Freshman year is supposed to be an exciting first year of high school, but that was far from the truth. After being sexually assaulted at my old school, I immediately told my school administration because I have always been raised to do the right thing and to report something if it is wrong. To my horror, they told me it didn't matter, and it wasn’t a “big deal”. I was also told not to tell anyone, so I could save the school’s reputation. They sent me back to class, with my assaulter still in my class. Sitting in that class with him and going through the rest of the day was the most challenging thing I have ever faced. I couldn't understand how my entire life and perspective on the world changed in just a few moments. A year later, my parents and I chose for me to transfer schools for a fresh start. This initially was an amazing change, but shortly after, during junior year, I started to struggle mentally. There was pressure on me to get a volleyball scholarship, get good grades, help my family while my mom was unable to be present medically, work four jobs, and study for the ACT. I didn't have time with all these things to now be struggling mentally, so I tried to ignore it. Growing up, I have always been independent and would resort to asking for help of any kind last at all costs. This is how I tried to deal with everything I had been through: I stayed silent, thinking I could handle it all. Slowly, I lost all motivation for schoolwork, and my grades started dropping. Mentally, I was questioning if my life was even worth living after everything I had been through, and I blamed myself for being sexually assaulted. My school attendance dropped because it was so hard for me to even wake up and feel the desire to get ready in the orning let alone go to school and act like everything was okay when it felt like everything in my life was burning down, and that I was trapped in the middle of this fire with no help in sight. Now, as a senior in high school, I can say that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my teacher, Mr. Mac. When no one believed in me or cared that I was struggling, he did. He would go out of his way and ask if I was okay, he would help me catch up on assignments for his class, along with my other classes, too, and he talked to my close friends to see if they knew what was wrong. Despite his efforts to help me, I remained stubborn and wouldn’t explain what was going on. After many conversations, he taught me that needing help didn't make me weak, but it showed my strength in being able to have vulnerability. He told me that it was heartbreaking for him to watch me lose myself from funny, energetic, smiling Hannah to distant, cold, and at a loss for love for life. In the last few months of the school year, I finally opened up to him about all the things going on in my life. This included how my parents wanted me to press charges against my school and sexual assulter but I had been refusing because of fear and shame. While I was struggling to hold them accountable and press charges, he made me realize that I have a voice and an important story. Mr. Mac helped me find the courage to fight for what's right and never give up. He made a way for me to get help and find my love for life again, and become the Hannah I thought was gone. I now have hopes for my future to become a teacher and change students' lives as Mr. Mac changed mine. I am not a victim of silence anymore. I am an example of vulnerability and courage to everyone around me who knows my story. I want to help and guide future generations toward the strength they never knew they had and show them how to overcome struggles that seem too large to even think about. Through vulnerability, I have overcome some of the most heartbreaking things someone can imagine. Mr. Mac helping me take that first step changed my life. I want to impact the world by changing the lives of students. If I can positively change the future of just one of my students, who will then change the world, it will have all been worth my struggle.

“Do everything you can to make your dreams come true.” Words my third-grade teacher said to me. I always trusted what my elementary school teachers said. This time, like any other, I really took to heart the words she spoke in class. Years later, though, I would wrestle with this because things just don't seem fair. My parents did everything they could to help me succeed. Working multiple jobs to help me attend private school and compete in sports was something they did to help my dreams come true. After nine years of them helping me get the academic privilege I had, we could no longer afford it. With my mother being a diabetic and insulin prices and medical equipment rising to hundreds of dollars, we had to make big changes. My mom endured multiple life-altering surgeries, making it so she cannot work, and on top of that, insurance could not cover medical bills. This dug my parents into a hole. Seeing how financial hardship can put people in a rough season of life, inspired me to start taking initiative for my own personal finances. Taking on multiple jobs at a time during school and sports seasons, I slowly but surely figured out how to budget my money and find a way to get my dreams back on track. I set aside money to help pay for club volleyball so I could get an athletic scholarship that would help me get to college and achieve my academic dreams of becoming an international teacher. Getting an athletic scholarship was a breakthrough moment, but it was still short. With zero financial aid from my parents, I am relying on my personal financing knowledge I have learned through experience and work ethic in hopes of living out my dreams. People often face situations where there are no better options, but more often, small compromises lead to an eventual downfall. After gaining understanding from a finance class in school, reading books in the library, and reflecting on how my younger years have been affected, I am going to change the cycle and set an example to others. Your next move in life means so much more than your past mistakes, and I am not going to repeat what has been. Sticking to the budgeting that has helped me get this far, I am going to continue refining it so I can succeed despite difficult circumstances. One day, when I am a teacher, I will inspire my students, and in the words of my third-grade teacher, I am going to do "everything I can to make my dreams come true."

Change. It terrifies me. I've been avoiding it, but to reach my goal, it's a necessity that is unavoidable. The change I want and have come face to face with is acting with courage and standing up to evil. Courage is something that came naturally to me in my childhood and preteen years. Until eighth grade, when I was sexually assaulted by a classmate in school. I immediately told my school administration because I have always been raised to do the right thing and to report something if it is wrong. To my horror, they told me "it's not a big deal," not to tell anyone, so I could save the school’s reputation. They sent me back to class, with my assaulter still in my class. Sitting in that class with him and going through the rest of the day was the most challenging thing I have ever faced. I couldn't understand how my entire life and perspective on the world changed in just a few horrible moments as a 14-year-old. A year later, we made the choice to transfer schools to give me a fresh start. This initially was an amazing change, but shortly after, I started to struggle mentally and slowly started to lose my desire to even stay alive. I stayed silent instead of standing up for myself. Now, as a senior in high school, I can say that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my teacher, Mr. Mac. When no one believed in me or cared that I was struggling, he did. After many conversations, he taught me that needing help didn't make me weak, but it showed my strength in being able to have vulnerability. While I was struggling to hold my school and sexual assaulter accountable and press charges, he made me realize that I have a voice and an important story. He helped me find the courage to fight for what's right and never give up. I now have hopes for my future to become an international English teacher and change students' lives, as many teachers have for me. This scholarship will help me achieve my hopes of changing the future of my students, who will then change the world themselves. Along with teaching, I desire to be a volleyball coach and better replicate the coaches who made me love the sport more than I did before. I want to help future generations see the strength they never knew they had. Showing them how to overcome struggles that seem too large to even think about will make a bigger impact than anything I can teach. Through vulnerability, I have overcome some of the most heartbreaking things someone can imagine. Mr. Mac helped me take that first step, changed my life, and even saved my life. I also want to impact the world by changing the lives of students. If I can help or positively change the future of just one of my students, it will have all been worth it.

Everyone around me expected me to surrender and stay silent. Despite this, I discovered potential within myself that no one, not even I, could have known. Freshman year is supposed to be an exciting first year of high school, but that was far from the truth. After being sexually assaulted at my old school, I immediately told my school administration because I have always been raised to do the right thing and to report something if it is wrong. To my horror, they told me "it's not a big deal," not to tell anyone, so I could save the school’s reputation. They sent me back to class, with my assaulter still in my class. Sitting in that class with him and going through the rest of the day was the most challenging thing I have ever faced. I couldn't understand how my entire life and perspective on the world changed in just a few horrible moments as a 14-year-old. A year later, we made the choice to transfer schools to give me a fresh start. This initially was an amazing change, but shortly after, I started to struggle mentally and slowly started to lose my desire to even stay alive. I stayed silent instead of standing up for myself. Now, as a senior in high school, I can say that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my teacher, Mr. Mac. When no one believed in me or cared that I was struggling, he did. After many conversations, he taught me that needing help didn't make me weak, but it showed my strength in being able to have vulnerability. While I was struggling to hold my school and sexual assaulter accountable and press charges, he made me realize that I have a voice and an important story. He helped me find the courage to fight for what's right and never give up. I now have hopes for my future to become a teacher and change students' lives as Mr. Mac changed mine. I am not a victim of silence anymore. I am an example of vulnerability and courage to everyone around me who knows my story. I want to help and guide future generations toward the strength they never knew they had and show them how to overcome struggles that seem too large to even think about. Through vulnerability, I have overcome some of the most heartbreaking things someone can imagine. Mr. Mac helped me take that first step, changed my life, and even saved my life. I want to impact the world by changing the lives of students. If I can help or positively change the future of just one of my students, it will have all been worth it.

Faith. "Just believe" and "it's not that hard" were phrases I have heard countless times while being a Christian. The difficult thing was not that I didn't have faith; it was that I wasn't walking with Jesus close enough to ask the questions I had. Why do bad things happen in the world? It's a hard question that I battled with for years after going through a sexual assault by a Christian in a Christian school. The school administration tried to hide what happened to keep their reputation. This left me hurt and confused as an eighth-grade girl who lost her innocence in merely minutes by someone she thought she could trust. I wondered if these Christian leaders of the school were right in telling me not to tell anyone what happened. They sent me back to class with my assaulter in that class, and the only "words of wisdom" I got from them were to just ignore him. I did what I was told and endured this classmate telling me horrible things, things I even can't repeat. I thought silence was the answer and that God would agree. Months later, with great thought, I decided I didn't want to be a Christian anymore. How could people who claimed to be Christians do such terrible things to me and then say I was in the wrong for speaking up about what happened? It didn't make sense to I stopped having faith in Jesus. My life without Jesus was hopeless, dark, and I felt completely alone. During this time, I struggled with mental health, which led to my struggles academically. Through months of this faithlessness, I came to a breaking point. I knew if I didn't turn back to Jesus, I might not make it out of this year alive. Through hurting prayers to God, I found my faith again. This time, my faith was not found in the acts of others or in other Christians but in Jesus and who he says I am. Running back in the loving arms of my heavenly father not only brought me back to who I was, but a better version of myself who stands on the truth. Having this close relationship with Jesus restored, I reignited a faith that has not wavered since. Transferring from this Christian school to a public school was difficult, but I began to see this choice as one of the best ones I could've made. In every class, there are students whom I can reflect Christ's love and start conversations. These are things that I wouldn't have been able to do in my Christian school. I saw my school as a mission field and began bible studies and inviting people to my church. Through my relationship with Jesus and my strong faith, I became a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club leader. All of these opportunities came from Jesus, and the choice I made to follow him. With my faith still growing, I carry my faith and truth with me as I walk through my educational journey and into the next seasons of life. I still don't know all the answers to my questions, but one thing I know is how much Jesus loves me, and that itself gives me all the faith I need to keep pursuing a relationship with Him.

While everyone around me expected me to surrender and stay silent, I discovered potential within myself that no one, not even I, could have known. Freshman year is supposed to be an exciting first year of high school, but that was far from the truth. After being sexually assaulted at my old school, I immediately told my school administration because I have always been raised to do the right thing and to report something if it is wrong. To my horror, they told me it didn't matter, and it wasn’t a “big deal”. I was also told not to tell anyone, so I could save the school’s reputation. They sent me back to class, with my assaulter still in my class. Sitting in that class with him and going through the rest of the day was the most challenging thing I have ever faced. I couldn't understand how my entire life and perspective on the world changed in just a few horrible moments. A year later, we made the choice to transfer schools to give me a fresh start. This initially was an amazing change, but shortly after, I started to struggle mentally and slowly started to lose my desire to even stay alive. I stayed silent instead of standing up for myself. Now, as a senior in high school, I can say that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my teacher, Mr. Mac. When no one believed in me or cared that I was struggling, he did. After many conversations, he taught me that needing help didn't make me weak, but it showed my strength in being able to have vulnerability. While I was struggling to hold my school and sexual assaulter accountable and press charges, he made me realize that I have a voice and an important story. He helped me find the courage to fight for what's right and never give up. I now have hopes for my future to become a teacher and change students' lives as Mr. Mac changed mine. I am not a victim of silence anymore. I am an example of vulnerability and courage to everyone around me who knows my story. I want to help and guide future generations toward the strength they never knew they had and show them how to overcome struggles that seem too large to even think about. Through vulnerability, I have overcome some of the most heartbreaking things someone can imagine. Mr. Mac helping me take that first step changed my life and may have even saved my life. I want to make that same impact on the world by changing the lives of students. If I can help or positively change the future of just one of my students, it will have all been worth my struggle.

I have overcome too much not to reach my dreams now. Through a sexual assault, multiple family deaths, mental health struggles, and transferring schools during high school, I have learned to grow and adapt as a person. All of that will be for nothing if I don't achieve my dreams and show the people who have doubted me wrong, and that I do have a bright future ahead despite it all. My educational aspirations are to be an international teacher because there is a need for English teachers in overseas countries. If I can positively change the future of just one of my students, who will then change the world, it will have all been worth my struggle. Along with teaching, I desire to be a volleyball coach and better replicate the coaches who made me love the sport more than I did before. As a little girl, I looked up to the college volleyball players of the time, and it inspired me. Remembering the awe I had for these players drives me to be that example for another little girl in the stands who dreams to be where I am. Playing college volleyball will not only help me become a coach but also give me understanding and skills only be learned at the college level. I will help every athlete I coach to also play out their dreams of college volleyball and further their own education. I have sacrificed my normal life for years to play the sport I love. The six a.m. practices, missed family or holiday events, every weekend is packed until the minute, and missing out on school or seeing friends. Despite missing school for tournaments, games, and early practices, I still made my education the top priority of my life. Doing homework on the sideline before practices or in between training sessions, and saying no to seeing friends so I could study, made this possible. Financially, playing volleyball is not cheap. In order to help my parents afford to support my dreams, I have worked and sacrificed my time at five various jobs at once. I didn't let this busy schedule stop my dreams. While at work, if there was time, I would analyze my game film or complete homework. Going to work before school and after practice was exhausting, but sacrificing these hours meant I was closer to my dreams. I have worked and sacrificed in order to earn my education and play my sport.

While everyone around me expected me to surrender and stay silent, I discovered potential within myself that no one, not even I, could have known. Freshman year is supposed to be an exciting first year of high school, but that was far from the truth. After being sexually assaulted at my old school, I immediately told my school administration because I have always been raised to do the right thing and to report something if it is wrong. To my horror, they told me it didn't matter, and it wasn’t a “big deal”. I was also told not to tell anyone so I could save the school’s reputation. They sent me back to class, with my assaulter still in my class. Sitting in that class with him and going through the rest of the day was the most challenging thing I have ever faced. I couldn't understand how my entire life and perspective on the world changed in just a few horrible moments. A year later we made the choice to transfer schools to give me a fresh start. This initially was an amazing change, but shortly after, I started to struggle mentally and slowly started to lose my desire to even stay alive. I stayed silent instead of standing up for myself. Now, as a senior in high school, I can say that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my teacher, Mr. Mac. When no one believed in me or cared that I was struggling, he did. After many conversations, he taught me that needing help didn't make me weak, but it showed my strength in being able to have vulnerability. While I was struggling to hold my school and sexual assaulter accountable and press charges, he made me realize that I have a voice and an important story. He helped me find the courage to fight for what's right and never give up. I now have hopes for my future to become a teacher and change students' lives as Mr. Mac changed mine. I am not a victim of silence anymore. I am an example of vulnerability and courage to everyone around me who knows my story. I want to help and guide future generations toward the strength they never knew they had and show them how to overcome struggles that seem too large to even think about. Through vulnerability, I have overcome some of the most heartbreaking things someone can imagine. Mr. Mac helping me take that first step changed my life. I want to impact the world by changing the lives of students. If I can positively change the future of just one of my students, who will then change the world, it will have all been worth my struggle.