One thing that I have seen, especially in the last few years, is that people are so divided. We are slowly, or quickly depending on how you look at it, shying away from each other. There's nothing wrong with having cliques or associating yourself with people you most identify or agree with, but what I've been seeing is that behind these separations is a layer of hatred. It seems like no one likes anyone who thinks differently from them or looks different, it's like we are actively moving backward as a society. I had thought we moved past this, towards acceptance, but we seem to only want to accept the people most like us. This is why I love to cook and why I am going to culinary school. Food has always been something that brings people together. It's actually amazing when you think about it, how a couple of ingredients, maybe an hour in the kitchen can bring someone closer to you. I hope to unite people with the power of food. Even just by having a similar favorite food with someone, you already have one thing in common. Food can also be a way to introduce someone to a different culture. My best friend is Nigerian, and I had never had Nigerian food, when I first tried I was absolutely blown away. I definitely did not expect it to be that good, and after I tried it my friend and I had a whole conversation about it, they even recommended foods I should try next, what their favorites were, etc. It was really special to be able to share that experience with them and it was cool to be a part of something that they grew up with. Not only was it a good experience flavor-wise, but I also learned things that I would have never known, like different customs and what different stews are for. I gained an insight into a whole other culture. The thing with food is that everyone loves it, I mean you kind of have to, without it we wouldn't survive. It can provide a sort of comfort to an individual or remind them of pleasant memories. I do know, however, that a lot of people have dietary restrictions, I, myself, am lactose-intolerant, so it might be difficult to make certain things while keeping that in mind. I don't worry, though, because there are a plethora of substitutions in response to that problem and there are millions of recipes out there for people to enjoy. Ultimately, I just want to be the person giving people a sense of hospitality in a world so hostile.

I can confidently say that my mom was the one who encouraged me to pursue a career in the culinary arts. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with what can be created in the kitchen. When I was younger my mom worked for a sustainable food system and she would bring home fresh seasonal vegetables and healthy recipes that made even a 6-year-old want to eat their veggies. I grew up in the rising age of YouTube, where to the amazement of my young eyes I could watch a plethora of videos. I came across "Nerdy Nummies", a channel led by a baker dedicated to making fun, quirky, cakes and recipes from your favorite movies and TV shows, or even simply just making adorable unicorn cakes. My mom was nothing short of encouraging, fueling my desire to be just as talented. She loved baking with me, making sure to make it fun for me whether by making pink pancakes or helping me make a fun Nerdy Nummies recipe or even by playing my favorite Disney songs while we baked. She introduced me to Master Chef, a show we would watch every week, amused by the dramatics and suspense of who would go home. We also watched to learn new techniques and learn about new foods that we had never heard of. I don't know about you but in middle school, people usually don't go around knowing what a beef wellington is. When I learned about Master Chef Junior I was even more inspired. Kids like me, around my age, were able to hold their own in a kitchen and their culinary knowledge was extensive. Seeing that being a good cook wasn't just limited to adults I was motivated to get better at it and experiment more, outside the bubble of my mom's help. I was shown that I could do it myself. My mom took note of my interests and found out about Master Chef Junior camp. She organized a GoFundMe page so that we could afford it and for months she tried to get all the money that was needed to attend. She did it, though. I was able to get a chance to go and I was so grateful. Going to that camp solidified that that was what I wanted to do with my life. I was able to learn in a more professional setting, not through a screen on my phone. I could ask questions that I wouldn't have been able to and I tried foods that I had never tried before. I began to establish my own recipes and took notes on things that worked or didn't work for me. My mom even got me a notebook to write out all my ideas and recipes. She has been the best person in terms of my motivation and I wouldn't even be applying to culinary school if it wasn't for her.

I have had 3 different lacrosse teams and with each one, I have learned to adapt. Three times I’ve had to relearn my teammates and get acquainted with them on and off the field. I have faced many obstacles just trying to be a part of a team. I had to leave my first team because I switched schools. The school that I transferred to didn’t have a lacrosse team, to my dismay, so I had to find another option. There was no way that I’d stop playing just because of my school’s lack of a team. I found a neighborhood lacrosse organization, not far from my house at the time, and I joined them. It took time to get adjusted to the new setting, new teammates, and a new coach, but I was able to do it. Whenever the team had field trips out of state or to tournaments and summer camp, I made sure to be in attendance. I think that it is equally as important to connect with your teammates off the field as well as on. It helps our communication during games and creates a stronger bond and sense of trust when on the field. I had to guarantee that I would show up no matter what event or game was being held. Then Covid happened. The world was shut off from everything and everyone. During this time me and my mom moved outside of Boston, where I lived. It really bothered me that there would be no practice, especially since I was bored out of my mind. Every day was the same: wake up, log onto Zoom, and sit at the computer all day. I hated it. I decided to have my own practice by myself. I would take my stick outside and go through the drills I would’ve gone through if my coach was there. It took it a step further and learned new tricks with the help of YouTube. I even made myself get accustomed to fully playing with my left hand. I also got more into fitness and weight training during this excruciating quarantined hiatus. I wanted to get stronger and faster and build muscle so that when I got back to playing, whenever that would be, I could keep up and be in good shape. After a year of being inside, school was back to being in person. I met a friend who also liked lacrosse and he introduced me to our sports director to ask him about finally starting a team at our school. If that didn’t work I was just gonna ask another school if I could join their team. All I wanted was to play, I didn’t care how or with who. Thankfully, I got my school to form a team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a “real” team, it wasn’t recognized by the school and was more so looked at as a club, but nonetheless, lacrosse is lacrosse. When I came to the first practice I was surprised to see that I was one of the, if not the, oldest members. I was in the 11th grade and most of the people there were in 9th to 10th. I took this as an opportunity to be a role model rather than feel like I didn't belong. A lot of the girls were new to lacrosse and wanted to just try it out so I would help with the basics, like cradling, ground balls, etc. I took on kind of a big sister role and used my age and experience to help others be their best selves.

I can confidently say that my mom was the one who encouraged me to pursue a career in the culinary arts. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with what can be created in the kitchen. When I was younger my mom worked for a sustainable food system and she would bring home fresh seasonal vegetables and healthy recipes that made even a 6-year-old want to eat their veggies. Because of her, I am going to college to learn more about preparing food for people to enjoy. Succeeding is definitely something I want to do when I get to college, but it is easier said than done. This is why I am planning my success a year earlier. By getting into good habits, college should be an easier load. Right now I am becoming a better time manager. When I am assigned work I tell myself to start it when it's assigned. I don't necessarily have to finish it, per se, but just starting it means that the hard part is already over with and I'm more inclined to finish something rather than start it. Another thing I'm currently doing is applying for a bunch of scholarships. Like, a lot. If I up my chances of receiving money from scholarships then I will spend less time and energy worrying about financial aid from college. Money is something that I'm really worried about, I don't want my family or my future me to be subjected to the burden of financial debt so I'm doing everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my goal of advancing my preparedness in my selected career path. I have recently been accepted into college and I have been struggling to find ways to deal with all the incoming costs. Since the college I am going to is a culinary school there is the added expense of uniforms and knife kits which are not included in the tuition. This adds other stress on top of the considerable amplitude of tuition. By receiving this scholarship I can take a load, even if it is a small load, off my back because it is one less thing that I need to worry about. Having the right materials, especially if you want to cook, is crucial to the quality of your product. You don't see people in kitchens working with dull knives and wearing sweatpants. There are specific criteria for how chefs should dress and the standard of their tools and as an aspiring chef, I am expected to meet those criteria no matter what, but I'd rather do that without trying to scrap money together. With that being said, thank you for your consideration.

Well, I've been taught that integrity means doing something right even if no one is looking. I'd agree with this but would add staying honest or keeping word even when it might not benefit you. My most recent example of how I showed integrity happened about 2 or 3 months ago. At the beginning of the year, I had joined my school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA). I went to every meeting every week trying to get to know people and build relationships. The topic of elections came up, each member could run for a position (treasurer, co-leader, secretary, etc.) and I made it clear that I wanted to be a co-leader with another person in the club. I even told all my friends how much I wanted that position and how I was a shoo-in. I had been the most outspoken and contributed the most ideas. While I was telling my friend about how much I really wanted to do this she decided that she was also going to run for the co-leader position. I didn't say anything because who am I to tell her that she can't, even if she knew I really wanted to win and put in the work to do so. Election day came and it was the first meeting that my friend went to. Everyone said their speeches about what they were running for and why, and it was time to vote. Before voting, my friend asked me to vote for her and made me promise. I'll be honest the thought of not voting for her crossed my mind, as did voting for myself, but I didn't. I stayed true to my word and voted for her, knowing that it wouldn't necessarily help me. She ended up winning. The teacher who oversees the club said it was really close and sometimes, even now, I wonder if I hadn't voted for her would she still have won? Even after thinking that I'm glad I did it because I like to believe that that just means she deserved it more than I did.

Succeeding is definitely something I want to do when I go to college, but it is easier said than done. This is why I am planning my success a year earlier. Every day I go through new scholarships and see which ones I'm eligible for. I have a Google Sheet for the scholarships I applied for to keep track of them and tell me how much money is offered by each one. I made a goal for myself to apply to at least 5 a month. I found that this works best on top of my busy school schedule. I have recently been accepted into college and have been struggling to find ways to deal with all the incoming costs. Since the college I am going to is a culinary school there is the added expense of uniforms and knife kits which are not included in the tuition. This adds other stress on top of the considerable amplitude of tuition. By receiving this scholarship I can take a load, even if it is small, off my back because it is one less thing that I need to worry about. Having the right materials, especially if you want to cook, is crucial to the quality of your product. You don't see people in kitchens working with dull knives and wearing sweatpants. There are specific criteria for how chefs should dress and the standard of their tools and as an aspiring chef I am expected to meet those criteria no matter what, but I'd rather do that without trying to scrap money together. I have to keep in mind that there is no limit to how many scholarships I can apply to. I'm trying to apply to as many as possible to increase my chances of receiving money. Keeping up with my grades is also another way that I am, and plan to, deal with potential student loan debt. I have already gotten money from my college upon acceptance for maintaining a GPA over 3.5 for all four years of high school. Since those scholarships are renewable throughout all my years in college, I also aim to keep the same momentum academically. My mom told me about Federal Work Study and how that is also an option. I am definitely open to that, it seems like that would be the easiest way to get money while still being able to fit in schoolwork. I have also entertained the idea of doing people's hair in my dorm room. Starting in quarantine I got really good at braiding hair. My family frequently pays me money to do different hairstyles on them and I would like to continue that when I get to college to have an extra stream of money coming in. I know that for some people student debt is inevitable, I might even be one of those people since my mom doesn't have a lot of money, but I will try to do my best to avoid this burden, especially when I know there are hundreds of ways to do it. With that being said, thank you for your consideration.

A problem that I’d like to solve is how much waste is consumed. Especially now, there are a plethora of ways to be non-wasteful. Whenever I leave my house, no matter where I’m going, I will always see trash on the sidewalks and streets and it just doesn’t sit right with me knowing that our Earth is actively being poisoned by its inhabitants, species are becoming extinct, the world is getting more and more unlivable for future generations. If I can do something, anything, even if it’s just something small it makes me feel better about how I contribute to this world. I definitely don’t want to be the one adding more waste than I have to. I have given up on using disposable plastic loofahs and instead bought a washable one made up of organic materials. It cleans my body better and I’m not throwing away a bunch of plastic every month. Even the small stuff like using a reusable water bottle or turning off the water when you brush your teeth can make a difference. I make sure that I recycle whenever I get the chance, especially old papers that get collected throughout the school year. I’m not perfect, though who really is? One thing that I had to give up was fast fashion. As a high school student who doesn't have a lot of money shopping online on fast fashion websites seemed to be ideal for my budget and convenience. I didn't like the excess packaging that came with these clothes. After some research I discovered that most, if not all, of these fashion websites were not ethical or environmentally friendly. Making the switch to more ethical ways of staying fashionable helped me be more conscious of my purchases, I got clothes that last way longer, and I actually saved money by being more selective when choosing which clothes to buy. As someone who is going to culinary school, I can't wait to find ways to be more sustainable in the kitchen, too, not just for the environment but for the overall health of those who want to eat my food. I’m not entirely “green” and I’m not saying that everyone has to be. If everyone made small life adjustments like the ones I just mentioned, that's still doing more than nothing. I also know that not everyone’s lifestyle can adjust to being completely non-wasteful. Since I live with my mom there are only certain things that I can do, my mom and I live very differently and her profession as an esthetician needs disposable products in order to have new, clean materials for her clients. When I get my own living space, hopefully I will have more of a say in how things are operated and get to do more of my part in preserving the world we live in.

I can confidently say that my mom was the one who encouraged me to pursue a career in the culinary arts. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with what can be created in the kitchen. When I was younger my mom worked for a sustainable food system and she would bring home fresh seasonal vegetables and healthy recipes that made even a 6 year old want to eat their veggies. I grew up in the rising age of YouTube, where to the amazement of my young eyes I could watch a plethora of videos. I came across "Nerdy Nummies", a channel led by a baker dedicated to making fun, quirky, cakes and recipes from your favorite movies and TV shows, or even simply just making adorable unicorn cakes. My mom was nothing short of encouraging, fueling my desire to be just as talented. She loved baking with me, making sure to make it fun for me whether by making pink pancakes or helping me make a fun Nerdy Nummies recipe or even by playing my favorite Disney songs while we baked. She introduced me to Master Chef, a show we would watch every week, amused by the dramatics and suspense of who would go home. We also watched to learn new techniques and learn about new foods that we had never heard of. I don't know about you but in middle school people usually don't go around knowing what a beef wellington is. When I learned about Master Chef Junior I was even more inspired. Kids like me, around my age, were able to hold their own in a kitchen and their culinary knowledge was extensive. Seeing that being a good cook wasn't just limited to adults I was motivated to get better at it and experiment more, outside the bubble of my mom's help. I was shown that I could do it myself. My mom took note of my interests and found out about Master Chef Junior camp. She organized a GoFundMe page so that we could afford it and for months she tried to get all the money that was needed to attend. She did it, though. I was able to get a chance to go and I was so grateful. Going to that camp solidified that that was what I wanted to do with my life. I was able to learn in a more professional setting, not through a screen on my phone. I could ask questions that I wouldn't have been able to and I tried foods that I had never tried before. I began to establish my own recipes and took notes on things that worked or didn't work for me. My mom even got me a notebook to write out all my ideas and recipes. She really has been the best person in terms of my motivation and I wouldn't even be applying to culinary school if it wasn't for her.

Succeeding is definitely something I want to do when I go to college, but it is easier said than done. This is why I am planning my success a year earlier. Every day I go through new scholarships and see which ones I'm eligible for. I have a Google Sheet for the scholarships I applied for to keep track of them and tell me how much money is offered by each one. I made a goal for myself to apply to at least 5 a month. I found that this works best on top of my busy school schedule. I have recently been accepted into college and have been struggling to find ways to deal with all the incoming costs. Since the college I am going to is a culinary school there is the added expense of uniforms and knife kits which are not included in the tuition. This adds other stress on top of the considerable amplitude of tuition. By receiving this scholarship I can take a load, even if it is small, off my back because it is one less thing that I need to worry about. Having the right materials, especially if you want to cook, is crucial to the quality of your product. You don't see people in kitchens working with dull knives and wearing sweatpants. There are specific criteria for how chefs should dress and the standard of their tools and as an aspiring chef I am expected to meet those criteria no matter what, but I'd rather do that without trying to scrap money together. I have to keep in mind that there is no limit to how many scholarships I can apply to. I'm trying to apply to as many as possible to increase my chances of receiving money. Keeping up with my grades is also another way that I am, and plan to, deal with potential student loan debt. I have already gotten money from my college upon acceptance for maintaining a GPA over 3.5 for all four years of high school. Since those scholarships are renewable throughout all my years in college, I also aim to keep the same momentum academically. My mom told me about Federal Work Study and how that is also an option. I am definitely open to that, it seems like that would be the easiest way to get money while still being able to fit in schoolwork. I have also entertained the idea of doing people's hair in my dorm room. Starting in quarantine I got really good at braiding hair. My family frequently pays me money to do different hairstyles on them and I would like to continue that when I get to college to have an extra stream of money coming in. I know that for some people student debt is inevitable, I might even be one of those people since my mom doesn't have a lot of money, but I will try to do my best to avoid this burden, especially when I know there are hundreds of ways to do it. With that being said, thank you for your consideration.

Typically, when people are in a bad mood they want to get out of it. Everyone has their methods, but for me it’s lacrosse. I remember this one time a couple of years ago when I had come home from school. I was physically and mentally exhausted and was just in a bad mood. The last thing I wanted was to go to practice, but my mom insisted. We went back and forth arguing about whether or not I should go, it even brought me to tears. My mom decided that I had to go, so of course, I had to listen to her. On the car ride to the field, all I could think about was how bad I didn’t want to go, especially since it was a new team and I didn’t know my teammates at all. It was harder to befriend them than my first lacrosse team and I wasn’t in the mood to fake being happy for the social interaction. Unwillingly, I got out of the car and had practice for about 2 hours. During those two hours, I had completely forgotten about my bad mood and all the negative thoughts that I was thinking. All I could focus on was the game. I believe that the physical stress that captivated me, from running, throwing, etc., trumped the mental stress I was having. I was more worried about catching the ball or throwing a good pass than to be thinking about anything else. In those two hours, I got a break from life, it seemed. A break from all of the demands and responsibilities that resided off the field. I wasn't always a sports person, I liked being active, but sports never really interested me. In the 6th grade, my mom transferred me to a new school. A school she thought would be better for me, and of course, she was right, but it didn't matter, I didn't want to leave my friends. I get anxious about meeting new people, I thought that I was gonna be alone and I would have to form new relationships from scratch. My mom knew this and she suggested, sorry, made me join a sport. That sport happened to be lacrosse. I had no idea what that was or how to play it. No matter how much I complained my mom wouldn't relent, I had to join the lacrosse team no questions asked. The first month or two of my being on the team was slow. Since I had transferred in November friendships were already formed and solidified, which was what I was worried about. I had to find a way to slither into the hearts of my bonded teammates. Before I knew it I had a best friend. And then another, and another. I was the best player on my team for a sport I had just found out about. It got to the point where I actually looked forward to going to practices and I had fun. I found my safe space. I was comfortable. I was friends with everyone on my team. I even formed a positive relationship with my coach. I am so happy that my mom chose to make me play lacrosse because without it I would've never met amazing people and formed memories that I'll cherish forever.

I can confidently say that my mom was the one who encouraged me to pursue a career in the culinary arts. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with what can be created in the kitchen. When I was younger my mom worked for a sustainable food system and she would bring home fresh seasonal vegetables and healthy recipes that made even a 6 year old want to eat their veggies. I grew up in the rising age of YouTube, where to the amazement of my young eyes I could watch a plethora of videos. I came across "Nerdy Nummies", a channel led by a baker dedicated to making fun, quirky, cakes and recipes from your favorite movies and TV shows, or even simply just making adorable unicorn cakes. My mom was nothing short of encouraging, fueling my desire to be just as talented. She loved baking with me, making sure to make it fun for me whether by making pink pancakes or helping me make a fun Nerdy Nummies recipe or even by playing my favorite Disney songs while we baked. She introduced me to Master Chef, a show we would watch every week, amused by the dramatics and suspense of who would go home. We also watched to learn new techniques and learn about new foods that we had never heard of. I don't know about you but in middle school people usually don't go around knowing what a beef wellington is. When I learned about Master Chef Junior I was even more inspired. Kids like me, around my age, were able to hold their own in a kitchen and their culinary knowledge was extensive. Seeing that being a good cook wasn't just limited to adults I was motivated to get better at it and experiment more, outside the bubble of my mom's help. I was shown that I could do it myself. My mom took note of my interests and found out about Master Chef Junior camp. She organized a GoFundMe page so that we could afford it and for months she tried to get all the money that was needed to attend. She did it, though. I was able to get a chance to go and I was so grateful. Going to that camp solidified that that was what I wanted to do with my life. I was able to learn in a more professional setting, not through a screen on my phone. I could ask questions that I wouldn't have been able to and I tried foods that I had never tried before. I began to establish my own recipes and took notes on things that worked or didn't work for me. My mom even got me a notebook to write out all my ideas and recipes. She really has been the best person in terms of my motivation and I wouldn't even be applying to culinary school if it wasn't for her. She is the reason I love culinary arts and want to pursue it in college.

I can confidently say that my mom was the one who encouraged me to pursue a career in the culinary arts. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with what can be created in the kitchen. When I was younger my mom worked for a sustainable food system and she would bring home fresh seasonal vegetables and healthy recipes that made even a 6 year old want to eat their veggies. I grew up in the rising age of YouTube, where to the amazement of my young eyes I could watch a plethora of videos. I came across "Nerdy Nummies", a channel lead by a baker dedicated to making fun, quirky, cakes and recipes from your favorite movies and TV shows, or even simply just making adorable unicorn cakes. My mom was nothing short of encouraging, fueling my desire to be just as talented. She loved baking with me, making sure to make it fun for me whether by making pink pancakes or helping me make a fun Nerdy Nummies recipe or even by playing my favorite Disney songs while we baked. She introduced me to Master Chef, a show we would watch every week, amused by the dramatics and suspense of who would go home. We also watched to learn new techniques and learn about new foods that we had never heard of. I don't know about you but in middle school people usually don't go around knowing what a beef wellington is. When I had learned about Master Chef Junior I was even more inspired. Kids like me, around my age, were able to hold there own in a kitchen and there culinary knowledge was extensive. Seeing that being a good cook wasn't just limited to adults I was motivated to get better at it and experiment more, outside the bubble of my mom's help. I was shown that I could do it myself. My mom took note of my interests and found out about Master Chef Junior camp. SHe organized a GoFund Me page so that we could afford it and for months she tried to get all the money that was needed to attend. She did it, though. I was able to get a chance to go and I was so grateful. Going to that camp solidified that that was what I wanted to do with my life. I was able to learn in a more professional setting, not through a screen on my phone. I could ask questions that I wouldn't have been able to and I tried foods that I had never tried before. I began to establish my own recipes and took notes on things that worked or didn't work for me. My mom even got me a notebook to write out all my ideas and recipes. She really has been the best person in terms of my motivation and I wouldn't even be applying to culinary school if it wasn't for her.

Succeeding is definitely something I want to do when I go to college, but it is easier said than done. This is why I am planning my success a year earlier. By getting into good habits college should be an easier load. Right now I am becoming a better time manager. When I am assigned work I tell myself to start it when it's assigned. I don't necessarily have to finish it, per se, but just starting it means that the hard part is already over with and I'm more inclined and motivated to finish something rather than starting. Another thing I'm currently doing is applying to a bunch of scholarships. Like, a lot. If I up my chances of receiving money from scholarships then I will spend less time and energy worrying about financial aid from college. Money is something that I'm really worried about, I don't want my family or future me to be subjected to the burden of debt so I'm doing everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. I also plan to take advantage of my resources, whether provided by a college or other. I will utilize libraries as they contain a lot of free information. They also provide quiet spaces for studying and doing homework and I've gotten used to being in them because they motivate me to do work. I think having designated spaces for work is important just like there are designated places in your house for certain things: your bedroom is for sleeping, the kitchen is for cooking, and the bathroom is for showering. It's no wonder doing homework in my room makes me tired, but I feel more driven in a library. With a college degree I am exposed to more job opportunities than if I didn't have one and there is more flexibility in choosing where I want to work. More jobs are going to people with Bachelor Degrees, who have a lower rate of unemployment compared to people who just have high school diplomas. A college degree will also help me learn specific skills needed in my career field that I might miss without a vigorous work load.

My dream goal for my life is to ultimately achieve financial freedom and be in charge of my own business(es). My mom is an entrepreneur so I look up to her in terms of how she can be her own boss. I also don't want to be constrained by money to do certain things or have certain luxuries.