A truth that I have recently begun to grasp is that the outcome of any given task is equal in importance to the means by which it was attained. After reading about Kalia’s life, the weight of this reality is even further amplified. She was able to excel as a student, athlete, and community member while sporting a contagious radiance and acting as a beacon of positivity for those surrounding her. Her ability to flourish academically while maintaining balance is like no other student I've ever heard of. I, too, was an ambitious student. Though I maintained a 4.0 throughout high school, I did so at a cost. My memories of school are clouded by missed family time, skipped social gatherings, and an abundance of angst accompanying any upcoming exam. Not only was my anxiety and isolation unnecessary, but also harmful. Many of my friends were able to achieve similar grades without half of the exhaustion. Additionally, my stress often weighed upon my family. I engaged in such an all-consuming approach to my work because I did not know that an alternative existed. Kalia's example reminds me that it is not only possible, but optimal to go about pursing one's goals by exuding joy and uplifting others. It is this quality of hers that leaves me in awe, and is a skill I hope to apply in the future of my education. Along with our care for education, Kalia and I also shared our experience as student athletes. While I found passion within my pursuit of ballet for the majority of my young life, there came an age when I began to feel drained. The strict standards of ballet had led me to develop anorexia. The classes that I had once loved quickly became grounds of comparison and depletion. Fortunately, I was able to receive medical assistance from my doctors that aided in my recovery. However, I was prohibited from dancing until I had entirely healed. I was heartbroken for the months that I was forced to idly observe my peers performing together, but my sadness was not in vain. I realized that it is not my calling to seek perfection in ballet, but rather, joy. Now, I think of Kalia, and all other promising young athletes whose journey's were cut short by injury or untimely passing. Kalia and others like her have enabled me to realize the depth of my obligation to prioritize my health and move with pleasure while I am still capable of doing so. After recovering, I took up a volunteering opportunity at my dance school. I was going to work as an assistant teacher in the classes taught for the youngest dancers. It soon struck me just how painful the difference is in the way that children and adults perceive not only ballet, but also, life. Every class, the little toddlers would be overflowing with curiosity, giggling, and proud of themselves and one another for their efforts. I saw how these qualities so often dwindled as children grew older, and felt a deep calling to protect the optimistic vibrance of the younger generation. I think that what set Kalia apart from so many is her ability retain this childlike bliss, and assist others in rekindling it for themselves. My plan for the fall is to double major in Dance and Early Childhood Education. Receiving this scholarship would enable me to pursue a career in which I can effectively follow in Kalia's footsteps of uplifting other and help countless young children to approach their lives with the balance, ambition, and joy that she displayed.

I am a firm believer that every worthwhile experience has the potential to provide an individual with two products, namely: a practical life skill and lasting revelation. My upbringing as a student of ballet was no exception to this observation. In my youth, I gave little thought to my craft. I went to class because my mom had signed me up and took part in performances because all the other girls did so. I was neither exceptional nor lacking in my capabilities. My connection with ballet could be better described as a habitual pass time than an intentional pursuit of passion. It wasn't until high school that my perspective on my relationship with the art began to shift. My enrollment in the Charter Arts High School solidified my identity as a dancer. My acceptance proved to me that over the years, I had attained enough skill and technique to be considered for a spot as a Dance Major. My curriculum, which would consist of a morning of academics and an afternoon of dance, demonstrated that dancing would inevitably become a much more pivotal aspect of my life in the years to come. Though excited by this new development in my life, it quickly became clear that sacrifices would have to be made in order to successfully attend such a school. Striving to be a high achiever and perfectionist in all aspects of my life often led me to procrastinate and save important tasks until I could complete them in my ideal environment and head space. This lifestyle would no longer be maintainable in a high school setting where I would have to balance a more demanding academic and athletic schedule than I had ever thought possible. Over the years, with much admitted trial and error, I was able to correct some of my uncompromising perfectionist behaviors in order to succeed at Charter Arts. My willingness to work in uncomfortable environments, submit less-than-exceptional assignments, and allow myself to rest and recharge whenever my schedule allowed me were all foreign to my prior way of life, and yet, pivotal in my journey to balance and growth as a student athlete in high school. Though I am proud of my own success, I cannot take all of the glory for myself. Each and every aspiring artist who graduated alongside me had to make alterations to their prior way of life in order to pursue their passions. As a woman myself, and being involved in such a female-dominant artistic community at Charter Arts, I am extremely proud of all of the young women who were able to take the initiative to effectively manage their time and sort their priorities at such an early age. With the acquirement of these skills also came a newfound sense of understanding relating to the limitless potential of women. Historically, women have been pigeonholed to lives and careers circulating around their ability to cook, clean, sew, and nurture their young. While this old fashioned outlook is much less common in our world today, misogynistic practices and patterns of thought are too deeply interwoven into the fabric of society to ever be fully dismantled. Because of this truth, jokes on tv, older family members, and unaltered practices unintentionally reinforce the idea that women have very limited capabilities. However, attending a school in which I was surrounded by innumerable female athletes, scholars, and visionaries capable of reorganizing their life in a manner that fits their lofty goals has enabled me to realize the true unbridled scope of what women are capable of achieving.

Growing up in a Catholic household, I have had the privilege of experiencing a tightly-knit and faith-filled family. My family has never ceased to credit our good fortune to the workings of God. Attending Mass regularly, praying before meals, attending Catholic elementary school, and being led by a guiding set of morals has not only led to our individual spiritual successes, but also, our ability to effectively co-exist and function as one supportive unit. Hence, my religious journey could be better categorized by a gradual growth in my comprehension of the Lord's merciful works, as opposed to a personal discovery of the faith later on in life. While I am deeply indebted to my parents for providing me with a religious foundation, this form of habitual exposure influenced me to view religion as a daily ritual rather than the centerpiece of my existence. It wasn't until I was old enough to approach my religious practices independently that I truly began to develop a valuable relationship with the Lord. My spiritual awakening came about as a result of my anxious demeanor as a child. Though I was evidently high strung since I first gained the ability to express my thoughts in a cohesive manner, the intensity of my emotions increased at a rate that I was not equipped to contend with at my young age. With each waking day, I experienced a new trigger, question, or thought that spiraled into an insuppressible cycle of obsession and unrest. Despite unending reassurance from my parents, the queries of my racing mind could never be satisfied. After years of such struggles, my parents instructed me to seek God. As I entered the latter years of elementary school, I began to confide in the Lord. I would speak to Him with intention from my heart, and seek His assurance and guidance in my lowest moments. When the burden of my anxiety proved too great to conquer myself, He was there to lighten the load. I would present Him with the innermost worries eating away at my joy, requesting answers and peace. While I experienced stages of confusion and periods of extended unrest, I never did pray an unanswered prayer. With each obstacle I faced, the Spirit granted me with the wisdom and internal peace necessary to combat my doubtfulness. His miraculous intervention was the sole factor acting as a beacon of hope in my time of trouble. To this day, I remain a changed individual, saved by the mercy of the Lord. I am no longer crushed by my overwhelming qualms, but have learned to offer them up to the Father, so that he might grant me lasting rest upon each matter. While I was still in the process of solidifying my relationship with God, forgiveness proved to be a difficult concept to grasp. I experienced an unnecessary overabundance of guilt and could not comprehend the possibility of being completely absolved for all of my wrongdoings. No matter how often my mother promised me that I was forgiven by both herself and God, I never fully came to believe it. It wasn't until I learned of Saint Maria Goretti that my perspective began to shift. Learning about her life aided my spiritual journey by enabling me to better understand the scope of God's unconditional love. Her story was first introduced to me at an assembly. A priest stood before our fifth grade class and, without hesitation, told us all of the heart wrenching and gruesome details of Maria’s story. Though squeamish and easily bothered by dark subject matter, I surprisingly became infatuated with Maria’s story and decided that I had to learn more. Upon reading about how an innocent young girl was so quick to forgive her unapologetic killer, I developed a better understanding of the Catholic approach to forgiveness. I reached the conclusion that if young Maria, a servant and representative of the Lord so easily forgave the man who mercilessly stripped her of the remainder of her life, then God, the perfect being, and in whose image we are made, must have a range of forgiveness unfathomable even to Maria and her merciful acts. Learning this truth provided me with a sense of religious contentment that so few have the privilege of experiencing. Whether it might be due to lacking family values, negative religious associations, or insufficient education, many avoid Christianity on account of their false interpretation of God as being wrathful. In hopes of dismantling this harmful idea and sharing the nature of God's all-encompassing forgiveness, I decided to dedicate my senior project to communicating this idea. As a senior Dance Major at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, our final assignment was to choreograph a dance about any topic of our choosing for our performance "Young Choreographers in Concert." I chose the topic of eternal forgiveness and wrote about Maria Goretti's martyrdom as my inspiration. Through my piece, I was given the grounds on which to openly display my religious findings with my classmates and community. Though I am uncertain as to whether or not my piece moved anyone to take action in their personal religious pursuits, I know that it at least sparked a curiosity in the minds of many. From the day of choosing our topics up until closing night of the performance I had many people approach me, eager to hear more about my theme, the story of Maria Goretti, and her relation to God's mercy. This evangelical opportunity left me feeling proud of the initiative I had taken to spread the Word, and hungry for the opportunity to continue communicating my faith in similar manners. During my senior year, I made the decision to prioritize my faith not only by taking immediate action, as I had done with my YCC piece, but also by securing a steady path of religious prosperity and growth in my future. I did this by applying to the Salesian Honors Program offered by DeSales University. I was lucky enough to be accepted into the program, which is composed of classes, retreats, debates, community service, intensives, and a culminate research project all centered around the Catholic faith. Additionally, the course will allow me to graduate DeSales with a minor in Catholic Studies. With this exceptional opportunity, I will be able to grow in my knowledge of Christian theology, partake in relevant religious experiences within my community, and be presented with opportunities to evangelize. This program will undoubtedly open many doors for my future, enabling me to pursue a career working with a parish or affiliated school. Throughout my life, serving as an educator has stood out to me in many potential forms. As previously mentioned, my experiences in the Salesian Honors Program may lead me to partner with a local school community. Additionally, I intend to use my education at DeSales to become an elementary school teacher and dance instructor. My theology teacher once told me that she believed children to be the world's closest living connection to God. I could not agree more. Growing up as the oldest of all of my siblings and cousins, I have been surrounded by children for as long as I can recall, and consistently tasked with the duty of tending to their needs. I adore working with children and find it especially rewarding to serve as a children's educator, as opposed to solely acting as a caregiver. Most atheist adults stray from God on account of negative religious experiences in their youth, and as an aspiring educator of young children, it is my duty to provide the children under my care with a gentle and comprehensive religious education so as to nurture their innocence and fill their pivotal years of development with positive associations to God and religion. Additionally, I have been called to pursue dance on account of my experiences choreographing for YCC. I have danced my entire life, and attended a high school specifically so that I could develop my skills as an artist. It is my goal in and after college to utilize my familiarity with the forum to craft pieces that will influence audiences to reflect upon the importance of various religious themes. Receiving the Pastor Thomas Rorie Jr. Christian Values Scholarship would help me to fulfill all of my future religious aspirations by enabling me to afford the cost of DeSales University. By attending DeSales with a double major in Dance and Elementary Education, and minoring in Catholic Studies, I will be able to achieve all of the pursuits I have planned for my future. By receiving this scholarship, my dreams of uplifting my community through service and education will be one step closer to becoming a reality.

While a continued pursuit of education is desirable in part for the stability of my financial future, it is not my own future that composes the bulk of my concern. My motivation is derived from the potential present in the aspiring artists of the younger generations. At their impressionable ages, the quality of the information they are fed and mentors they meet shapes the trajectory of their lives and determines their level of success in the artistic endeavors they embark upon. As an individual who has first hand experience in navigating the complex art of ballet, I view it as my mission to utilize my further schooling to become an educator who facilitates a joyful learning environment and enables artistic achievement. Presently, ballet provides me with unparalleled life lessons, along with innumerable psychological and emotional benefits. The harsh demeanor of traditional ballet teachers has taught me how to approach collaboration with difficult individuals, handle constructive criticism, and respect my mentors. On a more positive note, ballet has enabled me to better understand my psyche, and approach mental blocks with curiosity, rather than fear. But beyond all of the priming and lessons, there is such an overflowing abundance of joy to be found within the art. The adrenaline rush before stepping onstage, the aesthetic pleasure of the ever-growing lines of the appendages, the expression of the soul through motion, and the cross between physical rigor and external grace all combine to form the perfect storm that has kept me satiated and filled with pleasure, even through the darker stages of my life. Such a stage was my struggle with anorexia nervosa. Unfortunately, this disease is not particularly uncommon among ballet dancers. And, while it may have been an influence leading to my disordered eating behaviors, it was ultimately my impenetrable passion for ballet that acted as the catalyst in my recovery. While my friends and family begged me to eat in a healthy manner, I was a stubborn young girl, and decidedly refused to comply despite their incessant begging. It wasn't until I lost my ability to dance that I began to take my health seriously. It didn't take long before I was panting and felt my heart pounding after the most simple combinations. Before I knew it, I was instructed to observe my ballet classes, and was not permitted to continue dancing until I had gained enough weight to be healthy. It was at this moment that I decided a change must be made. I sat through four insufferable months of observing my peers partake in classes and performances as I took notes and poured my energy into gaining weight so that I might soon be up and moving again. Sure enough, as time went on, I gained strength, energy, and passion that I had not known was possible. My recovery demonstrated just how much I truly adored the art of ballet, and just how much power the youthful psyche truly possesses. At such a young age and in such a short amount of time, I was able to destroy my body and completely rebuild it all on account of my hopeless infatuation with ballet. It is my intention to utilize the future of my education to become a mentor that can effectively harness the passion of young artists to lead them on the path to success.

My fondness for education is an aspect of my identity that became increasingly apparent as I grew in knowledge. By "knowledge," I do not mean to suggest an increase in academic understanding, but rather, a development in my awareness of those surrounding me, specifically my father. As a child, I thought I knew everything there was to know about my father, at least, that is what my family had led me to believe. Social gatherings were commonly filled with exclamations of how I was "truly a chip off the old block," or how I had stolen my "mother's face and father's mind." I grew to see myself as a reflection of him, and rightfully so. My father and I shared a unique demeanor, categorized by our fiery passion, intense anxiety, and unwavering determination. Though I was both intrigued by and aware of our overlapping nature, what I failed to consider was the application of our traits in practice. I found great pride in inheriting his passion, but took little interest in noting where his passion flourished, and considering whether my passion could be harnessed in a similar manner. His career as an educator served as the basin into which my father poured his passion. In my eyes, his occupation was so deeply ingrained into his daily routine and duty to provide for his family that I never stopped to question the degree of significance this role truly held. It wasn't until I entered high school that I first began to comprehend the scope of my father's work. My initial observation centered around my father's infatuation with the content he taught. For the first time, I was struck with the realization that my father was an extremely intelligent man. While in grade school our dinner conversations consisted of discussions about play dates and children's books, there was a notable shift once my siblings and I became teenagers. My father sensed that we were now capable of comprehending more complex subject matter, and used this observation to his advantage. As we grew he began to incorporate his topics of interest into our nightly discussions. He would preach about intricacies of the Italian Renaissance, the lasting impact of the Irish Potato Famine, and could provide his audience with a fun fact about nearly any of the 45 presidents. Our dinner table was transformed into a fruitful forum of historical knowledge and political debate. Though my siblings and I undoubtedly reaped the most developmental benefit from such conversations, the insuppressible gleam in my father's eyes suggested that such discussion brought him an unparalleled sense of joy. While my father's dedication to history was abundantly evident, his artistic background and fatherly manner enabled him to thrive as a well-rounded educator. He has always been skilled at making connections. He credits this ability to his theatrical background. My father, who majored in theater, explained that he views the classroom as his stage and his students as his audience. According to him, this perspective enables him to speak effectively and forge lasting connections. Though these observations hold truth, he does not fully realize how much his authentic nature impacts the children he teaches. I have sneaked glances at the heaps of mugs, gift cards, and especially the lengthy hand written letters my father receives at the conclusion of every school year. I've read some of the letters too, each one with its own account of how my father made history enjoyable, facilitated joy, or even saved a life. With a degree in education, I wish for nothing more than to follow in my father's footsteps.

My commitment to women's empowerment stems from my experience as a young female whose educational and artistic pursuits were tainted by empty stereotypes and societal pressures. School and ballet have been the sole objects of my focus and desire for as far back as I can recall. I was truly the epitome of a standard type A child, dedicating my daily efforts to ensure that I maintained a 4.0 gpa and continued to develop my technique as an aspiring dancer. However, soon enough I began to encounter obstacles that would reshape the trajectory of my seemingly bright future. Though a firm stickler for ownership, I can admit that my circumstances would have been more easily navigated, or completely avoided altogether, if not for my gender. The first obstacle I met was my lack of mathematical affinity. Though undoubtedly inherited from my math-despising parents, it would be unwise to conclude that both nature and nurture did not play a role in this result. Once math began to rear its ugly head in my latter years of grade school, I discovered the true complexity of the subject and frequently found myself with sixties and seventies on assignments. Surprisingly, I do not recall experiencing any sense of urgency or hysterics on account of my failures, quite contrary to the typical intensity of my young demeanor. I have been led to conclude that my numbness to the matter was the result of a stereotype that had been integrated into my young psyche. Between conversations at family gatherings, and being exposed to the "jokes" on tv, I had all too often run into claims that "women are bad at math" or that "men are better at math than women." This internalized misogyny influenced me to temporarily accept my struggles as a part of my nature, as opposed to striving for the good grades that I did not think myself capable of achieving. Ballet brought its own set of hurdles, most notably with its imbalanced approach to aesthetics and athletics. Ballet dancers are skinny. This is a fact that can be understood by observing nearly any ballet performance or class. I was never bothered by this truth, seeing as I had grown up on the thinner side. It wasn't until my teenage years that I became unsatisfied with the disparity between my slight thinness and the extremity of thinness displayed by the average ballet dancer. Dancer's are instructed to be thin so as to maximize their athletic capabilities and the aesthetic appeal of their lines. In search of this fitness, I lost my period, became depleted of energy, and developed anorexia nervosa. I find it ironic how my search for "health" led me to develop a lifestyle that would have resulted in death, if not for medical intervention. Fortunately, these hardships did not signify an end to my academic and artistic passion. With the assistance of various impactful female teachers, I was able to set my life back on track. In high school, I managed to overcome my eating disorder and graduated without ever scoring below a 95 in math. My career plan is to double major in education and dance, so as to emulate my mentors who were able to instill a lasting sense of capability in my growing mind. I plan on dismantling the stereotype that women cannot be proficient math students, and educating impressionable young dancers about proper nutrition and a healthy body image. It is my intention as a teacher to educate young girls about the limitless bounds to their potential, therefore enabling them to become avid and enthusiastic learners.