@izzy.busy.spider

I've had a unique experience when it comes to education. I've moved ten times and moved schools more times than I can count. It's the same story in each state, try out a couple of schools, settle into one, and then move away a year later. Luckily, I was always one of those weird kids who always generally liked school. School to me, always felt like an escape from my messy home life. Instead of letting my familial issues consume me, I immersed myself in school. School, in a way, was the only thing that stayed the same in my life, no matter what state or city or house I inhabited, I always needed to go to school. Focusing on excelling in school got me through many things, my mother going through Breast and Colin cancer, and the constant war between my parents at home to name a few. School, to me, was something in my life that I could control. Of course, not all schools and classes are the stellar escape that I needed. As I got older, I started to understand the colossal effect teachers have on their students. When I got into high school, I began to see all the misunderstood and poorly treated minorities in school. I saw students with mental health issues, invisible disabilities, neurodivergent students, socially inept students, and students who had just given up. I looked around at my peers and saw all of these misunderstood kids who were muddling through life, taking all of the hard hits given to them simply because they weren't "normal". I've watched teachers continuously deny these kids the extra attention and care that they need and deserve. I've watched them give up on these kids and yell at them for needing accommodations. There was one example in particular that stuck with me. One of my classmates is on the Autism spectrum and is legally permitted to have headphones on during class. She even had a form from the doctor as proof. My teacher denied her and commanded her to take the headphones off, telling her she was not allowed, under any circumstances, to have her headphones on. This treatment caused her to drop the class not a week later. I've witnessed so many of these moments in my time at school, and each time it just kills me. As teenagers, it's often assumed that they are trying to get away with something. Teachers need to recognize that students are not always lying; they aren't consistently trying to deceive them. Sometimes they just need to function a bit differently than what the teachers are used to. I've only experienced this kind of behavior on a small scale, for example, my teachers not taking my anxiety seriously. I make sure to let all my teachers know that I have anxiety at the beginning of the year. I let them know which things tend to trigger it as well as certain things I would prefer not to do if possible without it interfering with my participation. Some teachers are very understanding and respectful of this; however, some teachers seem to take it upon themselves to single me out and force me out of my "comfort zone." I'm aware it's difficult for people without anxiety to understand what it's like, to understand the severity of the damage it can cause. However, I do not think that is an excuse for some people feeling the need to take it upon themselves to "cure" me. Some teachers end up making me feel punished for trying to set my boundaries. This feeling is something I never want any student to endure. We should not be teaching these students that boundary setting is an ill practice. We should be encouraging them to recognize what they need and be able to ask for it. Witnessing this lack of equity is what inspires me to pursue a degree in education. I want to be the teacher who will help the students who so often get rejected by other students and teachers alike. I don't want them to feel alienated for having circumstances that others are unwilling to understand. I want to be that place where students feel safe to express their needs and how I can best help them; I want to show them that they have every capacity to learn despite what others have told them.

1. I deserve this scholarship because I am, in fact, quite broke. So totally and completely broke. You see, my goal here is to live out that "Ace Ventura Pet Detective" lifestyle. I want to live in an apartment in Boston, Boston, because I have a Boston Terrier, and I'd want him to feel at home, of course. Now you may be wondering what exactly an "Ace Ventura Pet Detective" lifestyle entails. Now I'm sure you've seen this movie before because let's be honest, who hasn't? Ace Ventura fascinated an entire generation. I'm thinking 30 animals tops; maybe we can make it to fifty if I get dwarf hamsters. I need this scholarship to be able to pay for their food and toys and cute little Halloween costumes. Please note that all animals are required to participate in Halloween, or they will be exiled. 2. Ace Ventura Pet Detective. Next question. 3. Once I lost my chameleon and could not find him anywhere. Naturally, I decided to insert a tiny piece of metal into the mealworms I left out for him. Once the mealworms were eaten, I whipped out my metal detector and found the little sucker chilling under my sink. Innovation is vital; work smarter, not harder.

People look at my 3.9 GPA and instantly assume that I'm brilliant and that school comes easy to me. This assumption is not only false, but it is one I've had to deal with my entire life. I get asked, "well, if you aren't just smart, then how do you have a good GPA?" I can honestly say that determination and drive are eighty percent of the work. I'm a firm believer in doing your best at everything you do. Once you have that motivation set, the rest is execution. Over my time in high school, I've managed to find a few helpful strategies that have helped me. Math tends to be the subject I struggle with the most. Ever since I was little, math has never really computed in my brain. I'm aware that math is one of the most prominent blind spots in my academic career, so this is the subject I focus on the most when studying. If I don't feel solid on the material, I'll print out new copies of all the homework from that section and do them repeatedly until I get the correct answers. There isn't much to memorize in math, so practice is the only way to go. This method is extraneous but effective. Of course, tests are always a bit different from the homework, but in my mind, this strategy is the best I've found to best prepare me. When it comes to other subjects that come easier to me, like science, I tend to make Quizlets. While the concept of Quizlet may be over-advertised, I've found it to be beneficial when it comes to memorization. Not every kind of studying will work for everybody, but these are the particular strategies I've found that have helped me the most throughout high school.

When I was about thirteen, I was going through a difficult time in my life. My family and I moved nearly every year to a completely different state. This constant change caused me to begin giving up on making social connections. I didn't want to become attached to anything that I knew would be ripped away from me in a few months. This fear caused me to develop crushing social anxiety as well as a general quietness in my demeanor. My family and I lived in a small temporary apartment that I never left while we waited to move into our house. At that time, I had been doing online school for about five months; nothing changed when I moved to Washington. As time went on, I became more reclusive, and my anxiety continued to grow. I was terrified of interacting with other people; it got to the point where I couldn't even make a phone call without having a full-blown anxiety attack. It felt like a constant war in my mind; I knew I was freaking out for no reason. I just couldn't understand why I started to hyperventilate at the thought of asking the grocery store employee where the milk was. I felt stupid. I knew it wasn't a big deal, so why was my body acting like it was dying? This constant struggle put a massive strain on my relationship with my mother. I understood how difficult it was to understand what I was feeling for someone who had never had anxiety before, but that didn't change the fact that what I was feeling was real. She didn't understand that it wasn't a choice to freak out about things; she didn't understand that I needed time to calm myself down without her yelling at me to stop crying. I didn't need her to understand. I just needed her support. I've also felt this disconnect in school. My teachers often don't take my anxiety seriously. I let all my teachers know that I have anxiety at the beginning of the year. Some teachers take it upon themselves to single me out and force me out of my "comfort zone." I'm aware it's difficult for people without anxiety to understand the severity of the damage anxiety can cause. However, I do not think that is an excuse for some people to take it upon themselves to "cure" me. Some teachers end up making me feel punished for setting my boundaries. This feeling is something I never want any student to endure. We should not be teaching these students that boundary setting is an ill practice. We should be encouraging them to recognize what they need and be able to ask for it. This is what sparked me to strive to become a teacher. As I got into high school, I began to see students with mental health issues and invisible disabilities, neurodivergent students, socially inept students, and students who were just giving up. I looked around at my peers and saw all of these misunderstood kids who were just muddling through life. I know how difficult it is not to be respected and validated. I want to be the teacher who will help the students who so often get rejected by other students and teachers alike. I don't want them to feel alienated for having circumstances that others are unwilling to understand. I want to be that place where students feel safe to express their needs and how I can best help them; I want to show them that they have every capacity to learn despite what others have told them. Now, almost five years later, I've made peace with my anxiety. I've stopped fighting it every day; I've stopped punishing myself for feeling anxious. I understand now what it means to have an anxiety disorder. Over this five-year ongoing battle, I learned that my anxiety will likely never entirely disappear. It's learning to live alongside it that is genuinely beneficial. I realized that there was no point in trying to fight it because it is a part of you, a part of your brain. That being said, that is no reason to let it run your life. I have found so many valuable coping mechanisms that work for me, making lists, singing, identifying objects of different colors, and counting, to name a few. Of course, like most individuals struggling with anxiety, I still have my gnarly days, but the difference is now, that the good days outweigh the bad. I think that's all I could ever ask for. I'm grateful for my experience because it made me a much more compassionate person. I'm now more equipped to help my friends, family, strangers, and hopefully future students. For that, I thank my anxiety.

I am known for my academic achievements and organization amongst friends, family, and teachers. I don't achieve all A's because I'm brilliant; I achieve them because I am incredibly determined. Constantly working to do my best at everything I do can sometimes leave me feeling burnt out and overwhelmed. Whenever I catch myself feeling this way, I evaluate the situation. I know that if I don't rest, I won't be able to produce as good an outcome as if I did rest. This notion, in my mind, justifies the time being spent on a break. When I need a physical or mental break, I turn off all the lights in my room and turn on my soft, colorful LED lights. Then I light some incense and throw all of my blankets onto the couch in my room. I then put on a movie, a tv show, or a book. Usually, if it's a movie, it'll be something from Disney or Pixar. If it's a TV show, it's most likely one of the new Marvel Series on Disney Plus. And if it's a book, I'm likely to pick up one of my poetry books and take notes in that, highlighting and marking all the lines I particularly like. I know many people tend to participate in hobbies to relax. However, many of my hobbies have a final product, such as painting, sculpting, and collaging. As much as I enjoy doing those things, they don't tend to relax me because I'm still worried about how the final product will turn out. This is why I like immersing myself in a form of media instead. Nothing is expected of me, and nothing has to be perfect. Not everyone relaxes in the same way, but I find immense peace in my version of relaxation.

My bucket list isn't exactly wondrous and highly adventurous. You won't find things like "hike in Yosemite" or "go skydiving" on my list. My list may be mundane comparatively speaking, but I love everything on it. Starting with the basics, I'd love to be able to travel to Japan. I've always loved Japanese culture and fashion; I believe it would be a fantastic, culturally immersive experience. Some of the odder things include interacting with otters and jellyfish. It would be an incredible experience to be able to swim with jellyfish or feed some otters. I love animals, but marine animals, in particular, have always been my fascination. There are two bucket list items of mine that I've completed. Again, these may seem mundane to most but are important to me. The first of the aforementioned items is getting my driver's license and getting over my extreme fear of driving. Ever since I was little, driving had always scared me; I always dreaded the time when I would have to learn to drive. I worked not having a panic attack every time I sat behind the wheel. I learned to drive for about a year and a half before finally taking the test to get my license. Now I'm driving with ease every day; I can even remember the last time I had a driving-educed panic attack. Another item I managed to cross off was playing Jack Kelly in a production of "Newsies." I got this opportunity when my local theater was doing a Broadway musical review. We performed various Broadway songs, but my favorite was "Seize the day" from "Newsies," where I got to play Jack Kelly. It had always been a dream role of mine, so the fact that I got to actualize that dream on stage was incredible.

Ever since I was little, I've enjoyed entertaining the thought of being a teacher. I've never been the kind of person who needs to have some extraordinary legacy or be recognized for doing great things. All I could hope for is to impact my students positively. I want to be the teacher who will help the students who so often get rejected by other students and teachers alike. I don't want them to feel alienated for having circumstances that others are unwilling to understand. I want to be that place where students feel safe to express their needs and how I can best help them; I want to show them that they have every capacity to learn despite what others have told them. This focus on equity started when I got into high school. This was when I began to see all the misunderstood and poorly treated minorities in school. I saw students with mental health issues and invisible disabilities, neurodivergent students, and socially inept students. I've watched teachers continuously deny these kids the care they need and deserve. I've watched them degrade these kids for needing accommodations. This needs to change, and I want to be a part of this change. As far as plans go, I'd love to stay in-state in Washington; I'm going to be applying to various four-year colleges in Washington, though my top pick would be the University of Washington. I hope to get my degree in Secondary Education, and once I graduate, I'd like to find a city to settle down in and an excellent school to teach at. I aim to teach Language arts courses, possibly mythology or creative writing. Who knows what will happen in my life, but I feel strongly about pursuing my goals and leading a successful and fulfilling life.

Oscar Wilde once said, "I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." This idea still reigns true to this day. I attended a liberal arts elementary school for a few years, which really sparked my love for performing. I've always been a shy and reserved person, so having an outlet to finally let my voice out is the most gratifying thing in the world to me. I've been involved in fifteen plays and musicals and performed more times than I can count. I love acting, singing, and dancing. I love being able to share emotions and perform a story. I've been asked to sing at numerous events in my community and often do character meet and greets at events. I love bringing these characters to life. I genuinely enjoy the prospect of being able to portray someone other than myself, even if just for a few hours. These opportunities allow me to understand myself and my abilities better. I'm working on my theatre skills by taking singing lessons every Monday to improve my vocal skills. I perform songs in recitals held triannually by my voice teacher. I used to take different acting classes to refine my abilities. These classes included dancing, dialect, and emotion harnessing classes. Before I began working, I used to have improv classes every Saturday; this helped me think on my feet, not just in theater but in life. All of these classes and groups I've been a part of have helped improve my theater and life skills. Anyone who does theater knows just how much the things you learn in theater translate to your personal life.

I've been moving around my entire life. I got used to moving states from a very young age every year or two. I would be lucky if I got to stay in one place for more than a year. This constant change began to have very lasting adverse effects on me as a person. I started developing severe social anxiety. This version of myself was one I hated. I hated the girl whose body began to shake at the mere thought of having to ask for a band-aid. I hated the girl who was scared to leave her room. I didn't like who I had become. However, when I moved to Washington, my family finally agreed that we wouldn't move anymore. This decision ultimately helped me find myself again. As the months went on, I slowly began to rebuild parts of myself that were lost to this deep-seated hopelessness that had been consuming me for the past three years. Nothing was being ripped away from me. I was no longer just surviving life; I was experiencing life for the first time in a very long while. Now, almost five years later, I've made peace with my anxiety. I've stopped punishing myself for feeling anxious. I understand now what it means to have an anxiety disorder. Over this five-year ongoing battle, I learned that my anxiety will likely never entirely disappear. It's learning to live alongside it that is genuinely beneficial. That being said, that is no reason to let it run your life. I'm grateful for my experience because it made me a much more compassionate person. I'm now more equipped to help my friends, family, and strangers; for that, I thank my anxiety.

When I was about thirteen, I was going through a difficult time in my life. My family and I moved nearly every year to a completely different state. This constant change caused me to begin giving up on making social connections. I didn't want to become attached to anything that I knew would be ripped away from me in a few months. This fear caused me to develop crushing social anxiety as well as a general quietness in my demeanor. My family and I lived in a small temporary apartment that I never left while we waited to move into our house. At that time, I had been doing online school for about five months; nothing changed when I moved to Washington. As time went on, I became more reclusive, and my anxiety continued to grow. I was terrified of interacting with other people; it got to the point where I couldn't even make a phone call without having a full-blown anxiety attack. It felt like a constant war in my mind; I knew I was freaking out for no reason. I just couldn't understand why I started to hyperventilate at the thought of asking the grocery store employee where the milk was. I felt stupid. I knew it wasn't a big deal, so why was my body acting like it was dying? This constant struggle put a massive strain on my relationship with my mother. I understood how difficult it was to understand what I was feeling for someone who had never had anxiety before, but that didn't change the fact that what I was feeling was real. She didn't understand that it wasn't a choice to freak out about things; she didn't understand that I needed time to calm myself down without her yelling at me to stop crying. I didn't need her to understand. I just needed her support. I've also felt this disconnect in school. My teachers often don't take my anxiety seriously. I let all my teachers know that I have anxiety at the beginning of the year. Some teachers take it upon themselves to single me out and force me out of my "comfort zone." I'm aware it's difficult for people without anxiety to understand the severity of the damage anxiety can cause. However, I do not think that is an excuse for some people to take it upon themselves to "cure" me. Some teachers end up making me feel punished for setting my boundaries. This feeling is something I never want any student to endure. We should not be teaching these students that boundary setting is an ill practice. We should be encouraging them to recognize what they need and be able to ask for it. This is what sparked me to strive to become a teacher. As I got into high school, I began to see students with mental health issues and invisible disabilities, neurodivergent students, socially inept students, and students who were just giving up. I looked around at my peers and saw all of these misunderstood kids who were just muddling through life. I know how difficult it is not to be respected and validated. I want to be the teacher who will help the students who so often get rejected by other students and teachers alike. I don't want them to feel alienated for having circumstances that others are unwilling to understand. I want to be that place where students feel safe to express their needs and how I can best help them; I want to show them that they have every capacity to learn despite what others have told them. Now, almost five years later, I've made peace with my anxiety. I've stopped fighting it every day; I've stopped punishing myself for feeling anxious. I understand now what it means to have an anxiety disorder. Over this five-year ongoing battle, I learned that my anxiety will likely never entirely disappear. It's learning to live alongside it that is genuinely beneficial. I realized that there was no point in trying to fight it because it is a part of you, a part of your brain. That being said, that is no reason to let it run your life. I have found so many valuable coping mechanisms that work for me, making lists, singing, identifying objects of different colors, and counting, to name a few. Of course, like most individuals struggling with anxiety, I still have my gnarly days, but the difference is now, that the good days outweigh the bad. I think that's all I could ever ask for. I'm grateful for my experience because it made me a much more compassionate person. I'm not more equipped to help my friends, family, strangers, and hopefully future students. For that, I thank my anxiety.

When I was about thirteen, I was going through a difficult time in my life. My family and I moved nearly every year to a completely different state. This constant change caused me to begin giving up on making social connections. I didn't want to become attached to anything that I knew would be ripped away from me in a few months. This fear caused me to develop crushing social anxiety as well as a general quietness in my demeanor. My family and I lived in a small temporary apartment that I never left while we waited to move into our house. At that time, I had been doing online school for about five months; nothing changed when I moved to Washington. As time went on, I became more reclusive, and my anxiety grew. I was terrified of interacting with other people; it got to the point where I couldn't even make a phone call without having a full-blown anxiety attack. It felt like a constant war in my mind; I knew I was freaking out for no reason. I just couldn't understand why I started to hyperventilate at the thought of asking the grocery store employee where the milk was. I felt stupid. I knew it wasn't a big deal, so why was my body acting like it was dying? This constant struggle put a massive strain on my relationship with my mother. I understood how difficult it was to understand what I was feeling for someone who had never had anxiety before, but that didn't change the fact that what I was feeling was real. She didn't understand that it wasn't a choice to freak out about things; she didn't understand that I needed time to calm myself down without her yelling at me to stop crying. I didn't need her to understand. I just needed her support. I've also felt this disconnect in school. My teachers often don't take my anxiety seriously. I let all my teachers know that I have anxiety at the beginning of the year. Some teachers take it upon themselves to single me out and force me out of my "comfort zone." I'm aware it's difficult for people without anxiety to understand the severity of the damage anxiety can cause. However, I do not think that is an excuse for some people to take it upon themselves to "cure" me. Some teachers end up making me feel punished for setting my boundaries. This feeling is something I never want any student to endure. We should not be teaching these students that boundary setting is an ill practice. We should be encouraging them to recognize what they need and be able to ask for it. This is what sparked me to strive to become a teacher. As I got into high school, I began to see students with mental health issues and invisible disabilities, neurodivergent students, socially inept students, and students who were just giving up. I looked around at my peers and saw all of these misunderstood kids who were just muddling through life. I know how difficult it is not to be respected and validated. I want to be the teacher who will help the students who so often get rejected by other students and teachers alike. I don't want them to feel alienated for having circumstances that others are unwilling to understand. I want to be that place where students feel safe to express their needs and how I can best help them; I want to show them that they have every capacity to learn despite what others have told them.

Sculptures carved by ancient civilizations have always caught my eye, ever since I was a little girl. I've always loved works of art made of clay or marble, something molded or carved to the exact desired shape. I find it particularly fascinating to see how people viewed and portrayed humanity back then. My all-time favorite piece of artwork is the famous Roman marble statue of Aphrodite carved by Greek sculptor Menophantos. Menophantos' statue of this famous Greek Goddess is particularly beautiful to me because of how realistic it is. Aphrodite is the Goddess of love and beauty, and I really admire how Menophantos carved her to look so accurate to the female figure. He didn't idealize her; he didn't sexualize her. He kept her human and genuine. Aphrodite has arm fat, belly rolls, hip dips, big feet, thicker thighs, a more prominent nose, a small chest, and a soft jawline. The statue isn't some fantastical version created for the male gaze. She, like most women, has features that society has deemed unattractive. If I can look at a statue of the Goddess of beauty and see myself in her, that is the best feeling art can give someone. Looking at this statue doesn't make me feel inferior; it helps remind me that it's okay not to look how social media wants me to look. When I see Aphrodite's statue, it continuously inspires me to be okay with my insecurities and make peace with myself. Why would I try and look like a barbie doll when I already look like a Goddess?

I was always one of those weird kids who has always generally liked school; by the second week of summer, I was ready to go back to school. I enjoy understanding things; I enjoy learning things. As I began to get older, I started to understand the importance and colossal effect teachers have on their students. As I got into high school, I began to see all the misunderstood and poorly treated minorities in school. I saw students with mental health issues and invisible disabilities, neurodivergent students, socially inept students, and students who were just giving up because they didn't think they had a chance in this world. I looked around at my peers and saw all of these misunderstood kids who were just muddling through life, taking all of the hard hits given to them simply because they weren't like the other students. I've watched teachers continuously deny these kids the extra attention and care that they need and deserve. I've watched them give up on these kids and yell at them for needing accommodations. There was one example in particular that genuinely stuck with me. This girl, Millie, was on the Autism spectrum and legally permitted to have headphones on during class. She even had a form from the doctor as proof. My teacher denied her and commanded her to take the headphones off, telling her she was not allowed, under any circumstances, to have her headphones on. This treatment caused Millie to drop the class not a week later. I've witnessed so many of these moments in my time at school, and each time it just kills me. Teachers often do not understand that students are not always lying; they aren't consistently trying to deceive the teachers. Sometimes they just need to function a bit differently than what the teachers are used to. I've only experienced this kind of behavior on a small scale, for example, my teachers not taking my anxiety seriously. I make sure to let all my teachers know that I have anxiety at the beginning of the year. I let them know which things tend to trigger it as well as certain things I would prefer not to do if possible without it interfering with my participation. Some teachers are very understanding and respectful of this; however, some teachers seem to take it upon themselves to single me out and force me out of my "comfort zone." I'm aware it's difficult for people without anxiety to understand what it's like, to understand the severity of the damage it can cause. However, I do not think that is an excuse for some people feeling the need to take it upon themselves to "cure" me. Some teachers end up making me feel punished for trying to set my boundaries. This feeling is something I never want any student to endure. We should not be teaching these students that boundary setting is an ill practice. We should be encouraging them to recognize what they need and be able to ask for it. Witnessing this lack of equity is what inspires me to be a teacher. I want to be the teacher who will help the students who so often get rejected by other students and teachers alike. I don't want them to feel alienated for having circumstances that others are unwilling to understand. I want to be that place where students feel safe to express their needs and how I can best help them; I want to show them that they have every capacity to learn despite what others have told them.

It's easy for us as a society to get caught up in the jam-packed cut-throat world that we are so used to. Every day you see different celebrities getting "canceled" and people getting in heated debates. Privileged people who have never experienced the kind of discrimination that we are fighting against often find it necessary to criticize these actions. As a first-generation Hispanic LGBTQ+ woman, I know firsthand what it's like to face this kind of hate. That being said, I think it's necessary sometimes to take a moment and see how far we've come in our journey to be heard as minorities. America is not perfect, far from it, but we must acknowledge that it is better than it was fifty years ago. We're seeing pride parades in small towns, cities, and rural areas alike, which would have never been possible if it weren't for the voices of queer activists who have fought for this right. As slow as it is, there is change being made. You are now able to get married to the same sex in all fifty states, which is an absolutely massive achievement for us. These changes are being made one by one, maybe even just one county at a time, but still, they are being made. This progress is what gives me hope for the future. Seeing just how much our laws and norms have changed just in the past few years is incredible. For example, this past year, I've seen the idea of pronouns being used on the regular. I love going to a business or professional company and seeing a slot for your pronouns. It's amazing that we're normalizing this crucial key to one's identity. I hope that the social norms continue to improve for all of the minorities out there that are continuously screaming to be heard. Although we have made so much progress in the past decade, that doesn't change the fact that discrimination happens every single day. Progress doesn't equal perfect; we need to be conscious of how we can respect and listen to minorities. Whether it be racist or homophobic comments, bullying, non-equal opportunities, or just a general disdain, discrimination is a prominent factor in our world as we know it that needs to be eradicated. With the progress we've been making so far, I have hope that we are on the right path towards creating a more inclusive future.

I've read hundreds of books throughout my life. I've been genuinely affected by most of these books and thoroughly enjoyed reading them. The most inspiring and personally touching book I've ever read would be "All the bright places" by Jennifer Niven. The story has to do with the idea of mental health. It's the story of a boy named Finch with bipolar disorder meeting a girl named Violet who was suffering from grief-induced depression. He lifts her up and becomes the bright spot in her life, eventually taking the steps to help her get out of that rut. He then ends up taking his own life because of all the things that had been going on inside of his own head. I feel that this story is critical to take note of. A lesson I've taken from this book is that you need to check on the positive people in your life. Just because they are smiling doesn't mean they aren't struggling. I adore how well-written the book was; the perspectives change every chapter. Because of the perspective shifts, one really gets to experience the grief, joy, loss, and frustration the characters go through. This book helped me realize just how much of an impact there would be if I were no longer here. I always think of this book on my rough days when everything feels like too much. I think of what it would do to my parents, friends, boyfriend, and everyone around me. This book also helped me feel less like an outcast. A lot of the things that Finch used to cope are things that I do as well—seeing that other people had similar experiences as I made me feel better about my experiences. This book truly did change the way I thought about myself.

There are so many little things in our lives that people often take for granted. I've learned that sometimes you need to admire the little everyday things. Fall in love with each moment: fall in love with the way your creamer swirls when you pour it into your coffee in the morning. Fall in love with the feeling of your key turning in your car engine. Fall in love with the way your cat wakes up in a curled little ball every morning. Find joy and love in the little ordinary things in life. This method is how I find joy in so many things. Life is complicated and overwhelming; focusing on little things helps me not feel overwhelmed. I enjoy falling in love with life's little moments. Finding these little things that bring me joy tends to help me gain the motivation to do difficult things. When I was a freshman in high school, I was going through a tough time. My life felt crushing and overwhelming; it all was becoming too much for me to handle. So, I made a list of things I find beautiful. The smell of coffee, the sound of typing, black nail polish, warm summer nights, and the feeling of a cat's purr, to name a few. Whenever I began to feel endlessly lost and hopeless, I would look at my list. In a way, it was like a list of things that I would miss if I were gone. The items on this list weren't particularly extravagant or abstract. They were tangible things that would never change. No matter what happened in my life, the sound of typing would never change. I found joy in little reliable things; they keep me grounded and improve my mental health.

Like most people, I had no idea what I wanted out of life for a very long time. I was simply going through the motions that people told me would lead me to a bright future. It was only when I got into high school that I began to think about my future for myself. As a junior in high school, I've been thinking about what I want to do when I graduate. There's always been one profession that's stuck with me my entire life. I've gone through many phases, as the majority of people do, but teaching, in particular, has always been a constant in the back of my mind. I've always appreciated teachers. The amount of work and dedication that teachers put into their classes and students is amazing to me. I often try to show my nonverbal appreciation for them with gifts. I was, and still am, the weird kid that always brought my teachers a gift on every holiday I could. The impact that teachers have on their students is massive. Specifically, I would love to become a High School English teacher; I would like to be able to create a safe space for underrepresented students such as racial minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and neurodivergent students. I want to make a difference in their lives. Aside from my career goals, I would love to live in King County, Washington, or somewhere urban. I absolutely love cities; I never dreamed of a big house with a white picket fence and a backyard. When I envision myself happy in the future, it's always in an apartment in the city. Overall I don't have any world-changing goals in my life, but I don't feel like I need to change the world to be happy and fulfilled

In third grade, I promised myself that I would never get married because I didn't want to live my life with someone who made me miserable. I didn't have the typical white picket fence and family dinners growing up. Instead, I grew up dreading holidays and avoiding any situation where both of my parents needed to be present. I desperately wished my parents would get divorced. I remember growing up thinking that love was awful and toxic. My parents were in a constant argument; it was always a war. Of course, they did their best to hide their particularly gnarly disagreements, but being a curious child, that never worked all that well. I used to think that’s just what love and marriage are, only fighting. I simply assumed that everyone else’s parents were putting on the same facade as mine by acting as if they were a perfectly happy couple in public. Now that I’m older, I realize how great of an effect the way I grew up has on me. I tend not to put my trust in people. When it comes to relationships, I always expect the worst from the person. In my brain, I simply assume they’d react in the way my parents would have towards each other. It has been extremely difficult for me to be okay with being open to the idea of romantic love. For a long time, I’d reject any sign of romantic love, whether it be internal or given to me by someone else. I've noticed that I begin to get defensive when affection is shown to me. I’m scared that they will reach through my skin, crack my ribs, and rip my heart from my chest. I'm working on unlearning that and developing a healthier relationship with love.

I believe my best skill is the ability to be motivated. This is something I know many people struggle with. This skill didn't come easily to me at first, but after many years of practicing how best to stay motivated, I’ve found a point where I don't struggle with it anymore. When I was in my early teen years I began to struggle with anxiety, social anxiety in particular. I would only sit in my room and do school online. I found it difficult to do anything else. I didn't have any friends, no desires, and no dreams for the future. After two years of this pattern, something clicked in my head. I had to change if I wanted a better future. Just like that my path to motivation began. I tried out many different hobbies and interests to see what stuck, even when it was difficult to put myself out there. Now almost three years later I have managed to continue to build my motivation. I have gone through some strenuous times in my life and it has not been easy. During those times my motivation for a better future is the one thing that continuously aids me in keeping me going. There are many times when I begin to feel overwhelmed by life's all-encompassing struggles and wonder if I can keep going. It is during these times that I need my motivation the most. It is the will to keep going towards a happier future that pushes me to try to excel at everything I can. I still continue to improve upon this skill every day by putting myself out there more and more and continuing to grow as a person. Without my motivation, I’m not sure I would have had the strength to keep pushing through.

Ancient sculptures have always caught my eye, ever since I was a little girl. I've always loved works of art made of clay or marble, something molded or carved to the exact desired shape. I find it particularly fascinating to see how people back then viewed and portrayed humanity. My all-time favorite piece of artwork is the famous Roman marble statue of Aphrodite carved by Greek sculptor Menophantos. Menophantos' statue of this famous Greek Goddess is particularly beautiful to me because of how realistic it is. Aphrodite is the Goddess of love and beauty and I really admire how Menophantos carved her to look so real to the female figure. He didn't idealize her, he didn't sexualize her, he kept her human and genuine. Aphrodite has arm fat, belly rolls, hip dips, big feet, thicker thighs, a bigger nose, a small chest, and a soft jawline. The statue isn't some fantastical version created for the male gaze. She, like most women, has features that society has deemed unattractive. If I can look at a statue of the Goddess of beauty, and see myself in her, that is one of the best feelings that art can give someone. Looking at this statue doesn't make me feel inferior, it helps remind me that it's okay to not look how social media wants me to look. Why would I try and look like a barbie doll when I already look like a Goddess?

The way that I viewed life was utterly changed the day that the concept of “cause and effect'' finally clicked for me. I was about fifteen years old when I realized just how much what I did in the present affected my future. Finally understanding this concept completely changed the way I lived my life. Like most people, I procrastinated small things and sometimes didn't try my absolute best on everything I did. I soon realized that if I did all of the hard things first, things would be much easier for me in the future. This was a massive shift in the way I looked at my life. Because of this realization, I now live my life with the outlook that I need to always get stuff done now so that I don't have to do it later. Any free time I have at school is spent doing school work, that way I have little to no homework to do when I get home. I don't allow myself to go to bed without finishing every single assignment that I possibly can finish that day. Sometimes this method does lead to burnout, but I have found ways to recharge. Whenever I have to do something difficult that I don't want to do I always think about my future. My future is my main motivator, whenever things seem inexplicably bleak, it’s the one thing that gives me the push to keep giving one hundred and ten percent. I know that if I slack off now and make mistakes, that is going to seriously impact my future negatively. This click in my brain was the start of me being able to work towards my best future. I always think of it as giving me my best shot.

I have never understood people who procrastinate and have a lack of motivation. Ever since I could comprehend the idea of cause and effect I’ve always been extremely self-motivated by the concept of my future. Now by future, I don't necessarily mean ten years in the future, it could be as simple as, I should do the dishes now so that I don't have to do them in an hour. That's the way that I function, I do things now so that things are easier for me in the future. I did online school in seventh grade and was completely solitary in my education. I would wake up at 6 a.m., do all the work that was available to me, and be done with school as early as 8 a.m. This left more time for me to enjoy myself for the rest of the day. I’m in public school now so I do a modified version of that strategy. Anytime an assignment is available to me I will do it as soon as possible, I never go to bed if there’s an assignment that isn’t done. I have the ability to concentrate fairly easily so I always work during any free time at school, doing this leaves me with little homework. No matter what happens I use the idea of a better future as a motivator. I've found that this is extremely effective for me. Even at my lowest of lows the drive to have a better and brighter future always keeps me going. At the end of the day the way I see it is I want to give myself my best shot. That means doing everything in my power to set myself up for success.

Learning to cope with social anxiety was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. When I was thirteen I was at a tough point in my life. My family and I used to move every year to a completely different state. This constant change caused me to give up on making social connections. I didn't want to become attached to anything that I knew would be ripped away from me in a few months. This fear caused me to develop a crushing social anxiety. I was doing online school at the time, so I truly had no outlet to be social. As time went on I became more reclusive and my anxiety continued to grow. It got to the point where I couldn't even make a phone call without having a full blown anxiety attack. I heard about auditions at a local theater in my town, and decided to audition. This was huge to me, I was putting myself out there for everyone to see and judge. Regardless of my anxiety trying to overpower my courage, I sang my fifteen seconds of “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” with what little control of my voice I had left. Soon after, I was cast in my first non-school musical. Just like that my life began to take off once again. Slowly I let myself begin to enjoy life once again. I began to flourish and grow. I was no longer scolding myself for feeling this way, instead I learned to coexist with it. I know that my anxiety will never really be gone, but learning to live with it and cope to the point where I am able to go about my day without even thinking about it is extraordinary to me. I will forever be proud of myself for that.

I have faces many different types of adversity throughout my life but one that stands out is my battle with social anxiety. When I was about thirteen I was going through a really hard time in my life. My family and I used to move about every year to a completely different state. This constant change caused me to begin to give up on making social and community connections. I didn't want to become attached to anything that I knew would be ripped away from me in a few months. This fear caused me to develop a crushing social anxiety as well as a general quietness to my demeanor. My family and I were living in a small temporary apartment that I never left while we waited to move into our house. At that time I had been doing online school for about five months, nothing changed when I moved to Washington. As time went on I just became more reclusive and my anxiety continued to grow. I was terrified of having to interact with other people, it got to the point where I couldn't even make a phone call without having a full blown anxiety attack. I somehow heard about auditions at a local community children's theater in my town. Theatre had been the one thing that I managed to stay passionate about over this hard time in my life. I decided to take a step out of my safe little zone and audition. For someone with the level of social anxiety that I had, this was huge for me. It wasn't just asking a clerk where the milk was, it was putting myself out there for everyone to see and judge. I remember my body and voice was shaking. Regardless of my anxiety trying to win the ongoing battle in my mind, I sang my little fifteen seconds of “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” with what little control of my voice I had left. Soon after, I was casted in my first non-school musical. Just like that my life began to take off once again. Slowly over time I let myself begin to enjoy life once again. I made so many lasting friendships and memories in that theater. I’m not sure where I would be in the world if I hadn't been so kindly welcomed into the community that the theater had. Not only did I make many wonderful friends, but I met so many extraordinary role models and mentors. The people there revived me, I felt like I was a part of something, even if it was small, it meant the world to me. This is not to say that my social anxiety went away overnight. It still hasn't gone away completely after almost five years; however, I have learned to coexist with it. I am no longer fighting myself on the daily, scolding myself for who I am. I can only hope that I can be a part of something that has this kind of impact on someone else. I would love to be able to provide the kind of support and familiarity that this theater provided me. Having this support taught me responsibility, resilience, organization, communication, and people skills. These are all skills that I can take to my higher education. I hope to one day be a part of teaching these skills to someone else who may be struggling as I was. Having these support systems is something that is absolutely necessary for my future, and I hope to be able to find these lasting connections in my college life to help me find my way.

When I was about thirteen I was going through a really hard time in my life. My family and I used to move about every year to a completely different state. This constant change caused me to begin to give up on making social and community connections. I didn't want to become attached to anything that I knew would be ripped away from me in a few months. This fear caused me to develop crushing social anxiety as well as a general quietness in my demeanor. My family and I were living in a small temporary apartment that I never left while we waited to move into our house. At that time I had been doing online school for about five months, nothing changed when I moved to Washington. As time went on I just became more reclusive and my anxiety continued to grow. I was terrified of having to interact with other people, it got to the point where I couldn't even make a phone call without having a full-blown anxiety attack. I somehow heard about auditions at a local community children's theater in my town. Theatre had been the one thing that I managed to stay passionate about over this hard time in my life. I decided to take a step out of my safe little zone and audition. For someone with the level of social anxiety that I had, this was huge for me. It wasn't just asking a clerk where the milk was, it was putting myself out there for everyone to see and judge. I remember my body and voice were shaking. Regardless of my anxiety trying to win the ongoing battle in my mind, I sang my little fifteen seconds of “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” with what little control of my voice I had left. Soon after, I was cast in my first non-school musical. Just like that my life began to take off once again. Slowly over time, I let myself begin to enjoy life once again. I made so many lasting friendships and memories in that theater. I’m not sure where I would be in the world if I hadn't been so kindly welcomed into the community that the theater had. Not only did I make many wonderful friends, but I met so many extraordinary role models and mentors. The people there revived me, I felt like I was a part of something, even if it was small, it meant the world to me. This is not to say that my social anxiety went away overnight. It still hasn't gone away completely after almost five years; however, I have learned to coexist with it. I am no longer fighting myself on the daily, scolding myself for who I am. This is largely because of the support system I had at that theater. I will always be infinitely grateful for this local theater, no matter where I go or what I do in the future. I know that I made so many connections at this place that will stay with me forever. I can only hope that I can be a part of something that has this kind of impact on someone else. I would love to be able to provide the kind of support and familiarity that this theater provided me. Having this support taught me responsibility, resilience, organization, communication, and people skills. I hope to create new connections with the people around me in college. I hope to be able to find lasting connections in my college life to help me as much as they did previously when I was younger.

The concept of a “healthy lifestyle” is something that is often debated amongst many different kinds of people. There are so many different health fads going around social media that make you feel like you aren’t living a successful and healthy life. Personally I believe the best way to live a healthy life is to do things that make you happy. Of course eating healthy has some amazing benefits but what’s the point if you're miserable? My mother is a health coach so I grew up on some pretty strict diets. This caused me to have a bit of an unhealthy relationship with food. Having gone through different stages of having eating disorders, I can personally say that I feel the healthiest when I’m simply doing what makes me happy. Of course I keep in mind my sugar intake and maintain a generally healthy diet, but I’m aware that that’s something everyone can easily do. It's good to find a healthy balance between personal happiness and staying healthy, both extremes have some gnarly consequences if reached. Aside from diet, some key concepts I personally find important for a healthy and long life are personal connections, stability, organization, and peace of mind. It’s important to know what’s going on in your surroundings, this is why stability and organization are important. Knowing what’s going to happen and where things are in your life will lead to growth in peace of mind. Personal connections are important to make in life, even if it’s just a fellow employee, or your bus driver. I am not a typically social person myself, however; I do see the value in having those human connections. It is vital to have someone to rely on, either for stressful life events, or just to give some company if needed.

In my opinion, independence is something completely vital in our society. Independence is a skill that will never die down in its extensive usefulness. Independence, for me, comes extremely easily. I grew up an only child and was constantly moving around so I didn't have very many friends. I've never been much of a social person anyway, though now that I've grown into a young adult I do see the value and fun in being with other people. Independence has always come naturally to me. During my seventh grade year, I switched to online school because I didn't want to have to deal with the amount of time that was being wasted in my public school. I took complete control of my own education at age eleven, I would get up as early as 5 a.m every day, finish all my work before 10 a.m, and be done with school. I would get straight A's, stick to a schedule, and use my free time to do other things I enjoyed. It is important for you to take responsibility for yourself and not rely on others or expect them to do everything for you. Of course, it's a great idea to ask for help when you need it, but it's crucial to give things a thorough try first. The quality of independence is one that I think should try to be instilled in young minds as soon as possible. Independence teaches people responsibility and truly shows them that there is a reaction to every action, whether it be positive or negative. Independence teaches you the necessity of working for things yourself, you can’t expect to be handed everything you want in life by other people. Overall I believe independence is something everyone should work towards mastering.

I think like most people I often find it difficult to find things that I love about myself. Like anyone else, I have many insecurities. I do, however, have a quality that personally I admire greatly in a person. The ability to be organized is probably the thing I love most about myself. I do an excellent job at keeping everything in my life organized. I have lists and schedules for everything, and I find extreme comfort in keeping those. I've always been an organized person, but never to the extremity that it is today. It wasn't until about 8th grade that I began realizing that staying this organized really helped my anxiety. Realizing this was a turning point in my struggle with anxiety. Having all of these lists, having everything clear, having everything planned, just helped my brain function so much better. Organization is a skill that I know a lot of people tend to struggle with, I am entirely grateful that I was able to get good at it. I think that organization is a very helpful skill to have. Not only did it help with my mental health, but it is also beneficial in the workforce. For example, I had a summer interning job at a children's theater where my skills became very helpful. Because they knew of my organizational skills, they decided to put me in charge of implementing an entirely new system for all of the scripts that they had. This involved me recording data, purging unwanted scripts, and starting up a new library-inspired system of operations all from scratch. It went perfectly and it's still a system they use to this day. Overall I think people are very hard on themselves. I find that it's important to find the things you love about yourself.

I've thought about the idea of my ideal dream life a lot. My future is the main motivator for me to do most things so it's something I work towards every day. Naturally, I want to have a successful future, one I enjoy. I think overall I just want to find contentedness in my life. I'm a realistic person, I know bad things are going to happen, and I know I'm going to have to do some hard things. As long as I am able to stay stable in a baseline state of being content with my situation, I will be living my dream life. I like the word content because it isn't happy, it isn't mediocre, it isn't sad, it is simply the idea of being okay with where you are in your life. Of course, like everyone else I have specifics of what would make up my "dream life." I would love to live in the King County area in Washington state. I fell in love with Seattle and the metropolitan area the first time I ever visited when I was thirteen. It's such a beautiful and accepting place, I would just love to be a part of it. I love the idea of having my own apartment or loft, I don't need anything expensive or fancy. Personally, I don't want to have children so, a nice apartment for myself, my future partner, and hopefully, a few animals would fit perfectly. Another big goal of mine is to become a high school English teacher. I absolutely love teaching and planning. I'd love to make a difference in the lives of kids who need it the most. I want to make school fun and engaging for students, a place that they are grateful and excited for.

Ancient sculptures have always caught my eye, ever since I was a little girl. I've always loved works of art made of clay or marble, something molded or carved to the exact desired shape. I find it particularly fascinating to see how people back then viewed and portrayed humanity. My all-time favorite piece of artwork is the famous Roman marble statue of Aphrodite carved by Greek scultpter Menophantos. Menophantos' statue of this famous Greek Goddess is particularly beautiful to me because of how realistic it is. Aphrodite is the Goddess of love and beauty and I really admire how Menophantos carved her to look so real to the female figure. He didn't idealize her, he didn't sexualize her, he kept her human and genuine. Aphrodite has arm fat, belly rolls, hip dips, big feet, thicker thighs, a bigger nose, a small chest, and a soft jawline. The statue isn't some fantastical version created for the male gaze. She, like most women, has features that society has deemed unattractive. If I can look at a statue of the Goddess of beauty, and see myself in her, that is one of the best feelings that art can give someone. Looking at this statue doesn't make me feel inferior, it helps remind me that it's okay to not look how social media want me to look. Why would I try and look like a barbie doll when I already look like a Goddess?

I've been moving around my entire life. From a very young age, I got used to moving states every year or two. I would be lucky if I got to stay in one place for more than a year. This constant change began to have very lasting negative effects on me as a person. I began developing severe social anxiety. This version of myself was one I hated. I hated the girl whose body began to shake at the mere thought of having to ask for a band-aid. I hated the girl who hid in the classrooms and read during lunch so she wouldn't have to talk to anyone. I hated the girl who was scared to leave her room. I didn't like who I had become. However, when I moved to Washington, my family finally agreed that we wouldn't move anymore. This was a decision that ultimately helped me find myself again. As the months went on I slowly began to rebuild parts of myself that had been lost to this deep-seated hopelessness that had been consuming me for the past three years. I began going to a local theater, making friends, and making lasting connections. I began to go out of the house again and I began finding things I was genuinely passionate about. I met friends, lost them, I fell in and out of love, and it was all my choice. Nothing was being ripped away from me by my life's encompassing iron grip on me. I was no longer just surviving life, I was experiencing life for the first time in a very long while. I am still rebuilding to this day, and some days are harder than others. Overall I can't wait to see who I become next, whoever she may be.