strength to rebuild myself every time. As a pillar, I am able to support myself and those around me. I am their shoulder to cry on and their listener when they need to talk. I support my family the most by shouldering half of the weight my single mom carries by helping her with my siblings.

She died. I waited, as she was in the hospital, probably wrapped up in scratchy blankets and hooked up to machines that beeped in the middle of the night. I waited for the call that would let my family know she was ready to come home. I waited to hear her voice tell me goodnight and see her beautiful smile again. I waited and waited. Eventually we did get the call. But not the one we wanted. My grandma passed away on December 1, 2021, due to congestive heart failure. And she was everything to me. She was my second mother, the light on the darkest day, and the laughter I always needed when I felt lost and sad. She always had a smile ready for me, but when she died, so did my smile and I rarely smiled again. This experience taught me that I need to cherish every single aspect of life. Both the good and the bad. I wake up every morning feeling the hollowness in my heart, where my grandma once held a piece of it. But I still take a moment to think about my happiest memory with her and I silently say a thank you. This routine brought back the one thing that I shared with my grandma: my smile. I watch the memories I have with her play before my eyes, like I was sitting in life’s movie theater. And I smile again and again. I learned that when I cherish every moment with the people I love, I feel full again. I use this lesson to push through life’s ups and downs. My heart may be scarred, but it’s full again, thanks to the memories I cherish.

My grandma was a big part of my life as a child. She played the role of a mother figure in me and my sister’s lives. When she passed away in December of 2021, I was left with a gaping hole in my chest. When she died, a piece of myself died with her. Every day since, I have been immensely grateful for the time I did get to spend with her. I cherish the memories I have with her and the experiences we shared. But not every senior citizen is able to say the same. There is a great amount of older people who are not visited by their children or families on a daily basis, let alone on holidays. So, I helped in any way I could. Due to Covid-19 there are restrictions on visitations to senior homes and centers. Due to these restrictions, I am not able to physically spend time with the elderly, so I did the next best thing: I created Valentine’s Day cards for senior citizens who should know they are loved. My cards were hand made and delivered to a local senior center near my school. I also asked my best friend to participate in this task so that we could both be giving the elderly the love they deserve. When I bring smiles to the faces of people, it makes me feel like I am making a difference in the world, even if it is just in my community. I brought smiles to the faces of senior citizens, and I knew right then that I was making a difference and making these people’s lives a little better. My grandma’s passing taught me that I need to cherish the little things in life and bring happiness to those around me.

We all have that one goal that we wish to achieve. That one goal that has remained at the top of our goal list. For me, that one goal is to graduate from college with my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I have not quite reached this goal yet, but I have achieved smaller goals that have put me one step closer. The smaller goals, or the stepping stones, to achieve my overall goal have been challenging. They include getting good grades, graduating from high school, and learning things about me in the process. I want to graduate from high school this year as a straight “A” student and on the honor roll. So far, I have maintained a high GPA and have stayed on the honor roll. I consider these two goals almost complete. Next, I have learned many things about who I am through this entire process. For example, I am not a fan of being in the spotlight, so I do not enjoy presenting in front of people. But I have learned different ways to help me overcome my stage fright and make presenting an easier task. This goal can be considered complete. For my overall goal of graduating from college with my bachelor’s in education, I am one step closer. I have accomplished all my stepping stones and feel that I am prepared to make a difference. I know that I am now ready to achieve success.

To me, the meaning of life is the time we spend with the ones we love. I achieve this by eating dinner with my family, going places together, and going on walks. Dinner is the only mealtime that my entire family is together. It is hard spending time with one another when everyone’s schedules are vastly different. So, I make the most of dinner time and always start the conversation. Whenever we go places, I always try to make it memorable. Even it is just a car ride to the store, I make it my goal to get everyone to laugh and talk with one another. Sometimes just being with my family means I am spending time with the ones I love. We do not always have to talk or interact because sometimes we all sit on the couch and read. Lastly, I try to incorporate a workout into spending time with my family. Going on walks together gives us time to bond and get fresh air. So, whether it is having dinner, going places, or going on a walk, I make sure I spend a great amount of time with my family.

Being selfless is our way of not feeding our egos. It is our way of crushing our need for pride or our need to be recognized. I like to think I do not have an ego, but I do. I always want to be noticed by others and always in a good way. But being selfless has taught me that my ego is a parasite, feeding off my insecurities and making me crave attention. I am committed to being selfless by acting from my heart and not my ego. When I do something for someone, I am doing it from the heart. Being selfless can be rewarding at times as well. It helps us connect with others on a personal level and really get to know them. Being selfless increases my confidence and helps me ignore my negative thoughts and emotions. Most importantly, I only focus on what I am giving and offering others, rather than what I am receiving in return. I help others by complimenting them. It may not be a big act of selflessness, but it puts a smile on others faces. I also offer my peers help whenever they may need it. Whether it is help on an assignment or just someone to talk to. I let others know that I am there for them. I also donated food to my local food pantry during this pandemic because there are people out there who need things more than I do. If I can help change someone’s life, I am going to do it. Overall, I am committed to being selfless not selfish, and I help others by making their day or lives better.

When I lost my grandmother, I started to notice the little things in my life that I never really saw before. One of those little things, was the connection I have with my two little sisters. Even if we do not normally get along, I am still grateful every day that I have them in my life. Another little thing in my life, is the patience my mom has with me. When I stress things, I stress my mom and even when I am a handful at times, she remains patient. She is always by my side no matter what. The third little thing in my life, is the time I did get to spend with my grandmother. I never fully appreciated the time I got to spend with her and never thought that she would be gone one day. But when she passed away, I took a moment to fully appreciate the time I spent with her and the memories I have. The memories that will always stay with me. I live with gratitude by thinking about all the things I am grateful for at the end of the day. As I am lying in bed, I close my eyes and silently say thanks. I say thanks for the roof over my head, for a loving family, and for the moments in my life that I will cherish forever. I live with gratitude by recognizing and giving thanks for everything I have in my life.

Connecting with students is every future educator’s dream. The opportunity to show their students that learning is more than an obligation; it is about moving forward with new knowledge. In the future, I would love to be an elementary school teacher. To be a part of the lives of the next generation and help children develop so they can be the best version of themselves. In elementary school, I fell behind. In third grade, I found that math was harder for me than it was for my peers. What I was taught, never clicked, and I was lost. My mom was concerned about my math skills because I had a hard time keeping up with every one else. And my teacher never made the time to assist me. To this day, as a high school senior, I still have trouble with my math. I want to be a teacher that helps my students, especially the ones who fall behind. My dreams for my future career include showing my students the joy of learning something new and that learning does not have to be boring. My dreams also include helping my students move on to the next level of learning and not leaving any of them behind. My experience as a child showed me what I mostly want to accomplish as a teacher. My overall dream for my future career is the reward of seeing what my students achieve and their success in reaching their goals.

A lot of the time, I am afraid of speaking my mind. I am afraid that if I do, others will judge me. I shy away from having to speak in front of people and do not state my opinions in front of others. Eventually I learned that when I deny myself the ability to speak my opinion, I deny myself the ability to be myself. Everyone has their own opinion of things, and their opinion is going to be agreed or disagreed on. I learned that everyone’s opinion counts and sometimes speaking my mind is a good thing. By speaking my mind, I am showing others like me that they should not be shy about their own thoughts and opinions. I stay committed to speaking my mind by starting small. I input my opinions into conversations once or twice and gradually increase that number as I get more comfortable. I started to notice that people agreed with what I had to say and never shut my opinions down. Also, when I have a hard time speaking my mind, I write my thoughts into poetry. I found that poetry is my way of telling the world how I feel. Whether that poetry be free verse or rhyming, I am able to put my opinions down on paper and out into the world. I stay committed to speaking my mind by starting small with my opinions and writing poetry.

One of my favorite hobbies is writing poetry about my thoughts and opinions. I feel that when I write poetry, it is a way for me to put my opinion out into the world. Most of my poems revolve around the topic equality and diversity. I like to write about each and every one of us being equal. That we, as human beings, are not different from each other just because of how we look. We are all the same no matter our skin color, beliefs, or religions. Even though we are the same, our differences are what make us unique. And we should not be treated differently just because we do not look the same as others. Once I write a poem that reflects my thoughts on our changing world and about the equality we should see, I share them with my family and friends. Whether they agree or disagree with my opinions is up to them, but I write these poems to show others what exactly equality means. So, writing poetry is my own, unique way of supporting equality and diversity.

I have two little sisters that mean the world to me and every day, I make it my goal to encourage them. One of my sisters just became a dual-enrollment student like me and she stresses her assignments. I encourage her by reading over her assignments and giving her feedback. My second little sister has just become a teenager and things can be pretty tense between us sometimes. But I let her know that I am there for her whenever she needs me, and I do not try to force my help on her when she does not want it. I also try to create a de-stress space for my sisters and I. Every Wednesday and Friday, after we finish our school, we try to sit in the living room and talk about what stresses us and how to deal with it. This de-stress space connects us more and shows us that we share the same stressors. Overall, I encourage my sisters by helping them succeed. Whether that is with checking over their work, helping them learn, or talking with each other and helping one another de-stress.

When I was in school, I had no clue what a bucket list was. All of my friends talked about the various things they were accomplishing and crossing off their bucket list. I felt left out, until one day in 10th grade when I created a bucket list of my own. My bucket list was not extravagant like my friends and did not consist of things such as "cliff diving," but it did include the things I want to accomplish in order to succeed in my life. For example, my first task was graduate from college. This is not something I can cross off my bucket list yet, but eventually I hope I can. Another task was experiencing some type of teaching. My degree for college is Early Childhood Education because I want to teach young children in the future. I volunteered to be a sixth-grade camp counselor in 10th grade. I spent three days and two nights with my own group of campers. I got to teach them different ways to accomplish things and how to learn with an open mind. So, I was able to cross “some type of teaching” off my bucket list. A third task on my bucket list that I accomplished was “be a straight a student most of high school.” I crossed this task off my bucket list around the beginning of 12th grade. I maintained a GPA higher than 3.5 and finished most of my classes with A’s. Overall, my bucket list consisted of tasks that helped me be the best version of myself. And even though I may not go cliff diving, I do know that I can be successful in my future.

The saying, “You learn something new every day,” encompasses my life. The creativity in my life is built from this one saying. I strive to learn and try something new every day. For example, I change up my normal routine. Instead of waking up and starting school right then, I wake up early and head outside. Being outside fuels my creativity because nature changes every second of every day. The leaves on the trees could be on the ground or a different color and those changes help me be creative. Change always leads to something new. I take a paper and a pencil and just let my thoughts flow onto the page. And I create this piece of work that could only be made with creativity and imagination. My imagination is the seed that my creativity grows from. So, my life is filled with constant creativity that shapes the new things I try in life. I encompass creativity by trying something new, whether it is going outside in the morning or trying to learn to snow board. And being creative does not always mean I have to try something new. Being creative means seeing the world in a different ways and showing me what I love in life.

What is bravery? Bravery is defined as someone’s ability to confront their fears. To me, bravery is my ability to stand up and face everything. This includes my fears, my stress, my pain, and my struggles. Bravery is not something we are born with. It is a skill that is learned and strengthened as we grow. With each new experience, comes newfound strength. That strength is what gives me bravery. I practice bravery by identifying what scares me. For example, I have stage fright and I have a difficult time talking to a big group. After I have identified what makes me scared, I complete tasks that will help me overcome my fear of stage fright. For example, practicing a presentation in front of an imaginary crowd or presenting in front of my sisters. Once I overcome my fear, I can live boldly. Living boldly is accomplished through pushing past my fears and focusing on living life with purpose and love. I have not overcome my fear of stage fright, but I have gradually made myself braver by speaking in small groups. Every time I accomplish this feat over and over again, I start to live my life more boldly and I find my purpose. So, the meaning of bravery is different for everyone. And living boldly means to live without my fears, and I am doing just that.

I will not be the first, but I will be the second. I will be the second-generation college student in my family. Growing up as the child of a single mom, I have seen what it is like to struggle. My mom got a promotion for her job when I was ten, which resulted in my family moving to Germany. My mom had a hard time raising three children on her own and especially in a foreign country. Not only did she take care of my sisters and I, but she also worked full time and attended college. My future goal is to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education without taking any gap years. I have seen firsthand the struggles and obstacles that come with taking gap years and waiting to finish college late in life. My childhood experience of watching my mom struggle has influenced my goal of graduating from college. Since I grew up in a different country, I experienced firsthand the joy of traveling. Another future goal of mine is to travel the world and learn about different cultures. In Germany, I visited Paris, Berlin, Budapest, Belgium, and many more places. The cultures and traditions for each of these places expanded my knowledge of the world. So, having the experience to travel as a child created my future goal of traveling the world. Overall, my childhood has inspired my future goals.

Like a car, our bodies need fuel. Not the food kind of fuel, but the motivational fuel. Cars require fuel in order to run and our bodies need a motivational type of fuel that helps keep us moving. Graduating from college is my number one goal. It is an accomplishment that I want to achieve. I consider this goal the motivation that fuels my life. In order for me to be successful and be the best version of myself, I believe that attending college can help me. College can help me secure a good job position and bring me one step closer to fulfilling my dream of being a kindergarten teacher. Once I graduate from college, I have completed my goal and am ready to make a new one. Another way I fuel my life is by being around my loved ones. My mom is a big motivation in my life and she helps me strive to be my best. Without her help and her motivation, I would not be where I am today. So, both my mom and going to college are the fuel in my life. They are both helping me to continue along the road to success.

As a child, I was never listened too. When you’re a child, not everyone is willing to give you their attention because you’re not seen as an adult. I grew up with only one parental figure who worked full time and took care of my two little sisters. There was never time for me to voice my opinion about things. As I got older, I learned that people listened to me when I became a teenager. As if my opinions some how mattered more now than they did as a child. I like to think that I use empathy all the time. For example, in class, at home, and with friends. Empathy has helped me understand others' problems as if they were my own. It has helped me give advice or just lend an ear to those who needed someone to listen. I also use empathy when people need someone to listen. Whether those people were like me as a child and were never listened to or they just need to talk. I especially use empathy when I spend time with children. Children have a lot to say, it is their way of learning. I empathize with those children and show them that their opinions matter, even if they are not adults yet. I also use empathy to help my friends and peers with their problems. If someone is having a bad day, I feel as if I am having a bad day as well. Their emotions become my emotions. And that fully encompasses what empathy is. Empathy is when I am able to share emotions with someone and understand what they are feeling. So, I use empathy to connect with others and show them that their voices are heard.

The best way I take care of my mental health is by first reducing my stress. I have researched many ways to relax and reduce my stress but have yet to find one that fully works. A few ways I relax in general is with a good book and a warm blanket. I find that reading books is an escape from my stressors and the problems I face in my life. The story within the pages becomes a reality that I can get lost in. Another way I relax is by laying down and just closing my eyes. When I do this, I am able to focus on my thoughts and not on the various things going on around me. For example, it can be quite hard to focus on my thoughts and my studies at the same time. Overall, I feel relaxed when I am in a quiet place. Whether I am reading or lying down in the quiet place does not matter. Just the safety and comfort that comes with knowing I am in control and have no distractions around me, makes me relax. So, I take care of my mental health by relaxing with a good book, by laying down and thinking, or being in a quiet place.

I find the most joy in life when I am reading. I love finding the perfect book that keeps me on the edge of my seat or elicits an emotional response. Many good books have kept me up at night crying or laughing. I find reading books as an escape from my stressors and the problems I face in my life. The story within the pages becomes a reality that I can get lost in. Another hobby of mine is writing poetry. Instead of releasing my emotions in a physical or verbal way, I turn to pen and paper. My emotions created my hobby of poetry. My poetry is special to me because it encompasses my deepest fears and what I am afraid to feel in public. The poems I write are the rawest pieces of my life. A third hobby of mine that is special to me is traveling. I was first introduced to the wonders of traveling as a child. My mom’s job resulted in my family and I traveling to Europe. Once we arrived, we traveled to Italy, Berlin, Paris, Budapest, and many more places. I got to see the beauty in the architecture and learn about the different cultures and traditions of each place. Traveling became my hobby because it was a way for my family to stay connected with one another. We got to experience each of these different places together, which makes traveling special to me. I wish to travel to many more places in the future to learn about their cultures and meet the locals. For example, I want to travel to Greece, Rome, Iceland, Africa, and India. So, each of my hobbies was born from an experience or a way of escaping my emotions and stress.

As a child of three and being raised by a single mom, there is not much time in the day in which we spend time together. We all have various different things to do each day that make creating time together difficult. When we do make time for each other it is limited but we make the most of it. I like to try to make one-on-one time with my two little sisters when we all have free time. Whether it is playing a game, singing songs, or sitting on the couch and reading, each moment is special. This is how I make my family feel loved. By taking advantage of that small empty time space and creating memories that will last forever. Due to Covid-19, I have not had a lot of time to spend with my best friend. When I am able to spend time with my best friend, we always end up having the best memories. Recently, my best friend took the time to teach me to snowboard. After multiple falls and many laughs, I eventually learned how to successfully snowboard. I make my best friend feel loved by allowing her to spend time with me and teach me things she is good at because that is what she loves to do. She told me she feels loved when she is needed. So, I make the people who are important to me in my life feel loved by cherishing the moments I get with them and by creating memories we will always have.

To me, joy means more than a feeling. Joy means finding something that is truly worth keeping. For example, I find joy in reading. A lot of the books I read do not necessarily encompass the feeling of joy but simply the act of curling up with a good book brings me joy. My entire room is filled with stacks of books, that have kept me company through life. The joy I find in reading leads to the joy I find in traveling. The adventures I embark on in the stories I read are just simply paper and ink. Those adventures became a reality when my family and I were given the opportunity to travel to Europe. I got to visit Belgium, Paris, Berlin, Budapest, and many more places. After traveling for some time, the adventures in my books became more real because I found joy in traveling. The two things that gave me joy, traveling and reading, both became combined. So, joy is not an emotion to me, it’s the act of seeking something that makes life seem so much more complete.

A month ago, I lost my grandmother. She meant everything to me and was always by my side since I was a little girl. On the first of December, my mom got a call from the hospital saying my grandmother’s heart stopped. At that moment, it felt like my own heart stopped. A second call came only minutes after the first and it was declared that my grandmother did not make it. I tried to be strong for my mom the entire way to the hospital but that resulted in the situation feeling so much worse. Going to the funeral and seeing everyone crying, finally broke the dam. The tears would not stop for days, and I had a hard time moving on. Eventually, I stopped feeling hurt and I thought something was wrong. I thought that you carried the pain and sorrow with you all the time, but I was wrong. When I stopped hurting, I found that I stopped looking at the pain in the situation. I started to focus on the good times I had with my grandmother. The small moments that meant the most to me. The stories she would tell me about growing up and the trouble I would get into as a child. Recalling those memories, caused the dam the break once more but I was not in pain. I was crying tears of happiness. My grandmother was once again with my grandfather, dancing to their song. I persevered through my grandma’s passing by reliving the memories that made me happy not sad and by cherishing the time I did get to spend with her and the knowledge that she was happy. This difficult situation brought on a lot of pain, but in the end, the pain brought me peace.

One of my best skills is teamwork. Teamwork for me means more than working in a team. It means collaborating with each member of the team and making sure their opinions and ideas are heard. Active listening can be a minor skill set that develops from the skill teamwork as well. I am always willing to listen to others when they want to voice their opinions. When I work in a team, I always make it a priority that all ideas created by everyone are incorporated into the work we are doing. I also like to make sure that no one is left behind or not listened to. When working in a team, there is bound to be conflict regarding various different things. For example, opinions and decisions that not everyone agrees with. Using teamwork, I try to make it my first priority that everyone respects each person’s opinion and is not quick to dismiss them. I also improve my skill of teamwork by adding something new to each project. This can be rules, collaborative activities, or building trust with one another. Each new task that I add to the team’s work improves my teamwork skillset.

Sometimes someone just needs to talk and most of the time no one is willing to listen. I help others by lending my ears to them. For example, there are various students in my school who are burdened by their problems. I offer to sit there and listen to them talk. I also help them come up with solutions or give them hugs if that is all that they need. That is how I help others, by listening. It is not much but it offers others solace to know that they do not have to keep all their problems and worries bottled up inside. It allows others to know that they can come to me if they need advice or help, and it shows them that the weight they carry on their shoulders can be lifted. Most of the time it is hard for teenagers to talk to adults or their parents about what worries them and sometimes they just need a fellow student, who will not judge them, to listen. I try to be that fellow student, even if I do not know the student very well, because life can be stressful and all of us need someone to talk to. My ability to empathize with others helps me connect with individuals and their problems as if they were my own. When I am not lending an ear to someone, I compliment ten people a day, to make them smile. Watching faces shift from worry to happiness with a smile, makes my entire day and makes helping others worth it. My favorite way to help others is by offering my peers the chance to talk about their troubles and by giving various students compliments to make them smile.

I always make it a goal to learn something new every day. Learning something new is what motivates me on a daily basis. When I wake up in the morning, I grab a piece of paper and write out my to-do list for the day. While I complete each task, I make sure I learn something new from what I am working on. For example, when I work on scholarships, I learn something new about myself. When I write scholarships and have to talk about myself, I am able to connect to my emotions and learn something about myself that I never knew before. So, learning something new, whether its about myself or relates to my schoolwork, motivates me to get things done each day. At the end of the day, when my family sits down to dinner together, we start our discussions by asking each person at the table what they learned that day. Since my goal is to always learn something new every day, I already have an answer. When I talk about what I learned at dinner, it starts a new discussion on that topic which connects me to my family even more. So, my motivator for each day helps me learn something about myself, about my studies, and connects me to family.

I value everything about me, but I mostly value my ability to make others happy. I rely a lot on my ability to empathize with others. For example, if someone is sad then I feel their sadness. Since I rely on empathy, I can tell when someone is not having a good day. I always make it my goal to bring a smile to their face. I can not say that I understand fully what people go through because I may have not experienced it myself, but I know enough about how to make someone’s day a little better. When I started high school, I made a goal every day. From the start of the day to the end, I tried to compliment ten different people on various aspects of themselves. For example, their smile, their style, or their personality. Watching their sullen faces light up made my entire day. I have found my ability to empathize with others was born from a few aspects of my life that were not so bright. My parents became divorced when I was five and I had to help my single mom raise my two little sisters. I lost my grandmother recently and my grandfather before that. Each of these experiences, broke me more and more. So, if my day can get better by seeing someone else smile, then maybe that person’s day can get better by being complimented. I learned a lot about myself through my ability to empathize and it has taught me that life is not going to always be the best, but it can be if I choose to be happy. This makes my ability to empathize with others the most valuable part of myself.

The one thing I am passionate about in life is teaching young children. Along the path of life, I have faced many obstacles and uncertain decisions. One of those uncertain decisions was my career choice. When everyone in my life was certain about what they wanted to do in their futures, I was lost. My passion to teach young children was birthed from my experiences with children. In school, I was told that my life is a book, so make it worth reading. Each page of my life should be filled with experiences, lessons, and decisions that will create the plot of my story. My decision to become an elementary teacher created the structure of my plot and everything I decide to do in between becomes the supporting details. What once was a book filled with blank pages, became a book filled with life. I want my legacy to be born from my passion of teaching children. I would like to inspire children to learn and find the joy in experiencing new things. If I can accomplish being an elementary teacher that is able to reach out to young children, then my legacy is complete. My legacy will be about the impact I had in teaching the next generation and how I got to that point in my life. When my legacy is made, then my book will be worth reading.

I have learned many lessons from only one sentence, “You are going to fall down, but are you going to get up?” This one sentence has taught me that I am going to encounter many challenges in my life, and they are going to push me down, but am I going to pick myself back up and carry on. I would share this one sentence with the world because it shows people that life is going to keep trying to make you fall, but the only way to get up is based on a single decision. A decision that will decide whether people keep moving forward or stay down. When I became a high school senior, I had to face multiple challenges. For example, choosing a future college, applying for scholarships, and being a dual-enrollment student. Each of these challenges pushed me down to my knees and I stayed there. Eventually, I decided that in order to move forward and get past these challenges, I need to stand up. So, this sentence has been my solace in a world full of stressful challenges and hopefully this sentence can reach out to others who are struggling to get back up.

Have you ever lost someone and wished you could have done more for them? Was there ever a time that made you feel lost and alone? I lost my grandmother two weeks ago and she meant everything to me. We were really close and could always be found laughing at a joke only the two of us knew. When I received the news that my grandmother was gone and I would never see her again, I broke. I have never felt what I was feeling at that time, but it was like all the light in the world was snuffed out by darkness. I would not be the successful student I am today without my grandma’s guidance. And I know that she is still standing next to me in spirit guiding me along. I went through ups and downs in my life. My mom got a promotion at work that led to my family and I moving to Germany when I was a child. I lost contact with my friends and had to start a new life. My mom was on her own raising me and my two younger sisters and sometimes it was me helping her. Moving back from Germany after five years was a major adjustment, but my grandma stayed a constant through all of this. Not hearing her call me “sweetheart” anymore broke me even more. Growing up, I was afraid to be in the spotlight, never wanting to draw attention to myself. Stage fright became my biggest enemy. At my grandma’s funeral last week, I made the biggest decision I have ever made. I wrote a poem to read in front of everyone. I stood at the podium, took a deep breath, and believed that my grandma was standing right next me with an encouraging smile. I got over a small portion of my stage fright just for her and it made me into someone remarkable. Writing poetry has always been a hobby for me. It became an outlet for my anger and sadness. Sharing this hobby of mine with other people showed me that no one is really judging you. At the funeral, everyone was grieving, and my poem brought back a spark of light into the eyes and souls of the mourners. I thought to myself, “I did that. I made the darkness shift even if it was just for a moment.” Today, I am who I am because of my grandma. Even if she isn’t here physically, she is still with me, guiding me. I have included part of my poem that I wrote for the funeral below: Grandma, Mom, Sister, Aunt, and Friend By: Hannah Best There is no measurement for the love she gave Always laughing, singing, and dancing away You could never hide anything from her She always knew what was going on, that’s for sure Always up at three a.m. walking about Getting her sherbet and popsicles, which always ran out Don’t forget her favorite thing to do Was cleaning her house and sewing special quilts just for you She liked to tease everyone she saw Her phone was always ringing with a constant call Can’t find something, just ask away She would always find it and save the day Her heart was bigger than the moon And she could carry quite a good tune She was loved by family, friends, and others She doesn’t compare to other mothers We love you grandma, mom, sister, aunt, and friend May you rest in peace and may your memory never end.

As a woman, I am left to question myself: Who am I? Throughout history, women have been seen as a product of beauty. We are meant to be seen, not heard. Our voices have been silenced and opinions lost with the oppression of women’s freedom. In a world grown from this history, men are still seen as superior. Women are seen as less. When will I be good enough for this society? Today, tomorrow, a few years down the road? There really is no answer. If our society would just take a moment to pause and think about a woman’s impact, then the world may grow into something extraordinary. When I first started high school, a few boys used to joke about what they learned from the past; that women were considered property, sometimes fought over, sometimes sold, always owned by someone else. Those boys would walk around laughing about this concept and make rude remarks. Every time I heard them joke about this matter, I became embarrassed, not for me but for them. I also became angry. Women were not seen as people, but as something that could be owned, obtained. We could have spoken up, but did we ever really have the chance? And if so, would anyone listen? These boys would come to find that women can grow into something much more powerful than their historical counterparts. Society could make that first step for women a lot easier, if they would accept that women have the right to be here just as much as men. A transformative way for women to find their place is equity in leadership. Many women around the world do not have the same career opportunities that most men have. Another way that society can empower women is by providing increased encouragement and resources for women to tackle jobs in male dominated fields. There are not a lot of powerful job positions and when there are, they are given to a male, not a female. When men can take a step back from their society built, domineering presence and step into a woman’s shoes, they may be able to cultivate empathy. Female oppression is corset worn since the dawn of time, one seemingly impossible to unlace. It takes a lot of effort for women to even begin to climb up the ladder to the male pedestal. For men, they get the positions they sometimes want in life, they find a way to be the best by simply being them. What about women? We have to claw our way to the top, covered in our sweat and tears of a treacherous climb, only to be knocked down by the pay gap and glass ceilings and poorly worded labels. We face more obstacles on our climb up and we grab at crumbling foundation looking for a good grip. But men have a smooth, sturdy foundation that allows them to easily access their wants, and to ignore the women’s desperate needs. So, are women ever going to be enough for this society? Or is our journey always going to be a tough one? If we take those two steps, by exposing women to roles of leadership and offering them more job opportunities, the world may become more equal than ever.

Stress: We all experience it one way or another, but how do we handle it? I am an avid stressor. Every single thing I do leads to stress in one form or another. In my case, I frequently experience nausea, headaches, lack of appetite, or shaking. One might say I stress more than the average person. For me, I am a perfectionist. I aim for the best possible grade on all assignments. I work myself to the bone and still stress over work completed to the best of my abilities. I was always looking into to ways to handle my stress, but nothing worked, so I created my own version. When stress strikes, I go outside and walk around. I completely shut off my brain and just listen to the sounds of nature. Sometimes I sit down and close my eyes while I listen, it makes me feel that if I can’t see anything, then I can’t see the stress. That is how I practice self-care, by controlling my stress and emotions so they don’t get the best of me. I used to never have a way to handle stress and it proved detrimental to my overall health. I would stop eating and get very minimal sleep. Now, I take time for myself by getting up from whatever I am doing and I just go outside. Being outside gives me the motivation to shake off the stressful nerves and be myself. Every time I gave up eating, I ran outside so I could work up an appetite. The times I had no sleep, I stretched outside in the grass. The outdoors has been my sanctuary away from all the problems I face, and it has impacted my life by making it my go to stress reliever.

Healthy living is all about living life to the fullest. We know that death comes to all and hope that when it does come, we are ready. Healthy living affects the body, mind, and soul. How you live your life will determine how your entire being turns out to be. Staying active is how I choose to live my life to the fullest. Nature is what makes my life worth living; going on walks outside, getting away from the addicting drain of technology, and feeling the release of pressure off my shoulders. I make a habit of waking up every day, looking outside, and choosing the following mindset: I am blessed with this beautiful day. Staying active is only the tip of the iceberg though. I like to go to bed at night with one thought, “What made today a good day?” In answer, my thoughts range from time spent with my family to having food on the table. Adopting a positive mindset and committing oneself to the resilience of such amidst the trials of life can truly affect the trajectory of your mental, and subsequent physical health. Personally, I found being thankful that I am awake to see another day greatly influences my likelihood of experiencing a “good day.” The best way to live a long and healthy life is by connecting everything that makes up who you are; that makes up your mind, body, and soul. If you are not one whole with yourself, you are pieces, and pieces tend to get lost and forgotten. Always keep a positive mindset, even if you feel like giving up. Always stay active and make time to get up and cherish everything in your life. And always be thankful for every single person, thing, and aspect of your life.

Friendship is laughter, crying, facing fears, and one person there for you through it all. As the daughter of a government employee, I move quite often. When I was nine, my mom’s job required us to move overseas to Germany. So, I left behind my friends in Pennsylvania and tried to make new ones in Germany. The language barrier made that difficult and going to school on an army base meant that my classmates moved around the world, as well. I never had a good friend until we moved back to Pennsylvania and I started my freshman year of high school. I was the scared little freshman, lost in a big school, until I met Natalya, my now best friend. She was new to the school and had a big personality. She took me under her wing and helped me out. That first day of school she saved me from a lonely year. Friendship means more than words can explain. It is the feeling that everything is going to be okay when they walk into the room. To me, friendship means having someone else’s back through the thick and the thin. It means making an ice cream run at two in the morning, when your someone needs you the most. It means telling them the truth even if they do not want to hear it. Friendship is something extraordinary and it comes in different forms. It can be built from spending time together and strengthened in all those times after the final bell, when you feel glued to each other’s sides. Friendship to me means my best friend is my “sister” and no matter what she always will be.

Why is the sky blue? Am I good enough for this college? Am I trying hard enough? These are just a few thoughts running through my head at this very moment. I am so used to my mind jumping from one thing to the next that I never stopped to wonder, do I have a growth mindset or a fixed one? When I took a psychology course, I became fascinated by the way our minds work--how we think, how our memories stick, and what causes our emotions. After this course, I concluded that I have kept a growth mindset, one deeply influenced by the ever-changing industrial society. I have never focused on a portion of my life that I could not fix. Instead of “I can’t,” I say, “I can.” In line with my growth mindset, I have also kept a growth learning style. I am open to more ideas and see beyond the surface of my decisions. I found that with a growing mindset, I have changed the way I look at myself. The talents that I possess seem so much more vibrant and create the whole aesthetic of who I am as an individual. A unique individual. One capable of true reflection. When I encounter a problem that seems too confusing and complicated for me, I approach it eagerly. Instead of running away, I say: “let’s do this!” Therefore, all those questions running through my mind at any given moment do not feel so burdensome. They allow further growth and facilitate individuality and expansion. I will continue to ask questions and push through boundaries that my own self have created. I will continue to grab meaningful answers.

Imagine a four-walled room. Nothing in it except for yourself. There is a door on each wall, four in total. You have tried each door, and all are locked, leaving you stuck in this empty room with no escape. I just described what it feels like when I make decisions. Some may argue that the concept of a “correct” decision may not be entirely black or white, but I still face a tough question to be answered: Which door do I choose? Which door do I unlock? I have to choose one. Before I started having to make big decision’s that would impact my life, I found it easy to open each one of those doors. They were never locked. Life seemed easy. Now, I have to consider what fate might await behind each door and what will happen if I fail to choose favorably. When I walk through one of those doors and into the next, there is no going back. As I grew older, I taught myself that patience can go a long way. Instead of banging on the doors and demanding help and answers, I took a step back and approached the situation with a patient evaluation. What makes each door different from the others? What makes my decisions different? The answer: patience. Instead of running blindly towards a distant future, I consider each decision by analyzing the surface and below, assessing possible benefits and disadvantages. Eventually, when I became patient enough to make up my mind, the door I chose would unlock, leading me to another room, waiting for my patience to kick in before I decided once again. Being patient taught me that life is more than just an enclosed room with no escape.

I loved the movie Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium because of the inspirational quotes said in certain scenes. One quote that I found the most motivational was “Turn the Page, Continue Reading, and Let the next story begin- Mr. Magorium” (Weyn, n.d.). When I heard this quote, I had to stop and question what it meant. This quote can mean a few things, one meaning could be referring to reading a book or if you look deeper, it can be referring to life. I chose to ponder the quote with a deeper view. I see the quote meaning, “In life, you must turn the page of your life’s story, continue reading and moving forward, and always let your next story begin.” Applying this quote to me, I tend to stress and give up easily. Lately, I have started to teach myself that giving up will only ends in failure and I need to continue moving forward. This quote had that impact on me. It encouraged me to look ahead, keep moving, and continue on with my future goals. One goal that I have is attending college at the earliest possible opportunity. I continued forward and I became a dual-enrolled student. I doubled my high school course load with college and the workload made me feel like giving up. I had quite a bit on my plate in the beginning and even now I still struggle with the extra work but like the quote stated, I had to look ahead, keep moving, and picture what the end achievement would be. If I had not given this quote deeper thought, I would not be as motivated and successful as I am today. I now have seven credit hours completed for college and even finished my junior year of high school early with a 3.8 average. I also may not have chosen to pursue a dual enrollment path. As I keep moving forward in life, I am going to try to live a “good story” and make sure I seize every opportunity that comes my way. If I start giving up because I trip and fall, I will pick myself up and turn my goal in a more compatible direction. As long as I hold onto this quote and its meaning, I will be able to refocus and achieve many things in my future because every day my life is an open book and I have to “Turn the page, continue reading, and let the next story begin” (Weyn, n.d.). References Weyn, S. (n.d.). A quote from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/78755-turn-the-page-continue-reading-and-let-the-next-story.

When I think about the word’s role model, I think of the many people who have come and gone in my life. I think about how each person played a specific role in my success and how important it meant to me. I could talk about the many role models in my life, but I would never fit that into 1000 words. That leads me to focus on one. My inspiration, my support, and my role model is my mother. There is always a back story to every role model I have had, and here is hers. As a single parent, divorced when I was around seven, she has taken care of me. She has clothed me, fed me, and put a roof over my head. She did this all while taking care of my two little sisters. At the time my mom was taking care of seven-year-old me by herself, she was also taking care of my five and my three-year-old sisters. Having to take care of three children on her own was a challenge in itself, and I will be honest, I was handful. She also had to juggle going into work every day in order to pay for our clothes, food, and living expenses. Eventually my grandmother and grandfather moved in to help out, but my mother still insisted on helping them. She has always been a hard worker in everything she does, whether it is work or her children. There was never a time when she thought about herself first. My sisters and I always came first. As I grew up, I always thought that my mom never got sick. By the time I became nine, I started to help my mom with little things. I would take out trash and help pack my little sisters’ lunches. I felt like I was doing my part. In 2013, my mom got a job promotion that involved my mother, my sisters, and I to move to Germany. The travel went pretty well considering my mom had to keep track of my five-year-old baby sister. We stayed in Germany for five years, made friends with new people, and I found many of my other role models there. Moving back to America was a whole lot easier on my mom, though we had to leave our friends. By that time, I was thirteen, and my sisters were eleven and nine. I really enjoyed watching my mom grow into a new person in Germany. It felt like she became comfortable in her own skin. She would spend time with friends and smile a lot more often. She would also make time for all of us to have a family day. As things became easier with us getting older, my mom decided to go back to college to finish her bachelor’s degree. This kept her over the top busy. She would go to work in the morning, get home around four in the evening, and then spend most of the night working on school. She is now taking her last two college classes before she graduates, and I could not be prouder. I graduate from high school in the summer of 2022, and my getting to this point is all due to my mom. She stuck by my side, encouraged me to get good grades and held my hand when I started to slip in grades. As of this summer, I turn seventeen and for all sixteen years of my life, I learned many lessons from my mom. These lessons all meant something when the time was right. The first lesson was that you need to choose what is and is not going to bother you. She said, “You can’t dwell on the things that bother you if they are not important. That is what gets in the way of success.” Every time I go to school and something bothers me only a little I breath and brush it off. That technique helped me to not get into any issues. The second lesson she taught me that I always think about daily is that you cannot change things if they are not in your power. I am a stressor and even the smallest things cause me stress. Some days I tend to stress over things that I have no power over. They either have not happened yet or they have happened and are in the past. The third and final lesson I learned from my mom is that hard work pays off in the end. I look at my mom and always think of this lesson because she may have started out working hard but eventually, she became stronger. Now look at her. She graduates college this summer, has applied for three promotions at her work, and is able to support not just myself and my sisters but also my grandmother who lives with us. I have learned from each of these lessons and there are certain times of the day in which they become important to me. I applied these lessons in my life. When I stress, I think about whether the problem can be fixed by me and if it is in my power. When I feel like giving up and not putting in effort, I think about my mom and all the hard work she has put into her life. Now she is amazing at everything. Lastly, when I get bothered by anything and it is not important, I take a deep breath and brush it off. As I move forward in my life, I want to hold on to these three lessons and always remember them when the time applies. In the future, I am going to earn my bachelor’s degree in education, and I am going to become an elementary teacher. These lessons can make me successful in that future goal, if I keep remembering and applying them, I can easily achieve my dream goals.

Kindness is a big part of my personality. In anyway that I can, I try to be kind to everyone. I do not like to live in a world that is encompassed by hatred and evil. When I look in the mirror every morning, I see a woman who is going to add a little hope to the world around her. Even if she thinks that she cannot at times, she is going to at least try. At my church, I am a part of a girls group for my age. We talk about sermons and our opinions on what we learned. I have been a part of this group for about three years. The first year, I was shy and tended to keep to myself. The two group leaders that I had for my group were not so interactive. They never encouraged my group to participate and one time, one of my group leaders asked, “Is there a Hannah in this group, I don’t remember there being a Hannah.” After hearing that question, I became shyer and did not participate at all. The third year I had a new group leader. Her name was Mrs. Vicki. I was still shy at the time and afraid that she would not acknowledge me either. The first group meeting went well though I did not talk. At the second meeting, Mrs. Vicki asked us all to think of something we are grateful for. I was a nervous wreck because I had to talk in front of everyone. When it was my turn to talk, Mrs. Vicki said, “Hannah, anything you say is important and there is no wrong answer.” When she said this my first thought was, “Wow, it’s the second day and she knows my name.” I voiced my opinion and she smiled at me, which made me feel special and happy that I was a part of something great. Her kindness never wavered, and I became more comfortable in my group and talked when I thought it would relate to the topic. Covid-19 resulted in many changes. Many groups and services at my church shut down. I was disappointed at first, but I learned from Mrs. Vicki’s kindness. I saw her as an amazing role model because she was chose to be nice and kind to me, resulting in me coming out of my own shell. I took a page out of her book. I decided that if she was willing to make everyone feel important, then maybe I could do the same. At school, I created a goal: Compliment ten different people on different things. At first, I only complimented four or five people. But eventually I became confident that I could make another person’s day better. I complimented ten people successfully in that first week. I would mention their smiles, their personalities or what they did best. They always smiled afterwards, and that single smile made my whole day brighter. I did all of this because my group leader, Mrs. Vicki, took a chance on me and made sure I felt comfortable in a group environment. Without her, I would have never made a goal that involved just making others smile. Everyone in this world deserves a chance and if they do not have someone there to be kind to them, will they ever really stand up and believe in themselves. I certainly did because I had one moment of kindness towards me, and it changed my life completely.

There are many women in my life who have shaped me into who I am today. The first being my mom. She is the strongest woman I know. As a single mother, she takes care of three children and her own mother. My entire house consists of all women; my two sisters, me, my grandmother, my dog, and my mom. My mom has taken care of me by herself since I was six and my sisters since they were four and two. I always looked up to her even when I was a little girl even when I got in trouble. A good mother is someone who is willing to push you because she sees your potential even when you do not see it yourself. She encouraged me to take up dance at my church when I was little, to allow me to express myself and my beliefs. She supported me when I wanted to become a dual enrollment student. I owe my whole life to her because when I look in the mirror every morning, I see a girl who has opened herself to new possibilities, who is amazing and cherishes life’s smallest moments, and most of all I see my mother. It is my dream to work with young children and to be an inspiration in their lives. My mother used to run a home day care, while I was still a baby. She multi-tasked through the day because she was doing what she loved, and nothing could hold her back. Her love for adventure allowed her to be spontaneous, a risk taker, and bold. When I become an elementary teacher, I want to become a version of her. I want to show students they can be bold and adventurous. I also want to take a page out of her book and be spontaneous like her. Another woman who is an inspiration every day is my grandmother. I see her every day because she lives with me and my family. At the age of eighty-three, she lets nothing stop her. I am not ashamed to say that she is stubborn and set in her ways because in a way, I am exactly like her. I have a will that guides me through a hard situation and when I have a goal in mind, I never stray from it. My grandmother lost my grandfather a few years back and misses him every day. After his passing, she gave up on a lot of things, but she always had her spirit. It was just hidden for a while. It took her a little bit to recover, but when she did, she came back twice as strong. I will always look up to her because even when she felt lost and alone, she persisted on moving forward. I have that passion in me because of her. I always keep moving forward when times get rough because I know that at the end of the long road, something amazing is waiting for me. I want to teach the students that I may educate in the future that by persisting and being strong, even when you feel alone, can lead to great things. The third woman who inspires me every single day of my life, is my neighbor. I have known her since I was a child, and she still makes an effort to come see me and my family. She is a mother and a school counselor. The days that I see her, she always compliments me and makes me feel good about who I am. Although we are not related by blood, I consider her as a second mother. She told me that I was going to make a difference in the teaching world because I was kind, strong willed, determined, and caring. She always makes me feel like I am special and never lets me forget it. I hope to teach future children with the determination and kindness that she has always seen in me. When I describe who I am, I list every single woman that inspired me to be the best version of myself. These women have carried the hardest of tasks on their shoulders and still keep moving forward. I am different and unique, I feel like I have a purpose in this world, and I owe it to these beautiful women who will always be a part of who I am.