"They all say it gets better but what if I don't" These lines resonated with me more than Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" ever did. Rodrigo's lyrics related to the feelings I felt when I ended my friendship with my childhood best friend. Our friendship ending was a result of a long distance separating us and growing pains etching into our skin. This friend was someone I would text everyday and send selfies back and forth to whenever I could. We would hangout and talk about our hopes for high school and share our similar fears. She was someone I could easily open up to so when our friendship ended I felt like my outlet had disappeared suddenly. Adolescence is filled with transitions. I was transitioning from middle school to high school, from a girl to a woman, and I was transitioning to a new friend group. I was simultaneously dealing with these transitions and endlessly wondering if I would ever have that same connection again with my old friend. Losing a best friend felt like I was losing a piece of myself and no amount of reassurance could take that ache away. At the time my feelings felt impossible to navigate but after a while this experience taught me that friendships evolve, drift away, and sometimes it isn't always the worst thing. Uncertainty is part of the journey, even if it feels never ending in the moment. When I first heard this lyric in Olivia Rodrigo's song, "teenage dream" it immediately stuck out to me because it related to my experiences but also because it addressed the darker side of growing up. Teenage years are often depicted with neon lights and late night parties but during these years there is also a lot of coinciding loss and immeasurable change. In the summer before high school I did not know what the coming years would look like and what kind of person I would be. I did not even know if I would like the person who I was going to be. Rodrigo's lyrics make me feel less alone and reminds me that these feelings of uncertainty and doubt are deeply universal. It comforts me to know that thousands of teenage girls scream these lyrics along with Olivia and relate to them just as much as I do. All of us thought it would never get better and all of us were proven wrong.

I have always been a student athlete and often the former took priority in my life. I would leave unfinished homework assignments on my desk so I could get ready to step on the field. This habit eventually started to reflect in my grades and I knew I had to change my behavior. As I got older I started to bring my backpack with me on long bus rides and as my teammates were talking amongst each other or making tiktoks, my computer would be on my lap. They would make fun of me for studying but my grades slowly converted from Cs to As. Being a three-sport athlete has taught me discipline, time management, and perseverance. These qualities will be valuable in any career but I know they will pay off in a business field where no one is looking over your shoulder and you have to hold yourself accountable. Through sports I have also learned the importance of setting goals and then pushing myself to achieve them. I was a beginner in tennis and I had fell madly in love with the sport the minute I hit my first tennis ball but my skills had not caught up with my heart. So after long school days I attended practice, and then I would head to the park to keep honing my newfound craft. My goal was to simply become better and I exhausted every opportunity to make that happen. The hard work finally paid off during my junior year. I joined tennis as a sophomore who had never picked up a racket before and I ended my junior year being awarded the MVP award and heading to states for girls doubles. Whether it is improving my game, excelling in school, or working toward a future profession I know that that same devotion and dedication will be used again in any field I choose. Outside of sports, I have a deep passion for social advocacy. Volunteering became a big part of my life in high school when I joined a volunteering club. I had only joined the club to obtain service hours but unknowingly the club would ignite a fervent desire to help others. Whether I can help out the local library or help mentor young athletes, I find deep fulfillment in supporting others. I knew that this passion would need to be apart of my life from then on so I chose a college near DC where I can be close to our state's capitol and close to movements for change. Being a student athlete made me the best candidate for a business career because it taught me to have a relentless hustle, work ethic, and discipline that can wave any storm or overcome any obstacle. Overall being a student athlete has not just shaped my future career goals but it has fundamentally changed who I am as a person.

I was not raised in the church. I was taught in the classroom of "the world" and that is where my values came from. So when I stepped in a church for the first time and heard a sermon I was simply unaffected. I thought everything was silly and I thought I was smarter than a "fake" religion. Until I heard the story of Paul. I learned about the radical change in his life and how he was previously a murderer but then became a legend of the faith. At the time I could not understand why this story was affecting me so much but now I understand that God was reaching out to me and chiseling down my heart of stone. I started to attend church every Sunday and get involved in a local youth group. As a follower for about a year now my faith is young but it has been tested. During my senior year I got into a car accident while listening to gospel music. I could not understand why God would allow me to get into this accident, especially when I was listening to gospel music. My car was totaled and towed from the scene of the crash, afterwards I had to bike to school and to work, and since the accident was my fault I was not sure how much money I would owe to the other person. Not only was I stressed about those issues but also my license was in threat of being suspended. For the next month I was a ball of stress. It was my first accident and with college around the corner, money was already tight. I found it hard to pray or to read my bible because I was so distracted and distraught. I was trying not to be upset at God but I was wondering over and over again about how He could have let this happen. Then as I was reading my bible I stumbled across the parable of the sower. This parable describes seed that fell on four different types of soil. When the seed falls on the thorn, the thorns grew up and choked the plants. God revealed to me that the seed is the Word of God and the thorns are the worldly concerns and worries that grow up and suffocate the seed. I realized that I was allowing the accident to become my primary focus instead of the one true God. The accident was choking up my devotion to God. I stared at the page and realized I did not want to be the kind of person who allows the Word of God to become lost on my heart. I wanted to submit my anxieties to God and lay my anxieties on Him but I did not know how. So I wielded scripture like Mathew 6:25 and Philippians 4:6-7. These scriptures became my prayer, my shield, and my song. God slowly started to become the primary focus in my life again and tomorrow began to worry about itself. After this obstacle, I now realize that every struggle has a divine purpose and that purpose is an increased perseverance and an increased faith. In this one year God has taught me so much and retrained a lot of my thought processes and actions. He taught me in hard times to lean into the closeness of God and rely solely on Him. And everyday I pray that His seed falls on good soil.

I am Isabella Wieland and I am currently a high school student at James M Bennett Highschool in Maryland. I come from a single parent household where my mom had to support triplets and a ten year old all by herself. I witnessed firsthand as she worked tirelessly to provide my siblings and I with everything we wanted. Her resilience not only exemplified a strong work ethic but it also gave me a desire to pursue something that could grant me the long-lasting security that my family did not have. As I was looking through different majors, I decided Business was right for me. Because of my childhood I crave control and security and business offers me both of those things. It offers me the ability to take control of my future and since the field is always in high demand I know I will always be able to find a job. I not only crave control but I also have a strong desire to help people. My freshman year I joined my high school's volunteering club simply for service hours but now as a senior that club has ignited a fervent passion for service. I watched as people's faces lit up when they received help, whether that be receiving food in a shelter or toys for kids on Christmas and this inspired me to do more for my community. I knew that business was the career for me but I started to wonder how I could combine it with helping others. I started to research business like IBM and Google that helped facilitate more renewable energy usage and expanding green building initiatives.Even businesses like Nike and Disney donate so much money to charity and encourage their employees to volunteer. These businesses created real social change even while performing their other functions. I began to understand the duality of this career and how there are so many facets for me to explore.I do not have to stick to the economic side of business but instead I can mix both aspects of my heart. All in all, as a young African girl who was raised in a single-parent household, I understand that I am not the most likely person to succeed. By achieving my goals in business and service I would like to impact the world in that way but also I would love to show young girls just like me that they can do it too. I want to emphasize that their past does not dictate their future. I want them to know that they can be the change they want to see.

True happiness comes from helping others. I watched as people's faces lit up when they received help, whether that be receiving food in a shelter or toys for kids on Christmas and this inspired me to do more for my community. I realized I wanted to be a part of something bigger- not just for myself but for the people around me. I started to imagine a movement of young africans shaping the future and becoming role models, proving that change can be started by the people in our own communities. This became my academic and professional goal. Academically, I want to break each stereotype about minorities entering in higher education by attending a four year college. And professionally, after attending college I want to break every stereotype about minorities obtaining high level jobs. Ultimately, through these actions I want to encourage other young girls to dream big and to make a difference. When I was younger, I imagined making a difference meant you had to go to a third world country on a plane and volunteer in that way. My perspective totally shifted when I joined a volunteering club in high school. I realized I did not have to hop on a plane to see horrible conditions. Instead, they were in my own backyard or even right down the street from my high school. This club motivated me to become more involved and I spent lots of time volunteering in any way that I could. I gave marathon runners water during races, I placed wreaths on graves, and I sorted books at my local library. I tried to give back to a town that had given so much to me, and joining this club ignited a fervent passion for service. This formative experience taught me how to be compassionate, empathetic, and more understanding. I have seen how a small act can create a huge ripple effect. I slowly started to wonder about solutions and how to work toward a better world whether through advocacy, education, or leadership. Furthermore, this experience has strengthened my belief that young people and even African girls like me can be the change we need to see. Personally I want to use my skills and knowledge to advocate for the unheard voice, uplift "invisible" communities, and empower others the way that I have been empowered. The world needs more compassion, action, and young people who believe in change. And I want to be one of them.

As a BIPOC student whose father came from Africa in awe of the American dream, my parents always hoped that one day I would have the chance that they did not get to have and that I would attend college. By attending a university I am helping to address the issue of minority students and their lack of access to higher education. Students of color are severely under represented in colleges and universities and this is because of systemic barriers that limit their access to higher education. These barriers include financial restraints, systemic discrimination, and limited support systems. Many of our parents did not go to college so when it is time to apply we are left clueless about the process and uninformed. This is a social issue because it not only hurts the economy but it also contains these groups into a cycle of oppression. The education gap is widened year after year and their opportunities become narrower and narrower. As I grew up I became increasingly aware of these boundaries and I became increasingly more inspired to overcome every obstacle. Even if a small group of minorities will end up going to college I knew that I wanted to add to the number so that one day the growth will be immeasurable. I set this goal in my mind and let it hang over my head during high school. This goal made me work harder each day in the classroom , it encouraged me to run for officer positions, and it pushed me to apply to college. When I received my acceptance letter from the University of Maryland I knew my hard work had payed off. The acceptance letter symbolized all the times I stayed up after soccer practice planning a club meeting or studied while my friends were hanging out. Defeating the systemic issue of minorities having a lack of access to higher education starts with every single minority student. I do not have the power to confront the systematic discrimination that my community faces but at the ground level I chose not to be another minority who did not go to college. I chose not to be another statistic. My grassroots campaign to tackle this social issue is to allow my life to defeat every stereotype and restriction. By attending college I will not let any boundary contain me and I will work for every minority that did not get to have the same chances that I did.

This scholarship would lift the weight off my mom's shoulders. When I was little I knew I did not have a dad but I did not feel like I was missing out on anything. I loved watching wiggles on the tv, going to soccer practice, and spinning around in princess dresses. My mom tucked me into bed , she helped me with my homework at the kitchen table, and she packed my lunch for me everyday. I had everything I needed. My mom held the title of a single mother but she did this so effortlessly that as a child I never noticed her late nights spent grading papers or the daycare bills piling up even though my father had left her alone with triplets. Which meant three babies constantly crying, in need of a diaper change, or spitting out their food. She left no clues of my father's absence. During the school year she would work as a teacher and in the summer she would bring us along to summer school where she could work and we could join her students in their projects. At the time I did not realize how she spent her summers working or how during the school year she never failed to make dinner after a long day at work. For 17 years she never let me miss out on anything. She kept me in soccer and sent me to summer camps while behind the scenes she struggled to find time to buy herself new clothes or afford a day off of work. She sacrificed her life for mine. Now that I am 18 , me and my siblings all applied to college and have received our decisions. Three of us are going to college at the same time which means three tuitions, three room and board costs, and three separate fees for books. whilst looking at the prices for college, I noticed my father's departure from my life for the first time. I noticed how my mom has no one else to share this immense cost with and once again it all falls on her. She has no support and continually she has to give up her life so her kids can have a future. This scholarship would alleviate this financial strain on my family and allow my brothers and I to achieve our academic goals whilst lifting some of the weight off our mother's shoulders. receiving this scholarship would not only support my dreams but also honor her sacrifices and allow me and my brothers to pursue a brighter future.

Coming from a single parent household, I understand the need for financial stability. My father came from Africa to America with a dream. He met my mom whilst playing semi-pro soccer and they fell in love and got married. After my mom birthed triplets, he was tired of the "White Pickett Fence" and decided he wanted to chase something else. This left my mom supporting triplets and a ten year old all by herself. I witnessed firsthand as she spent her school year teaching and her summers picking up any job she could. She worked tirelessly to provide my siblings and I with everything we wanted and she did this so effortlessly that as a child I never noticed her late nights spent grading papers or the daycare bills piling up. Her resilience not only exemplified a strong work ethic but it also gave me a desire to pursue something that could grant me long-lasting security. Business offers me the ability to take control of my future and build something that I can call my own. Not only is a business career a promising path for security because the field is high in demand but it is also one of the most powerful tools for change. Business can create jobs and opportunities for any group of people. I envision people like my mom being able to pursue non traditional jobs and given a chance to advance economically on their own terms. Business can also create real social change by allowing its participants to think critically, strategize, and problem solve. I do not have to conform my thoughts to a boss or to a manager but instead I can freely think and brainstorm without influence. This is a luxury many people do not have but one business offers. And finally, as I said before business jobs are constantly in demand but also the career is constantly growing. This allows personal career growth by advancing to titles like CEO,CFO, or a business owner over time. I never saw my mom sit on the couch so I think it is fitting that I choose a career that is never stagnant and always promotes growth. Obtaining this degree will affect my life greatly because it ensures that I can build something sustainable not just for myself but for my family. I can take away their worries about money and provide stability that they have never had before. This is a life-long dream of mine and one that can be fulfilled through this degree and this career path.

Many people look down on the American dream but that dream is the reason I am alive. The American dream is the reason my father came to America from Africa which meant leaving his whole family behind. The American dream is the reason that my father wanted to pursue professional soccer and professional soccer is the reason he met my mom and had me. Although my father never achieved his dream of professional soccer, he did obtain the "white Pickett fence" that concealed a beautiful wife and three newborn babies. Seemingly, my father had adapted to the US. He had forgotten his African tongue, married a white girl, and had a nice 9-5 job. But inside he felt empty. The hardest part about moving to the US was remembering our African identity. My siblings and I are mixed so we had to navigate two worlds that felt like they were often at odds with each other. At a young age we could not figure out how to conjoin the two identities and we felt like we had to choose. We could not understand our cousins that were still living in Africa and we could not connect with our grandmother when she would call us and speak in a language we did not understand. So oftentimes we would tend to our mother's side of the family and we would lean into her traditions. But just like our father we felt as if we were ignoring an integral part of ourselves. As I grew older I felt the urge to ask questions about my family in Africa and to ask about the town my father grew up in. I not only learned more about my father but I learned more about myself and my family's history. I found out that my father had not gone to college and most of my family in Africa had not either. This fueled my determination to excel academically, pushing myself everyday so my father could see me do what he could not. Whenever I am struggling I think about the courage it must have taken to move to an unfamiliar country alone with nothing but a dream. Seeing his resilience and perseverance instilled in me a determination that I will always cling onto. The American Dream to me isn't just an unfulfilled promise, it is the reason I am standing here today and the reason why I will work hard for the future.

Jack Terry's story inspires me not because of where he ended his life but instead, where he began it. He became an accomplished 1st Lieutenant, athlete, and father but he started as a kid in a concentration camp. Although he lost his family and his home, he built himself a new one in America. This is inspiring for me because it reminds me to not let my past define my future. Before 2019, I never had health issues. My brother was always the sick one and I would be the one sitting in his doctor visits quietly while the nurses examined him. So, when my elbow started to hurt I thought it would most likely go away after a few days. On Christmas Day the presents could not distract me from the overwhelming pain I was still feeling in my arm. I left my presents at the tree and me and my mom went to the Emergency Room. The nurses ran what felt like thousands of tests on me. Extracting fluid from my arm, x-rays, and putting an IV in my hand. That night we were sent to Children's National Hospital in DC. My first memory in my hospital room was being wheeled in on a wheelchair after surgery and my mom rolling me to the window that looked over the skyline of DC. I remember standing up and my eyesight slowly fading to black. That would be the start of 2 weeks in the hospital. 2 weeks may seem like a short time but to me it might as well have been a year. A dozen nurses would stand over me in my hospital bed everyday and check my blood, redo my IV, or braid my hair. Then a few doctors would come in with a stack of papers to give to my mom and a different diagnosis everyday. Eventually the doctors decided I had CRMO. A rare bone disease that causes recurrent bone pain, swelling, and inflammation. After 2 long weeks they sent us home with a diagnosis and a PICC line in my arm. I thought that the hardest part was over with but it had only just begun. When I got home my family decided that it would be best if I did not go back to school. So I spent everyday at home with a tutor while my brother got to see all my friends at class and go to soccer practice. For six months I was literally and metaphorically on the sidelines of my life. This pain hurt and affected me more than the disease ever did. My family decided that it was time to move back to my hometown for me to enter into middle school and return back to normal life. My PICC line was out and I was ready for days spent at a desk rather than at my kitchen table. After being away from school for so long I had to relearn how to be a student again whilst being in an unfamiliar school. The first year was hard but it taught me how to be stronger, how to adapt, and it helped me to relate more to patients or even the new kid in class. I don't know what I am going to study but I know that this experience will live in me whenever I go. I want to be the empathetic shoulder or the encouraging voice that I needed when I was struggling. I want to tell them that they too can come out stronger just like Jack Terry and just like me.

I have always been a soccer player. So when spring semester rolled around I was bored. Soccer ended in the fall, cheerleading ended in the winter, and I had no plans for the spring semester. My friend Mackenzie mentioned that she was thinking about trying out for the tennis team so I thought I would tag along just to keep her company. I had never before played the sport and I did not even have a racket. So an hour before the tryout I went digging through my garage looking for anything that could possibly resemble a racket. I eventually found one that was my stepdad's and was probably older than me. I had no idea that soon after I would fall madly in love with the sport. I was so nervous when I arrived at the tryout. I was scared of embarrassing myself, being terrible at the sport, or not knowing anyone else besides Mackenzie. But all those fears immediately disappeared once I hit the first tennis ball. I remember watching the ball float right over the net and onto the other side of the court. I loved watching the ball glide gently over the net and I loved hearing the swoosh when I hit the ball. I picked up the sport so naturally and I wondered why I hadn't been playing tennis all along. I started as the 8th seed my first year and I desperately wanted to climb the ladder. So everyday after practice I would head to the local park and would play against my stepdad. I had become obsessed. I had gotten a new racket, new grip, and more skill. But no one wanted to play me. I talked to my coach about doing a seeding match but my opponent suggested we wait until after spring break. When we came back to school she suggested another week until we face each other. By the time the game rolled round the season was practically over and I had received no chance to show my potential and play a real match. The next year I had one objective in mind. Climbing the ladder. I would warm up with the top four but my seed was still the eighth. I knew that you could only compete for different seeds once every week so I knew it would take time but I was ready to wait and I was ready to win. Tennis taught me how to be a beginner and to humble yourself before others that are more experienced. I had to listen, watch, and learn everyday at practice after long school days. I now know how to sit on the bench before stepping in the game which taught me patience and put me in a situation I had never been before. And finally I had to earn my position on the team. Not only did I receive a life-long lesson that I will carry with me but also by the time the season ended I had became the fourth seed, went to states, and won the MVP award. My hard work had paid off.

Empowerment means confidence, freedom, and using my voice. In my personal life empowerment helps me to stand tall in spaces where woman are not usually invited, freedom to decide my future, and using my voice proudly. In my life, empowerment has given me a new found confidence. This confidence helps me to take on challenges that every woman can relate to. Whether that be a male dominated space or an area where you feel as though your opinion will not be valued. These spaces will always exist but the way I approach them has changed drastically. As a secretary of a club in my school I had to learn to know my worth and I had to constantly remind myself of my innate value. When taking on a leadership position I had to walk in each room with authority so that I could direct my club members. The longer I held this position the more confidence became a non negotiable no matter where I went. Before feminism, women's futures were decided by their male counterparts, but now that women are empowered we have the freedom to chase, discard, and modify our dreams at our own will. I have chosen different career paths for my life tons of times and I realized how lucky I am to have so many choices. In school I got to be a captain of a soccer team, a secretary for a garden club, and a cheerleader for my high school. I have been able to explore so many different facets of myself freely and this would not be possible without female empowerment. Empowerment is about knowing that my voice matters. I no longer tend to the back of a classroom or accept when my ideas are dismissed but instead it makes me bolder and even louder. In male dominated spaces I know that there is changes that can be made and a new perspective that can be heard. Just like the woman before me, my voice is my strength, my weapon, and a force for good. I just have to have the courage to use it. Finally, empowerment is about inner strength, pursuing your dreams, and using your voice. The path that was brokered by the women before me is a force that fuels me daily. Pushing me to be outspoken, to take more risks, and to create a path for other women to walk even further.

Time ran out. I stood on the grass field and watched as the other team celebrated. We were always the underdogs but we had hope that we could win the regional championship, even against our rivals. But now the game was over and we had lost. I felt my eyes get heavy and I watched as tears streamed down my teammates faces. The reality of the loss was settling in and I felt as my own tears stained my cheeks and fell onto my jersey. As I made my way over to my coach I realized I wasn't crying because we had lost but I was crying because soccer has always been more than a game to me. As we sat in the huddle I was surrounded by my teammates who I have grown up with my whole life, whether that be at club soccer practices or in the classroom. These girls were my teammates , my classmates, and most of all my friends. Not only did I build long lasting friendships but I gained character. I became a person that could spend hours working tirelessly at practice. I knew how to keep going when my knees were weak and my breath was heavy. These are the things I will take away from this sport. Not trophies or medals but friends, personal character, and even a career. Whether as an athlete, coach, trainer, or working behind the scenes in the sports industry, I knew I wanted to be part of a world that thrives on hard work, friendship, and discipline. How could I not choose this career when sports has gifted me friends that will last a lifetime and values that are skin deep. When I walked out of my high school stadium for the last time, I realized it was never about winning.

My computer is open and the screen displays a stack of missing assignments. My phone is in front of my computer and I am struggling to stop scrolling and focus on my work. I like to classify this episode as a dissociative trance. Numbing myself through social media apps. When my mental health is astray, it affects everything else. Academically, I am unable to focus on my work and I ack the motivation and strength to complete the task in front of me. Teachers fell like dictators and parents feel like my boss followed me home. In my personal life I start to isolate away from my friends. A voice I my head tells me that they don't like me and that I am better off alone. The lies of hyper-independence slowly starts to penetrate my friend group until I have successfully pushed away everyone that cares about me. This cycle of dissociation and self-isolation is created by my poor mental health. To avoid this rotation I prioritize self-care. This includes a strategic routine that includes time for studying, relaxation, physical activity, and sunlight. Firstly, by including studying I am able to manage my time better which helps to relieve stress. Assignments don't pile up unexpectedly but instead I am able to get ahead academically.Secondly, the next step would be relaxing which includes mindful techniques like deep breathing and meditation. Going out with friends is also classified under this step because it relaxes my mind, regulates my mood, and keeps me grounded. Lastly, I medicate with any type of physical activity and being outside in the sunlight. These two work together to expresses my emotions artfully through the movement of my body and to recharge with Vitamin D. This routine is a well-oiled machine that maintains my mental health and prevents stress from slipping through my fingers. And inevitably slip-ups do happen and I have learned to practice self-compassion over criticalness. By following this routine and making mental health a priority I can maintain balance and ensure I am performing at my best academically and personally. I used to spend my days endlessly scrolling while assignments loomed over me like a low-hanging pendulum. But now that my assignments are turned in on time I am able to hang out with my friends. Sharing stories, playing silly games, and just being in the moment. Every worry that lays on my chest becomes smaller and smaller each time I laugh at one of my friend's jokes or smile just a bit wider. All thanks to the routine I created to ensure that I can succeed in school and in life.