What exactly is love? Google describes this word as "an intense feeling of deep affection". Dogs are the definition of unconditional love and teach humans more daily lessons than they could ever realize. Dogs are forgiving and compassionate creatures who never harbor feelings of resentment. A dog is constantly in the present, no matter what they are doing. Almost everyone enjoys dogs; all dogs, no matter how large or small, noisy or quiet, fluffy or shaved, all are lovable. Growing up, I had a Peanut. Peanut was an 80-pound chocolate lab full of energy; he was my best friend. Everywhere I would go, Peanut would follow. My parents have always told me a certain story about Peanut that I love to share with everybody I know. One day, when I was learning how to walk, my mom took her eyes off of me for probably two minutes and I started to crawl up the stairs in the foyer of my house. At this time, I never had done the stairs before. I started crawling one stair at a time, and Peanut was behind me the whole entire time making sure that I did not get hurt. He was stanced horizontally with his bottom half and front half acting as a moving baby gate in a way. Once my parents saw this, they were flabbergasted as it showed not only Peanut's loyalty to me, but also to my family. Peanut felt as though his job was to protect all of us in one way or another. This very reason is why I love dogs. Dogs are wired to protect their owners because they truly are our best friends. Peanut has impacted my life immensely. Although my time with him was cut too short due to a cancerous tumor, I will forever cherish that bond that I held with him. Peanut released my stress, anxiety, and depression. Canines do not only provide emotional and social advantages to humans, dog ownership enhances physical and mental health. It is always important to keep your body moving, and having a dog is excellent motivation to do so because they are always up for a walk, or even playtime. Dogs are so important to humans because their ability to help is so universal. Dogs can help guide individuals who lost their sight, along with individuals who suffer from PTSD, seizures and so much more. Your pup can help offer comfort, and ease your worries, which is one of the many reasons why I would recommend a dog to anybody.

Why is it so important to be a woman in business? Women bring fresh ideas and innovation to a company. One of the most concerning aspects of the data around women in business is the lack of funding entrepreneurs often get. The lack of funding female entrepreneurs frequently receive has become one of the crucial pieces of data about women in business that is the most alarming; however, my goal is to change this statistic. My name is Hannah Volpe and I will be a junior at Westfield State University in the fall. This past spring, I graduated from Quinsigamond Community College with my Associate's degree in Business Administration. I will be shifting my educational studies to concentrate on Accounting this fall. My long-term goal is to open my own Accounting Firm. As stated, only 19.9% of firms that hired employees in the US are women-owned, and 82.8% of these women-owned firms are owned by white women. To truly create a more equal workforce, women must be encouraged to seek leadership roles in business. When it comes to being a woman, it is often looked down upon especially in the business world. Women are frequently looked at as not equals to men: most men believe that they are smarter, just because they are of the "superior gender". This way of life has to change. My dream is to open up my own accounting firm in my community to show that something women-owned can be successful. I want to be able to teach young girls that they can do anything they dream of, and that the sky is the limit. When owning this firm, I want to be sure that I am involved in the community; this includes funding women's sports teams and women's organizations around town. In order to be a successful woman in business, you have to have the confidence to own who you are, why you do what you do, and how you can use your ideas vision, and business to make your community a better place. Women in business should be eager to learn and grow. Overall, the demand for gender equality in leadership roles is still a hot topic across industries, whether one is building a business from the ground up or joining one that already exists. My mission is to one day provide the women in my community the courage to venture outside of their comfort zones and perhaps even to start their own business.