When I was nine years old my mom married a Youth Pastor. We were not christians before this and it was a big change. As a pastors kid there is always a level of expectation placed upon you. You are an example to those around you. The fear of making a mistake is huge, but it has taught me how to hold myself to a higher standard. What once was a crippling fear is now a way that I lead. I choose to make good decisions to show others how they should act. From my time as a pastors kid I have seen so much hurt in peoples lives. I've been privy to situations where people have lost everything. I've seen friendships torn apart. I have also seen people healed. Lives changed in miraculous ways. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. It's given me perspective. I want to help people like I've seen my family and my church help people. I want to show love to the lost in hopes they can be found. I have decided, after much contemplation, that I want to work in Human Resources. I would be a part of the recruitment, hiring, training process. Employee relations, compensation and benefits, and performance management. This requires me to be involved with every person in the company on a decently in-depth level. The one thing people think of most when they hear HR is settling disputes between employees or filing complaints. I love coming up with solutions to people's problems. Trying to mend relationships between hurt people is no easy task, but it is rewarding. To see people forgive each other is a beautiful thing. Having the knowledge I do about biblical relationships allows me to actually solve problems. The secular world today has different thoughts about what is right and wrong, fair and just. The Bible is always going to be right, whereas the secular world is not. So, by basing my beliefs in the Bible, I can give real solutions that have long term results. Lastly, I would like to talk about my community in my church and my involvement in that. I have been attending my church for about nine years now. Since then I have volunteered in the toddler room, kids church, vacation bible school, the photography team, the broadcast team, youth social media team (Suggested by me), both the youth and adult worship team, and other events like easter block parties or helping with the food pantry. In every area I volunteer in, I go above and beyond for the people I serve because I think others should do the same and I simply enjoy helping people. I plan on continuing to volunteer with my church to help people in need and to be an example to others for many years.

As soon as I saw this Scholarship I got really excited. When writing about my future plans or explaining something from my world view, I always bring up my faith. However, I feel like that can have a negative impact on some of the scholarships I apply to. This scholarship allows me to give an in depth explanation of why I want to do HR without sounding corny or "brainwashed". When I was nine years old my mom married a Youth Pastor. We were not Christians before this and it was a big change. As a pastors kid there is always a level of expectation placed upon you. You are an example to those around you. The fear of making a mistake is huge, but it has taught me how to hold myself to a higher standard. What once was a crippling fear is now a way that I lead. I choose to make good decisions to show others how they should act. From my time as a pastors kid I have seen so much hurt in peoples lives. I've been privy to situations where people have lost everything. I've seen friendships torn apart. I have also seen people healed. Lives changed in miraculous ways. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. It's given me perspective. I want to help people like I've seen my family and my church help people. I want to show love to the lost in hopes they can be found. I have decided, after much contemplation, that I want to work in Human Resources. I would be a part of the recruitment, hiring, training process. Employee relations, compensation and benefits, and performance management. This requires me to be involved with every person in the company on a decently in-depth level. The one thing people think of most when they hear HR is settling disputes between employees or filing complaints. I love coming up with solutions to people's problems. Trying to mend relationships between hurt people is no easy task, but it is rewarding. To see people forgive each other is a beautiful thing. Having the knowledge I do about biblical relationships allows me to actually solve problems. The secular world today has different thoughts about what is right and wrong, fair and just. The Bible is always going to be right, whereas the secular world is not. So, by basing my beliefs in the Bible, I can give real solutions that have long term results. Not to mention that because I have the grace of God, whatever I do that is within his will with yield great results, or follow his plan. There's nothing that I cannot do if I have Jesus by my side, and there is nothing that can be done apart from the will of the father. Lastly, I would like to talk about my community in my church and my involvement in that. I have been attending my church for about nine years now. Since then I have volunteered in the toddler room, kids church, vacation Bible school, the photography team, the broadcast team, youth social media team (Suggested by me), both the youth and adult worship team, and other events like easter block parties or helping with the food pantry. Almost every member of our church is involved with at least one of these or others that I don't participate in. I plan on continuing to volunteer with my church to help people in need and to be an example to others. "To searching, the lost and the found."

Hi there! I'm a high school student with a deep love for both the arts and sciences. Academically, I'm drawn to subjects like math, chemistry, and Bible. There's something about the structured problem-solving in math, the intriguing processes of chemistry, and the profound journey of exploring the mysteries of God through scripture that captivates me continuously. Beyond the confines of the classroom, I immerse myself in various extracurricular pursuits. One of my passions is being part of the worship team and writing songs. I find immense fulfillment in using music to connect with others and express my faith. Whether it's leading worship sessions or composing songs, I cherish the opportunity to inspire and uplift those around me with the lyrics God has inspired me to write. Community engagement is another cornerstone of my life. I dedicate my time to volunteering with kids in an after-school program called Vision Center, led by Mr. Grubbs. Our sessions start with worship, where we engage the children with spirited songs like "As the World Shakes" and "Jesus You're My Super Hero" and lead them with relevant dances. Following worship, we delve into a lesson, typically delivered by one of the volunteers, while others, including myself, prepare the craft activity. After the lesson concludes, we guide the children through the craft, fostering discussions about the lesson's themes and encouraging them to share their thoughts and experiences. It's a rewarding experience to connect with the kids, answer their questions, and facilitate their creative expression through crafts. Some of the volunteers have nick names that the kids gave us. Mine is French-Fry. I envision a future where I can continue to blend my passions for music, community service, and faith. Whether it's through pursuing a career in music ministry or finding innovative ways to use my talents to make a positive impact on the world, I'm committed to following my passions and serving others with fervor. Looking ahead, I'm considering a career in Human Resources because of my passion for helping people. Whether it's resolving conflicts, providing support, or fostering development, I find immense fulfillment in empowering individuals to thrive in their lives. My desire to make a positive impact extends beyond my professional aspirations, as I'm deeply committed to serving my community and contributing to the well-being of others. In line with this vision, If I were to start a charity, it would be a charity aimed at helping individuals make informed decisions about their future. Too often, people from disadvantaged backgrounds lack access to resources and guidance that can help them navigate critical life choices, whether it's choosing a career path, pursuing higher education, or seeking personal development opportunities. My envisioned charity would provide mentorship, career counseling, and educational resources to empower individuals to make confident decisions that pave the way for a brighter future. By offering personalized support and guidance, we can help individuals overcome obstacles, unlock their potential, and chart a course toward success and fulfillment.

Music has changed everything about the way I see things. Not a day goes by when I don't think of lyrics from a song I know or wrote that relate to what I'm doing. Music is ingrained in me and I love it. I love listening to music. So many different genres and styles and lyrics and meanings. I’m most certainly one of those people who can go from listening to a soft piano piece to fast-paced rock music. Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to write music. Until last year, I’d never written anything good. Recently our worship team started writing songs together and on our own. So far we’ve written at least 40 songs or parts of songs. Since I started writing, I felt that I had become closer in my relationship with God. Since music has been so involved in my life whether it’s writing it or just listening to it, whenever I’m going through a tough spot or just doing life in general, I think about the songs that I listen to and the words that I’ve written myself and I apply them to those moments. Music is such a key part of my day-to-day that even when I’m not actively thinking about it, songs are playing in my head. In a way, music almost romanticizes the way I see things in my day to day. In movies, there is always background music during passing scenes, emotional scenes, or chaotic scenes. I feel that I do that to myself during the day. If I’m not doing anything I’m just thinking to myself while “playing” music in the background. Sometimes at night if I’m having a sad conversation I'll think of a song that fits the mood or lyrically fits the situation. As I’m getting older and deciding what to do with my future, I've been thinking about how to keep music as my passion. I know it’s unlikely that I would make a substantial amount of money by becoming an artist, so I have decided to go to school to learn other skills that will help me become financially stable. However, this absolutely does not mean I will quit music. While I’m in college, I will have more time than I did in high school to write music. All the free time I have, I’m going to use it to write songs and hopefully end up producing them myself or hiring someone to help me. (And for a little addition at the end of my essay, I enjoy many different forms of art. I have spent the last ten years of my life painting on whatever I could get my hands on. I've made little pigs out of clay. I like designing Instagram posts for my singing account. I enjoy photography and using Photoshop to make cool images. I had this lyric wall that I made last year, where I took lyrics I was relating to and pinned them up on my wall. Art comes in many forms, and I can't even mention all the little things I do in my every day that are their own forms of art. Life itself is art, and I love it.)

@isabellaisasinger and i_isabellal

Music has changed everything about the way I see things. Not a day goes by where I don't think of lyrics from a song I know or wrote that relate to what I'm doing. Music is ingrained in me and I love it. I love listening to music. So many different genres and styles and lyrics and meanings. I was at youth group the other night participating in a would you rather game, but everyone had to guess which one I would pick. My question was: “Would you rather never read a book again, or never listen to music again”. Honestly, that was a really hard-to-answer question. I love books and I love music. How could I possibly choose? But of course, I did choose (lol) and I chose to never read a book again over not being able to listen to music. Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to write music, and until last year, I’d never written anything good. But my worship team and I started writing songs, together and on our own. So far we’ve written at least 40 songs or parts of songs. Since I started writing songs, I felt that I have become closer in my relationship with God. Because music has been so involved in my life whether it’s writing it or just listening to it, whenever I’m going through a tough spot or just doing life in general, I think about the songs that I listen to and the words that I’ve written myself and I apply them to those moments. Music has become so ingrained in my day-to-day that even when I’m not actively thinking about it songs are playing in my head. In a way, to me, music almost romanticizes the way I see things in my day to day. In movies, there is always music during passing scenes or emotional scenes or chaotic scenes. I feel that I do that to myself during the day. If I’m not doing anything I’m just thinking to myself while “playing” music in the background. Sometimes at night if I’m having a sad conversation I'll think of a song that fits the mood or lyrically fits the situation. Music is also a great part of my social life. One of my closest friends also loves music. I'd say we're still friends to this day because of music, without it we'd be acquaintances. My friend and I spend a ton of time talking about our favorite lyrics and what they mean to us. My favorite song right now is Brown Eyes, Brown Hair by Caleb Hearn. In the song, it says, "And she goes to cry when there's no one beside her 'Cause no one really knows the things she goes through" and I swear I have never related to a song more than that the entirety of this one. I realized after I had listened to this song a couple of times that I'm very closed off. I put on a happy face when I'm exhausted. This song voiced how I didn't even realize I felt. Recently I've been more open about how I'm feeling, and it's making the way I see the world change. It's amazing.