I’m the caretaker friend, the group and family therapist, and somebody’s shoulder to cry on. Being a nurturer has always come naturally to me. I find joy in rushing to others' needs, and giving the shirt off of my back if it comes down to it. I want to take my gift as a nurturer and help more people. My dream is to leave a positive mark on this Earth before I leave it. I want to make a difference that will impact communities and get people to see the world through a brighter lens. I think being able to influence young minds' positivity will help our future. The youth is where our future lies, and I hope to be able to be a part of shaping the future. Another step toward changing the future is my plan to be involved in the foster care system. I want to be able to foster kids myself, volunteer at orphanages, or even work at the shelters themselves. Which leads to my non-profit. The name would be, “Protect Our Kids”, and the goal of the non-profit organization would be to help the kids in foster care to obtain an education of their own, to make them feel wanted and loved, and to provide support in becoming independent adults one day. The foster care system today is not where it should be, the kids are mistreated when they’re the future. There's abuse going on, drug use, and many other things. I want to make sure the kids in the system know that they’re loved and they can make a difference too. The non-profit organization will also be available for kids who are not in the foster system but are in abusive situations and need support and guidance. I recall when I was in elementary school, I saw a teacher verbally and physically abusing a special needs student just because they thought no one was watching. It’s incredibly heartbreaking that a situation like that occurred. Kids should be cherished and nurtured, not abused and feeling underappreciated. I want to help kids who are in danger, who need guidance, and who need to be loved. I was put into a situation when I was a child where there wasn't anyone to protect me, and I was sexually abused. I don't want that to happen to other kids, I don't want other kids to feel the way I did. I want to be able to protect them and help them. That’s the goal of my non-profit, to protect, support, and nurture kids in the system or an abusive situation.

Writing is the unifying brilliance of 26 letters combined to make a piece of art. A complex combination of 26 letters can make you feel all sorts of emotions, from laughing to crying to feeling like you have friends that only exist on paper. Being able to write gives a voice to those who can’t speak, and those who have trouble forming the simple 26 letters into spoken words. Instead of playing tag, I kept to my books and my journal. I would look forward to the parts of my day where I was able to crack open my book and dive into the world within. Unlike other students making friends in math class, I made friends through carefully written characters on a page. I was born into a world where there is no such thing as muggles and wizards. I turned to books to take me to places I can only imagine. I found a life of companionship and comfort in books made up of the same 26 letters I learned in kindergarten. Reading was a sense of escape from this simple world. The authors I grew up with gave me friends on a page that I couldn’t find elsewhere. They created comfort and a safety net when I needed to run from reality. They created novels based on 26 letters. The authors not only created a sense of comfort for young me but also, without even knowing I existed, they created a spark in me. I was always unsure of what I should do as a career. I found myself taking those career quizzes online to see if they would flip a switch in my brain. The results would be the same every time: "Since you enjoy helping others, you would be best suited to be a teacher, nurse, or therapist". And I would always find myself frustrated because I don’t have a passion for that. I would love to contribute to my community positively, but there is no spark when it comes to working as a teacher, nurse, or therapist. Eventually, I decided to listen to the spark I felt when I was reading. I decided to do what I felt was right, which is to create a world on paper. To create a comfortable place full of enriching characters just as the authors I grew up with did for me. When I choose to write, from a short story or even poetry, it helps me make sense of things I cannot find the words to say. It gives my introverted self the courage to find words and put them onto paper. I can create a space where my thoughts move freely on paper and my feelings can finally come out. Writing is important to me because not only does it give me a sense of comfort, but it is the only thing that when I do it, I feel like I cannot see myself doing anything else.

From a young age, I was taught that my gender didn't define me. My mother always told me that just because I was a girl, it doesn’t make me weaker than a boy. She showed me how a woman can be independent and successful without a man. I was extremely lucky to have a role model to show me that being a woman is a blessing and not something to be ashamed of. The recent decision made by the government in Texas about the Roe V Wade situation, lit a fire from underneath me. Seeing that after over 100 years of progress made by Feminist movements was disappearing within a matter of days disgusted me. It made me realize that the people in power do not understand that women and men are equal and that we deserve equal rights to our body and healthcare. This decision motivated me to do what my mom did for me and show others that women are strong, independent, and doesn’t need a man to dictate her life. After the Roe v Wade situation happened, I went to a few peaceful rallies in Texas to show my frustration with the decisions that have been made for me and my body without my consent. And I continuously try to educate others on political issues that involve women. I continue to educate myself of politics and policies to understand the system fully. My current major is English and I am minoring in Political Science. I want to be able to use my degree to work in Journalism and to be able to work my way up to some sort of political position. I want to spread awareness on not only women’s rights but other issues in society that are overlooked by those who are in power. I want to write about people’s experiences and get their stories out there where others can learn that there are big problems out there. I want to eventually run for Governor in Texas after I work in Journalism for awhile and gain experience. I plan to be a strong, empowering role model for women who need that encouragement and support. I want to be the independent feminist role model my mom is for me to others who didn't get the chance to grow up in that environment. I want to make a difference in how women are represented in government. I want to let other women know they are not alone.

I have always had a love-hate relationship with school. I enjoyed learning and being praised for being smart. But I hated the times where I didn't understand the material I was learning. I would stay up all night for my Algebra test just to receive that mediocre grade. But when I had to write a one pager for my English class, I excelled. I enjoyed the hour and a half I spent in my English class. I loved knowing that when I walked in those doors to that class I would be able to create a world on a piece of paper. Even if the mere task was to write a research paper or to write a creative piece, I enjoyed knowing that I could succeed in just mixing the 26 letters of the alphabet together. My passion for writing did not start in my High School English class though. It started in elementary school when I participated in “Battle of the Books”. I was in 5th grade and my job was to read 4 books and to know them like the back of my hand. At the time I despised reading and writing, and I was only interested in participating because my friend was also doing it. Yet, after I read those four books, I fell in love. I fell in love with these words on a page and the story that they created. It was like my own little world and I couldn't get enough of it. When “Battle of the Books” was over, I never sat a book down again. I was reading everyday and every time we had a book fair my parents knew they were going to go broke. When I went into middle school, my passion for reading amplified and turned into my now passion for writing. I was taking an advanced English class, we had to read Tom Sawyer and write an essay for it. The essay had to be two pages long and I remember almost writing 5. I enjoyed writing and then being praised for the writing from my teacher made me love it even more. Not only that, writing made me feel like I finally had a voice, I never spoke up in my classes but when I was able to write, all of my ideas came together. And I felt heard. That's when I knew I wanted to take that new founded love and turn it into something more. So now at 18, I want to continue to grow my passion for writing and write my own books. I want to be able to create my own stories and get others passionate about reading. I want other young women to also know they can be heard too, all you have to do is write. I am majoring in English at UTA this fall and I look forward to understanding more about how to write so I can get started on my journey as an Author.

To my parents and grandparents, education was nothing more than a piece of paper they would have received if they graduated high school. But from a young age, I was taught to do better than them. I was praised for getting good grades and punished for struggling in difficult subjects. It created a love-hate relationship with school. I enjoyed learning and being praised for being smart. But I hated the times where I didn't understand the material I was learning. I would stay up all night for my Algebra test the next day just to receive that mediocre grade. But when I had to write a one pager for my English class, I excelled. I enjoyed the hour and a half I spent in my English class. I loved knowing that when I walked in those doors to that class I would be able to create a world on a piece of paper. Even if the mere task was to write a research paper or to write a creative piece, I enjoyed knowing that I could succeed in just mixing the 26 letters of the alphabet together. Going to my English class created the love I have for education now, and I can thank my English teachers over the last 12 years of schooling who’ve made me find my passion for writing. I will be graduating in June, my highschool diploma will hit my hands and I will walk across that stage. I will take the knowledge that has been given to me and take it to college with me this fall and expand it. Over the next four years of my life, I want to continue to expand my knowledge of English literature to become an author. I value my education so very much and I can not wait to add on to the knowledge this fall. Not only that, but I am grateful that I get to wear the title of being the first person in my family to receive a high school diploma and who is going to receive a masters degree. Due to being the first in my family to continue their education, the pressure is on. I'm committed to UTA and I'm graduating high school with a 3.9 GPA, and at UTA I plan to major in English with a minor in sociology. I also plan to not only obtain my bachelors in English but also my masters. By the end of my 6 years of college, I hope to have a masters in English with two minors, sociology and political science. In these next 6 years of pursuing higher education, I also hope to write a few books and to get them published.

When I was younger, my dream career was to be a superhero. I watched Iron Man one day and decided that's what I wanted to do with my life ( Not the playboy millionaire part but the saving people part ). But now, at 18 years old, I realize I cant be Iron Man. But I can still make a difference in the world by using my voice and spreading awareness of the things I believe in. One of the things I strongly believe in is global warming. There's things I do to help set the example of how we can battle climate change. I taught my mom how to properly recycle and how to compost, I make sure instead of driving places I walk or I take my bike. To help spread awareness of global warming in my community, I entered an art piece in to an art competition talking about global warming. I am going to college in the Fall for journalism so I can write about the effects that us humans have on the Earth. And what we can do to prevent global warming from getting worse. I want to be able to leave this Earth in a better condition that it was when I was born. Another thing that I am very passionate about is mental health in teenagers and the effects of social media and what it does to us. I personally have struggled with mental health due to many things. And one of them being social media. Teenagers often feel like that have to live up to a certain standard that stems from social media. We feel pressured to look and behave a certain way, and it takes a toll on us. Many suffer from body dysmorphia and its hard to feel comfortable in our skin when we look nothing like the people on Instagram. I personally don't mind sharing my story to make sure other teenagers don't feel alone in their struggles with mental health. I understand what's it like to not feel comfortable with the body you're in, or not feeling like you fit in or worth anything. It's a terrible feeling, and I want to be able to change that by writing about it, and letting others know its okay to not be okay. I may not be able to be the next Iron Man, but that doesn't mean I cant make a change in the world by preventing global warming from getting worse, and helping teenagers understand they are not alone and it's okay to ask for help.

When I was little, I watched my mom draw, her pencil strokes carefully shading around flowers on her paper. Her eyes were so focused, studying the shadows and curves of the flower in the vase. I admired her excitement she had when the drawing was finished, the smile that sat perfectly on her face while she signed her artwork and closed the sketchbook. My mom has always influenced me, her passion for art created my passion for it today. Drawing and painting has always been my way to disappear from the chaos of the world and create my own state of peace and happiness. Putting my earbuds in, taking my pencil to the paper, and letting the world around me disappear as I create something. Being able to put a paintbrush on a blank canvas and create something from nothing, having others see my thoughts on a canvas is so incredible and I love it. The thrill of being able to put colors together to create something is so great, and I believe everyone should be able to experience it. One of my favorite quotes, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.¨ By Thomas Merton. When I create art, I'm able to be myself and let my feelings and thoughts sit on a piece of paper for everyone to see. I'm able to forget all of my problems and worries and just focus on the canvas in front of me. When I draw (or paint ) the satisfaction of the end result always makes me happy, it could be a simple sketch to a painting I spent weeks on. Signing my name on the bottom right corner and the date sitting next to it, the blank canvas I started with is now finished. Finishing an art piece is my favorite part of the art process, I get to see my hard work and dedication on a piece of paper. It’s mine, I created it, I spent hours and hours on it and now it’s finished. One day instead of my artwork sitting in my room, I hope it's placed on a wall in an art gallery, for everyone to see and enjoy. I hope that people will see the dedication, time and effort put into my art. I hope that one day others will be able to lose themselves in art like I do myself. I understand that not everyone loves drawing or painting, I just hope that everyone gives it a chance once in their life. It is something that will also be there, being able to create something that is yours is incredible, and no one should be deprived of that feeling.

Changes for the Better From saying, “3...2...1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!” as we embrace our loved ones in cheer. All looking forward to the new year with the endless thoughts of possibilities. 2020 has given us all quite a shock when Covid hit the scene. Devastating everyone’s families. As much as this pandemic has taken from us, I personally have chosen to look to the lessons we can learn. During this time at home, we all have had a chance to reflect on ourselves. One of the biggest things that I personally have reflected on, is my relationship with God. Before this year my relationship with Him has not been the best, but Covid-19 has made it clear that I need God in my life; my relationship with Him has never been better and I'm so thankful for that. Not only has my relationship with God has grown, but many lessons were also learned during quarantine. The big lesson I have learned was that nothing stays still, and change is inevitable. I learned that by how my volleyball practices were being cancelled left and right and now not being able to have a volleyball season at all. I was not prepared for this sudden change in my life, and it hit me hard. Another lesson I have learned is to enjoy the present and not take anything for granted. When we got the news during spring break that it was going to be extended for another week, due to Covid-19, I was excited that I wasn't going to have to deal with my teachers, school work, and waking up at 6:00 a.m. But now, I would do anything to go back to school to see my teachers and friends. I didn't realise how blessed I was to go to school on a regular basis and learn face to face. I know now, I will focus more on the present and enjoy the moments instead of wishing that it could be different. Isolation is the worst, I dont have the same social life as before. I'm not used to not seeing my friends all the time. Yet this isolation did teach me that if people want to be in your life they would make an effort to be there. There are many people who I thought were my friends, but are now just people I see on my instagram feed. As this year comes to an end, we all can look back and see the lessons we have got to learn, all the friends we have gained or lost, and the time we spent to reflect on ourselves. Hopefully people have changed for the better, and we can take what we have learned and use it to better ourselves and others in the future.