From a young age, I’ve known what I want to do when I get older. Whether it was helping my friends with math or playing school with my little brother at home, I always felt a calling towards teaching and helping others. Each year, as I entered a new grade, that would be the grade I wanted to teach. I was a student at Yolanda Elementary when I entered fourth grade. Even now, I know that teaching fourth grade is what my heart desires. My fourth-grade teacher was a person who changed my life. She taught me that it’s possible to do anything you set your mind to. My mom used to be a teacher, though she eventually chose to switch careers. Similarly, my dad is a 6th grade teacher. Having a dad as a teacher means that growing up I was surrounded by how the job worked. After school, I would stay in his classroom while he entered grades, or planned assignments. Though I saw both the positives and negatives of teaching - I was sure I wanted to do it some day. I’ve met plenty of teachers: plenty of my dads coworkers, or high school teachers, that tell me “it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.” I know that. And I’m willing to sacrifice extra hours, or deal with frustrated parents, just to help younger kids find themselves, and learn. The community we live in has an eclectic, diverse population, and it is my absolute passion to work with elementary school age children and inspire them to grow up and follow their dreams. When young kids are in that time of their life, it can be hard. The switch from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” can be hard and frustrating. Some don’t always have the best social skills, and some kids are simply balls of energy. Somehow, I was both. My whole life I’ve dreamed of helping kids like me. Helping them understand that school won’t always be easy, and they can count on me to be there for them. Helping students step out of their comfort zones, and making them feel more comfortable in social environments. And even just playing with those “ball of energy” kids, and allowing them to have an outlet for all their energy. This year, I was lucky to be in my high school's, "Teacher Cadet" class. Teacher Cadet is a college now class, that allows students to learn from the actual teacher curriculum, and get hands-on experience inside a classroom. My last semester of school, I spent an hour and a half, two days a week, getting to assist in a 2nd grade classroom. Having the chance to help with those kiddos only confirmed my dreams to teach and make a difference. I appreciate this opportunity and hope this can help me further my ambitions of becoming a teacher and helping the youth of today grow into the future of tomorrow.

Throughout my life, I’ve done many activities. I love having a diverse group of friends, and exposing myself to people with distinct backgrounds. But with diversity, comes the judgement of others. Judgement for being well-rounded; towards my friends because of how they act, or even judging me based off of a joke I think is funny. I’ve always found pride in my range of activities, but one inescapable thing is being grouped into categories. Theatre friends say I’m the “sporty one,” while friends in sports say I’m the “band kid.” It’s hard going through puberty and feeling like you can’t fit in with any one group. After COVID and quarantine, I felt I had lost some of my energetic and bubbly personality. Where was the girl who was not afraid to befriend others? Not knowing people at high school started to worry me. School started rough, but over time, I found myself start to return. I became louder, more friendly, more extroverted. But with the growth of my personality, came the growth of people noticing me. My sophomore year started alright, but since school had fully returned, it was a full day, surrounded by others. As a teen, I was easily influenced by others’ opinions. I knew some of my teammates thought it was embarrassing to be a “band kid,” and I felt myself trying to suppress that side. I was worried people wouldn’t like me, think I was weird because of it. Others’ opinions affected me, and because of that, I started to become depressed. I couldn’t truly be myself 100% of the time - due to the fear that someone was always going to judge me for it. I wasn’t myself anymore; instead, acting how I thought others wanted me to act. On the inside, I was empty. Nothing really mattered. All I did was wake up, go to school, practice, sleep, repeat. At home, my family would get upset about my lack of passion in life. I felt like every night I was yelled at, every day, nothing. Just a body at school. There was no point. If I was myself, nobody would like me anyways. Those thoughts started to rot in my brain. Polluting my self-image. I didn't know what to do with all the self-hatred. So, I took it out on myself. Suddenly, those thoughts were calmed down. Replaced by a sting in my leg. But as summer came, reality hit, and I knew I had to figure it out. I stopped, and spent my summer trying to love myself physically. I didn't wear makeup the entire summer, and surprisingly, it worked. I found myself able to call myself beautiful. Then, junior year. At the beginning, I would talk to my counselor. We started slow, but as school moved on and I was faced with the adversity of other teenage girls, and their harmful words, I started to shrink again. I broke down crying when asked if I loved myself by my counselor. She wanted to help, but as time moved on, I became busier, and couldn’t find time to see her. Things were bad for another moment, but throughout the year, I worked on myself, and suddenly had the realization that I no longer needed to care about others’ opinions. They were their opinions, not mine. Everyone had a right to their own opinion, but it didn’t need to concern me. Now I know who I am. I allow myself to change and grow, and to become a better person. Other people don’t get a say in who I am. Things I do might not conform to others opinions, but it doesn’t bother me. I choose to do what I want to do, be who I want to be, and others can decide how they treat me. I will be friendly to others and if they choose to not return it, then that’s their own choice, and I won’t worry about it. Through perseverance, I’ve learned to ignore the talk and opinions of others, and now, I can be happy, and love myself. Though I feel good about myself now, I still find myself doubting in moments. Those nights where the bad thoughts just can't leave your head. But I choose to stay strong. And now, as I'm about to go to college, I'm ecstatic. If people don't want to be my friend, then don't. I know I'm loud, and extra. I love it. If it isn't your cup of tea, then no hard feelings. I understand my place in this world. I am meant to be me. And I aspire to help others in their journey's of mental health. It does get better. To be honest, it doesn't go away completely. There are always going to be moment's of doubt. But it is how you face those moments that show who you are as a person. And now, I've learned to love them. Because each painful experience, is another where I can be proud of making it through, and becoming a better person from it. I turned eighteen yesterday. Monday, I'm getting a tattoo on my back - with a butterfly, the symbol of surviving self harm, the mental health symbol, and the symbol for happiness. I deserve this tattoo. Because I am a survivor, and everyone who sees my back will know.

From a young age, I’ve known what I want to do when I get older. Whether it was through helping my friends with hard math or playing fake school with my little brother at home, I always felt a calling towards teaching and helping others. Each year, as I entered a new grade, that would be the grade I wanted to teach. Then I entered fourth grade. Even now, I know that teaching fourth grade is what my heart desires. My fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Pratt, was a person who impacted me significantly. Mrs. Pratt showed me that you can live a judgemental and free life, where you can be kind and fun - and you can be friends with all kinds of different people. My mom used to be a teacher, though she became an insurance agent when she had me. Similarly, my dad is a 6th grade teacher at Briggs. Having a dad as a teacher means that growing up I was surrounded by how the job worked. After school, I would stay in his classroom while he entered grades, or planned assignments. Though I saw both the positives and negatives of teaching - I was sure I wanted to do it some day. I’ve met plenty of teachers: plenty of my dads coworkers, or high school teachers, that tell me “it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.” I know that. And I’m willing to sacrifice extra hours, or deal with frustrated parents, just to help younger kids find themselves, and learn. The community we live in has an eclectic, diverse population, and it is my absolute passion to work with elementary school age children and inspire them to grow up and follow their dreams. When young kids are in that time of their life, it can be hard. The switch from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” can be hard and frustrating. Some don’t always have the best social skills, and some kids are simply balls of energy. My whole life I’ve dreamed of dealing with those things. Helping kids understand that school won’t always be easy, and they can count on me to be there for them. Helping students step out of their comfort zones, and making them feel more comfortable in social environments. And even just playing with those “ball of energy” kids, and allowing them to have an outlet for all their energy. As I said previously, I’ve known for a long time what I want to do with my future. I plan on going to the University of Oregon, mainly for their elementary education program, but also so I can stay close to home with my family. I plan to get a masters in business, and a minor in creative writing, because I love to write and tell stories. I would make a great candidate for this scholarship because I am very involved throughout the community and a strong leader who can make an impact on our world. I pride myself on being in so many extracurriculars, that way I can know and be friends with all kinds of different people. Though my parents both have jobs, I'm expected to pay for college by myself, as a way to learn and experience hard work ethic. This scholarship would be significant in helping with my tuition, and allowing me to follow my dreams. Thank you for taking the time to read through this, and considering me as a candidate for the Redefining Victory scholarship. I appreciate this opportunity and hope this can help me further my ambitions of becoming a teacher and helping the youth of today grow into the future of tomorrow.

The community that I grew up in has impacted my life in such a positive way. Growing up, I've always been around people who support and care about me. To be honest, I don't think I'd be where I am today without them. The people around me have always helped to push me to my best, and have never tried to discourage me from doing something I wanted to do. From a young age, I’ve known what I want to do when I get older. Whether it was through helping my friends with hard math or playing fake school with my little brother at home, I always felt a calling towards teaching and helping others. Each year, as I entered a new grade, that would be the grade I wanted to teach. Then I entered fourth grade. Even now, I know that teaching fourth grade is what my heart desires. My fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Pratt, was a person who impacted me significantly. Mrs. Pratt showed me that you can live a judgemental and free life, where you can be kind and fun - and you can be friends with all kinds of different people. Our communities here, whether it's school communities, family, or even sports, all seem to have one strong thing in common. They all push the youth to be leaders. They try to inspire us, give us the freedom to grow, and the freedom to be ourselves. There are five keys to leadership. Vision, communication, empathy, accountability, and adaptability. A leader is a person who is willing to help others, set a good example, and bring people together. I envision a leader gets along with different people, is willing to put others needs before theirs, and doesn’t accept defeat when faced with adversity. A good leader can be silent and lead through their actions, rally the troops and be loud, motivate teammates and those who are struggling, and can adjust to be flexible in the moment. The truth is there are a lot of ways one can be perceived as a leader. One thing that reflects my leadership is how involved I am around our school. Throughout the years, I’ve found my extracurriculars grow by a large margin, as well as the amount of people I know. I play volleyball, basketball, and softball. I’m in the school's theatre and band programs, as well as participating in our school’s Interact club. I’ve also held the position of Vice President of the Class of 2024 since sophomore year. My favorite thing about participating in so many activities is getting to meet new people. I love having a diverse group of friends, and exposing myself to people with distinct backgrounds. Truthfully, I don't think I could be the person I am today without the community I grew up with behind me. Their constant encouragement taught me to be the person I am today, and helped instill my strong beliefs. I believe in strong leadership and positivity so strongly, which is a big reason as to why I want to teach. I want the children of the future to grow up with strong encouragement- I want them to know that they can achieve whatever they want if they work hard enough. And then someday they can impact the future and the cycle can continue. My community taught me to be creative, proud, independent, and a leader. Someday I will teach kids the same values.