When the question shifted from “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” to “So what are you going to be next year?” I panicked. I knew how a baby bird must feel pushed it out of the nest. It wants to fly, but it has only observed, studied the world from the comfort of its nest, noted the dangers of the outside world, and perhaps even calculated its first flight. Like that baby bird, I spent my whole life trying to prepare for success. I’ve worked hard in school, sacrificing sleep for an A+. I’ve pushed myself physically and mentally in dance, practicing for hours each week. When I had any free time, I worked to earn money. I was doing all the right things, putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to create a future that seemed “successful.” But I realized something crucial. All of this effort and preparation left little space for considering what I actually wanted my future to be. I had spent so much time building a foundation for success that I hadn’t stopped to ask myself whether the path I was walking on was truly my own. In The Bell Jar Plath writes, “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree…I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.” This quote resonated with me. It captured the fear of having so many choices that I could not make a decision at all. Then everything clicked. I want to help people. I want to work with kids. I want to have a career that feels meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding. I want to build a life that aligns with my passions and values. I want to be a speech-language pathologist. I have done an internship at an elementary school, and know it is what I want to do. Becoming a SLP is the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Looking back, I realize that while I was so focused on preparing for the future, I was overlooking what truly mattered to me: a future that I could be passionate about. I don’t need to pick the “perfect” fig or follow a prescribed path to success. I’ve learned that success isn’t about achieving external standards, but about finding purpose in the work I do and making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. And now, I’m ready to fly, just like the bird that once hesitated on the edge of the nest. I just need some help to get there. I have worked hard in school becoming a summa cum laude honor graduate, National Honor Society member, and Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute member, I worked hard in dance gaining first place trophies and special awards at dance competitions, I have worked hard at my job, and in everything I have done. I will continue to work hard at the University of Maine. I hope that you see my potential for success and support me on my journey through higher education. Thank you!

I have a bank account, but it is empty. I work hard, balancing my time between school, dance, and hostessing at a restaurant, and even though I never buy anything frivolous, I can't seem to make that number grow. My parents taught me how to work hard. They each have two jobs trying to give us a comfortable life, but there are things we can't afford. We are on Mainecare and are eligible for reduced lunch at school, so even thought they try to hide it from me, I know we are poor. We may not have all that we want, but we always have all that we need. My parents have taught me the difference between want and need. We may not have the latest phone or lululemon pants, but we always have good nutritious food and we sit as as family to eat it. We have love; we are rich with it. One of our biggest expenses outside the normal living expenses goes to my dance classes. I have danced since I was two years old and I love my dance studio. It is like a second home for me. It has taught me so much over the years. Not only have I learned to arabesque, but I have learned how to be a part of a team, how to resolve conflict, how to be a leader, and so much more. Dance is very expensive, so I work at a restaurant to help pay and I also volunteer at the dance studio as a teachers assistant to get a reduced rate. I have also saved up to attend special summer dance camps that pushed me as a dancer, and I am so glad I had those opportunities. I often think I get more out of these experiences, having paid my own way. I think I appreciate it more than my friends whose parents have paid for them. However, because of these expenses, like I said, my back account is very sad. I have worked hard in school hoping that being a summa cum laude honor graduate, National Honor Society member, and Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute member will help me secure some scholarships so that I can go to college. I want to have a career that feels meaningful and rewarding. I want to build a life that aligns with my values. I want to be a speech-language pathologist. Becoming a speech-language pathologist (SLP) feels like the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference in the world. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and, ultimately, help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Unfortunately, despite my hard work, going to college really comes down to numbers. FAFSA helped a bit, but not nearly enough. Scholarships from the schools have helped, but again, they don't cover everything. I am choosing to go to a state school, despite really wanting to go out of state and have new experiences, because it is more cost-effective. I have always made smart money decisions, like buying a vintage prom dress for $50 rather than spending hundreds on a dress I will wear once. I hope that you will see my potential for success and support me on my journey through higher education. Thank you!

When the question shifted from “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” to “So what are you going to be next year?” I panicked. I knew how a baby bird must feel pushed it out of the nest. It wants to fly, but it has only observed, studied the world from the comfort of its nest, noted the dangers of the outside world, and perhaps even calculated its first flight. Like that baby bird, I had spent my whole life trying to prepare for success. I’ve worked hard in school, sacrificing sleep for an A+. I’ve pushed myself physically and mentally in dance, practicing for hours each week. When I had any free time, I worked to earn money. I was doing all the right things, putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to create a future that seemed “successful.” But I realized something crucial. All of this effort and preparation left little space for considering what I actually wanted my future to be. I had spent so much time building a foundation for success that I hadn’t stopped to ask myself whether the path I was walking on was truly my own. In The Bell Jar Plath writes, “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree…I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.” This quote resonated with me. It captured the fear of having so many choices that I could not make a decision at all. Then everything clicked. I want to help people. I want to work with kids. I want to have a career that feels meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding. I want to build a life that aligns with my passions and values. I want to be a speech-language pathologist. Becoming a SLP is the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Looking back, I realize that while I was so focused on preparing for the future, I was overlooking what truly mattered to me: a future that I could be passionate about. I don’t need to pick the “perfect” fig or follow a prescribed path to success. I’ve learned that success isn’t about achieving external standards, but about finding purpose in the work I do and making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. And now, I’m ready to fly, just like the bird that once hesitated on the edge of the nest. I just need some help to get there.

I have a bank account, but it is empty. I work hard, balancing my time between school, dance, and hostessing at a restaurant, and even though I never buy anything frivolous, I can't seem to make that number grow. My parents taught me how to work hard. They each have two jobs trying to give us a comfortable life, but there are things we can't afford. We are on Mainecare and are eligible for reduced lunch at school, so even thought they try to hide it from me, I know we are poor. We may not have all that we want, but we always have all the we need. My parents have taught me the difference between want and need. We may not have the latest phone or lululemon pants, but we always have good nutritious food and we sit as as family to eat it. We have love; we are rich with it. One of our biggest expenses outside the normal living expenses goes to my dance classes. I have danced since I was two years old and I love my dance studio. It is like a second home for me. It has taught me so much over the years. Not only have I learned to arabesque, but I have learned how to be a part of a team, how to resolve conflict, how to be a leader, and so much more. Dance is very expensive, so I work at a restaurant to help pay and I also volunteer at the dance studio as a teachers assistant to get a reduced rate. I have also saved up to attend special summer dance camps that pushed me as a dancer, and I am so glad I had those opportunities. I often think I get more out of these experiences, having paid my own way. I think I appreciate it more than my friends whose parents have paid for them. However, because of these expenses, like I said, my back account is very sad. I have worked hard in school hoping that being a summa cum laude honor graduate, National Honor Society member, and Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute member will help me secure some scholarships so that I can go to college. I want to have a career that feels meaningful and rewarding. I want to build a life that aligns with my values. I want to be a speech-language pathologist. Becoming a speech-language pathologist (SLP) feels like the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference in the world. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and, ultimately, help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Unfortunately, despite my hard work, going to college really comes down to numbers. FAFSA helped a bit, but not nearly enough. Scholarships from the schools have helped, but again, they don't cover everything. I am choosing to go to a state school, despite really wanting to go out of state and have new experiences, because it is more cost-effective. I have always made smart money decisions, like buying a vintage prom dress for $50 rather than spending hundreds on a dress I will wear once. I hope that you will see my potential for success and support me on my journey through higher education. Thank you!

My name is Helen Harrington and I am a senior at Oceanside High School in Rockland, Maine. I am the fourth generation to graduate from this local high school, though it has been renamed over the years. My great-grandfather’s name, Domenic Cuccinello, still resides on the wall at my high school. It makes me proud to see it there and be reminded of my roots and the rich history of our area. I have a great love for our community, and over the years I have tried to make it a better place. I have volunteered for clean-up efforts, fuel assistance fund raisers, food pantry donations, at our local Lobster Festival, and more. I have also helped organize fund raisers for locals who are suffering and need assistance with hospital bills. I care deeply for people and hope to make a difference in the world. I plan to get my bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders then go on to get my master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Becoming a SLP is the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Along with being excited about my future, I am also passionate about my favorite hobby, dance. It is more than a hobby really, it is a huge part of my life. I have been dancing with Miss Vanessa at Studio Red since I was two years old. She amazes me how she is such a professional and organized business woman, but still so relatable and kind. She has a group of 300, mostly girls, and a lot of preteen and teenagers, yet there are hardly any problems between them. She has created a family atmosphere where any problems get resolved right away. We have restorative circles every month and she has a suggestion box to ask for our advice on how to make things better at the studio. Some leaders think they are doing a wonderful job and never reach out to actually ask how they are doing. I believe it takes strength to always try to improve yourself, and she has taught us that we should always strive for more, and that we should not be afraid to ask for help and advice. She is an inspiring leader. I hope to be like her one day and try to emulate her leadership skills while volunteering as an assistant teacher. As a member of the Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Program, we have been mentored about "values, voice, and vision." I believe I have admirable values, a strong voice and a clear vision for my future. As a member of the National Honor Society we talk about the importance of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. I am graduating in the top 10% of my class summa cum laude. I volunteer to help my community. I have taken on leadership roles in school, work, and in dance. And most people think I am quite the character! People often comment on my sense of humor and relentless optimism, even awarding me “most likely to brighten your day” as class superlative. I will make a great future leader of Maine. I will make my family, my community, and myself proud.

My mother loves hiking; I do not. This has not stopped her from dragging me up every mountain in Maine. One summer she announced that we would be hiking Katahdin. Mount Katahdin is the tallest mountain in Maine, and I knew I would have a hard time summiting because I am afraid of heights. She promised we would not cross the Knife’s edge, which I am sure is as scary as it sounds, but she was not honest about the type of terrain we would be struggling over for 10 hours. It was so scary! We were scrambling over tall boulders above the tree line, and I felt like one small mistake and I could fall to my death at any moment. There were many times I wanted to quit. The higher we got, the more scared I became. I was paralyzed by fear. I have to admit tears were shed. But I did not give up. I would sit and compose myself when things became overwhelming, then I would set out again. I attacked that mountain the same way I approach life. You cannot back down from your fears. You must persevere through hard times. You have to, literally, put one foot in front of the other and keep going. I made it to the top of Katahdin, and I am glad that I did. We got a spectacular view, and standing there staring down at the tiny world below me I felt so accomplished. Though I will never climb that peak again, I will use the same determination to get through other obstacles I come across. For instance, right now I am dealing with the death of my best friend. Preston Henderson lost his 18 month battle with cancer two weeks ago. It is hard to imagine a world without him in it. I am overwhelmed. So I sit, cry, compose myself, and then get up and put one foot in front of the other. As hard as it is, I know that I have to keep going. He would want that for me. I know that I will be successful in college the same way I was in high school and the same way I was on that monstrous mountain, because I have the determination to succeed. I plan to get my bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders and then go on to get my master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Becoming a SLP is the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others.

When the question shifted from “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” to “So what are you going to be next year?” I panicked. I knew how a baby bird must feel pushed it out of the nest. It wants to fly, but it has only observed, studied the world from the comfort of its nest, noted the dangers of the outside world, and perhaps even calculated its first flight. Like that baby bird, I had spent my whole life trying to prepare for success. I’ve worked hard in school, sacrificing sleep for an A+. I’ve pushed myself physically and mentally in dance, practicing for hours each week. When I had any free time, I worked to earn money. I was doing all the right things, putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to create a future that seemed “successful.” But I realized something crucial. All of this effort and preparation left little space for considering what I actually wanted my future to be. I had spent so much time building a foundation for success that I hadn’t stopped to ask myself whether the path I was walking on was truly my own. In The Bell Jar Plath writes, “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree…I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.” This quote resonated with me. It captured the fear of having so many choices that I could not make a decision at all. Then everything clicked. I want to help people. I want to work with kids. I want to have a career that feels meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding. I want to build a life that aligns with my passions and values. I want study Communication Disorders and Sciences to be a speech-language pathologist. Becoming a SLP is the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Looking back, I realize that while I was so focused on preparing for the future, I was overlooking what truly mattered to me: a future that I could be passionate about. I don’t need to pick the “perfect” fig or follow a prescribed path to success. I’ve learned that success isn’t about achieving external standards, but about finding purpose in the work I do and making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. And now, I’m ready to fly, just like the bird that once hesitated on the edge of the nest. I just need some help to get there.

When the question shifted from “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” to “So what are you going to be next year?” I panicked. I knew how a baby bird must feel pushed it out of the nest. It wants to fly, but it has only observed, studied the world from the comfort of its nest, noted the dangers of the outside world, and perhaps even calculated its first flight. Like that baby bird, I had spent my whole life trying to prepare for success. I’ve worked hard in school, sacrificing sleep for an A+. I’ve pushed myself physically and mentally in dance, practicing for hours each week. When I had any free time, I worked to earn money. I was doing all the right things, putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to create a future that seemed “successful.” But I realized something crucial. All of this effort and preparation left little space for considering what I actually wanted my future to be. I had spent so much time building a foundation for success that I hadn’t stopped to ask myself whether the path I was walking on was truly my own. In The Bell Jar Plath writes, “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree…I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.” This quote resonated with me. It captured the fear of having so many choices that I could not make a decision at all. Then everything clicked. I want to help people. I want to work with kids. I want to have a career that feels meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding. I want to build a life that aligns with my passions and values. I want to be a speech-language pathologist. Becoming a SLP is the perfect way for me to merge my love of helping others with my desire to make a difference. The idea of working with children, supporting them as they navigate their own challenges with speech and communication, excites me. In this role, I can make an immediate impact on a child's development and help them reach their full potential. It is a career where I can truly make a difference, not just for my own success, but for the success of others. Looking back, I realize that while I was so focused on preparing for the future, I was overlooking what truly mattered to me: a future that I could be passionate about. I don’t need to pick the “perfect” fig or follow a prescribed path to success. I’ve learned that success isn’t about achieving external standards, but about finding purpose in the work I do and making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. And now, I’m ready to fly, just like the bird that once hesitated on the edge of the nest. I just need some help to get there.