I have lived in Ohio since birth, and yet I didn't call it home until I moved to Lakewood 11 years ago. The cities I had lived in previously were Clinton, Barberton, and Medina - but none of them invigorated me so much. When I first walked into Harrison Elementary, the first day back from Winter Break, I was scared of what was to come. Would I meet any friends? Would I do well in class? Would I be able to stay here long enough to be comfortable? Well, the answer to all these questions is: yes. My involvement in community service and academic excellence was not pursued until 6th grade. That year, I was introduced to a class of 13 people that I would be spending the next three years with in the "gifted" program and that was also the year I was introduced to H2O. H2O was and is a community service program run through the city of Lakewood. The meetings at my school would occur once a month and do small service projects, whether it be making cards and packaging books for underprivileged neighborhoods and schools or wrapping silverware for the fundraiser they were hosting. Emmie Hutchison and Amy Chodzin were the coordinators of the program and they have changed my life. When they saw me in H2O for the first time, they saw my desire to be involved and pushed me to continue serving our community. By the time I had gotten to high school, they had becoming mentors to me - and I had become one of the youngest members of the H2O executive committee where I would plan events and fundraisers, and I even went on to design shirts and logos for most of them. Along with their support in service, they encouraged me academically - they showed up to my orchestra concerts, congratulated me on my swim and track events, and even my academic successes. During the end of my sophomore year of high school, H2O had given me the opportunity to create my own non-profit program with 8 others - Home Alone. In this program, the goal was to teach younger children how to be prepared to manage themselves in the case of a guardian not being with them. At the time this program was created, 45% of households in Cuyahoga County were single parent households, meaning childcare could not be afforded and many young children would be relying on themselves. Not only did creating and running this program until I graduated support others, it also encouraged me to follow my passion of one day managing nonprofits and supporting others like Emmie & Amy had done for me. I graduated from Lakewood High School last year with an Honors in Academics and Honors in Service diploma. And while it means my days of being directly involved in the program were limited, I finally found a way to give back to my community and H2O for everything have done for me. For the next three summers, I am working as a camp counselor and advisor for H2O, the same program I was a participant in years before. And after those years are over and once I graduate, I hope to come back to H2O and be able to help manage it for the years to come.

Numerous times in history, war enraged countries, enraged continents, enraged the world. Disagreements proliferated into governmental divisions. After gruesome battles, after thousands of lives lost, humans realized what needed to happen. All those events lead to modern society. Now, family has lost its importance. Individualism has replaced collectivism. We have lost our optimism and care for others. There has been extended research as to why this behavior has increased. There has been research on everything-- the origin of the universe, the body and creation of life, the functions of the brain. But for some reason, some questions cannot be answered. All this experience. All this research. All this knowledge. There has been an uncountable amount of labyrinthine occurrences in the universe. And yet, you leaving me was the most puzzling one. The year 2003-- The Human Genome Project, the Department of Homeland Security created, major combat in Iraq was declared over, I came into the world. But there was something missing. Or should I say someone. The scientists and philosophers said that it was an issue of maturity and commitment. It was due to an overwhelming amount of fear that you would fail as a father. I cannot explain why you did this. I will never know why you did this. At this rate, I am numb to the pain that you should have caused me. You do not care why, but I will tell you anyways. (At this point it's to make you feel better about yourself). My mother, the woman that you used to call your own, devoted herself to me. She showed me how to be brave without the influence and right hand of a man. Instead of finishing school, instead of hanging out with her friends, she helped me with school, she spent her time with me. Everything I am to this day, and everything I live for, and everyone I care about, it was built without you. At this point, I feel I should almost have gratitude for you, if you didn’t leave I would not have this life now. I am confident in myself, I love and care endlessly about those in my life, I live up to my true potential. Everything I need to survive, to flourish, I have. Food, clothing, shelter, water, human interaction, they are right at my fingertips. You have a daughter, one who isn’t me. You have a wife. You have a job. You are happy. Happy without me. I am proud of you. As much as I should despise your joy, no one should live a life of regret. No one should have to give up their capacity to feel exuberance. So as much as this act has confused me, I will be great due to it. I will use it to motivate me, I will use it to grow, I will use it to know who I strive to be as a person. One day, this question as to why you left could be solved, or maybe it will be stuck in the research platform forever. I will come up with my theories as to why. And they might contradict others. But the difference between you and me will be, I will not let my deviations break the relationships I have.

Throughout the pandemic, many people had time to evaluate who they are as a person. Sexuality and its' acceptance became a prominent aspect of social media, and it also became a huge part of my life. Sitting alone in my thoughts, I was able to free myself from the leashes of stigmas and other's small perspectives, and I realized that the person I could see myself with was not determined by their looks, their voice, and the body parts they have - but rather their brain and heart. As a female who has a male partner, I feel somewhat outcasted - a purgatory in between the two communities, a feeling that prohibits me from revealing myself and my capacity to love others as I want to. This purgatory I live in is not difficult or oppressing, it is just silent. I often do not think about my sexuality and how it defines me, it is just sitting in the back of my mind waiting to be accepted by others - specifically my family. My family is the standard privileged caucasian catholics. We go to church every Sunday, bible quotes are used as decor, and criticism of the world is often a topic of conversation at the dinner table. They believe that people should be kind to one another, but they also believe that sexuality is a scam. Just the other day, my mother was watching political ads and one of them contained information about the protection of the LGBTQ+ community and her simple response mortified me (her daughter who has hidden herself), "It seems as if everyone kisses everybody nowadays. It is dramatic." How was I supposed to tell her that I was one of them? I realize now that sexuality shouldn't define a person. It shouldn't be the only thing people see, which is why I have a goal of supporting everyone. I've been involved in a local non-profit organization, H2O, for six years and aspire to one day manage and coordinate this organization. Right now, there is a lack of LGBTQ+ resources in this program and one day I want to change that. Being apart of this community should not define the resources you have, the relationships you have, and the career you have. It should motivate you and assist you in becoming confident in yourself. And eventually, I am hoping to live up to what I am saying and accept myself as I am.

How was the universe created? Is there a God? Why do people act in such ways? Since the existence of humanity, perplexation has consumed the mind. Those with the strength and wisdom, have pondered and framed plausible solutions. These conclusions have unified many people together, but they have also divided the closest of people. Socrates was a “corruptor of the youth” and Jesus had a “mental illness” and Galileo was “barbaric”. These people were punished for their new ideas, punished for people's inability to accept these solutions, punished due to people’s fear. Numerous times in history, war enraged countries, enraged continents, enraged the world. Disagreements proliferated into governmental divisions. After gruesome battles, after thousands of lives lost, humans realized what needed to happen. All those events lead to modern society. Now, family has lost its importance. Individualism has replaced collectivism. We have lost our optimism and care for others. There has been extended research as to why this behavior has increased. There has been research on everything-- the origin of the universe, the body and creation of life, the functions of the brain. But for some reason, some questions cannot be answered. All this experience. All this research. All this knowledge. There has been an uncountable amount of labyrinthine occurrences in the universe. And yet, you leaving me was the most puzzling one. The year 2003-- The Human Genome Project, the Department of Homeland Security created, major combat in Iraq was declared over, I came into the world. But there was something missing. Or should I say someone. The scientists and philosophers said that it was an issue of maturity and commitment. It was due to an overwhelming amount of fear that you would fail as a father. I cannot explain why you did this. I will never know why you did this. At this rate, I am numb to the pain that you should have caused me. You do not care why, but I will tell you anyways. (At this point it's to make you feel better about yourself). My mother, the woman that you used to call your own, devoted herself to me. She showed me how to be brave without the influence and right hand of a man. Instead of finishing school, instead of hanging out with her friends, she helped me with school, she spent her time with me. Everything I am to this day, and everything I live for, and everyone I care about, it was built without you. At this point, I feel I should almost have gratitude for you, if you didn’t leave I would not have this life now. I am confident in myself, I love and care endlessly about those in my life, I live up to my true potential. Everything I need to survive, to flourish, I have. Food, clothing, shelter, water, human interaction, they are right at my fingertips. You have a daughter, one who isn’t me. You have a wife. You have a job. You are happy. Happy without me. I am proud of you. As much as I should despise your joy, no one should live a life of regret. No one should have to give up their capacity to feel exuberance. So as much as this act has confused me, I will be great due to it. I will use it to motivate me, I will use it to grow, I will use it to know who I strive to be as a person. One day, this question as to why you left could be solved, or maybe it will be stuck in the research platform forever. I will come up with my theories as to why. And they might contradict others. But the difference between you and me will be, I will not let my deviations break the relationships I have.

1. Why do I deserve free money? That's a great question I wish I could answer, because obviously I have enough money as a broke student since I take out college loans to pay for my morning dosage of caffeine. This money would allow me to put even more time and dedication into becoming a caffeine addict and connoisseur. 2. My career goal is to not have a job. I'd spend my days sleeping, eating cake, and rewatching sappy early 2000's drama. I would rely on everyone else to support my love of material items, therefore never letting myself get a job at all. 3. Entering a life of privilege, my biggest obstacle would have to be communicating with my teachers and advisors. The reason this was such an obstacle is because I obviously had no way to deliver how smart or amazing I was, words have no way to explain the level of mastery I have in life.