Growing up I have found the niches that suit my personality to a tee and have discovered along the way that I am a leader, I am ambitious, I am one of the most determined people I know when I want something, and that I love competition. Slytherins are often misrepresented as villains due to their willingness to do anything to be at the top. I found a place to fit in through the fantasies of Harry Potter. In 6th grade, I had a teacher who adored Harry Potter and we went the whole year in houses and earned points. This teacher helped me appreciate the places I excelled and used my traits for success. I used to dislike these attributes because it made me feel less human when others saw me as selfish, but as I got older, I learned there's a time for everything and the characteristics I have are what make me successful in the fields I love. As a 17-year-old in high school, I have become the president of many clubs, I have traveled to New York for business opportunities and traveled on both MUN and Debate teams, this summer I was a teacher’s aide for business at Nova Southeastern University, I've also made changes in my school environment and community because of my strong sense of self and passion. Just because you’re a competitive person doesn't make you a bad friend or a horrible person, it really means you have a strong sense of self and resourcefulness. Just as manipulation and persuasion are a fine line, so is selfishness and selling interest. Slytherins are loyal to a fault, and I have both laughed and cried with my teams. Nothing can reach its full potential without strong leadership and a strong team to follow. A further example is my selectiveness in friendship. I associate with what I want. My friends, role models, mentors, and even partners are people I determine worth investing in. You become who you surround yourself with and that's why I choose those with drive and motivation. My largest goal outside of graduating and getting into college is to start a nonprofit by the time I graduate. I have made multiple contacts and have positioned myself in business classes and opportunities since I set my sights on them in 9th grade. Some ways that I've prepared for entrepreneurial success are my paid internship, my invitation to participate in New York's Virtual Entrepreneur competition, and the volunteering I do. No house is better as they all have their unique traits and abilities, but Slytherin encompasses my greatest attributes and the journey I've taken.

I have always admired Napoleon Bonaparte as a historical figure. It started off as me thinking how someone could be bad and get an ice cream named after them. Intrigued by how he was famous enough to be heard of, but not enough to know who he was. My own research was aimed toward deducting who he was and what was his influence? I learned he ruled France at some point and that his reign took place not too long ago. When I took a European history course, I learned he was known for military expertise. He was an amazing strategist and leader. These are traits I already admired, but his depth went on. He grew up as a middle-class aristocrat yet still managed to gain the title of Emperor. He earned respect through taking advantage of opportunities and as a leader many revered him. Coming from a lower background and holding the highest title meant that most people felt common ground with him and a sense of understanding. When he was instated, he changed the financial situation of France, creating a healthier economy and society. After the French Revolution, he helped recreate a new France free of debt and overbearing tax. His charisma led to great leadership and his mind led to the Napoleonic Laws. Napoleon proves that a hard-working mind, along with hard-working hands can get you to incredible places. As once stated in Animal Farm "absolute power corrupts absolutely"; sadly, this did come true. Falling from his graces, being exiled not once, but twice. After his first exile, he still managed to come back despite the odds, which I find to be admiring. Although in the end, he was disgraced, his reign made life better for many and guaranteed them a new future.

In my freshman year of high school, I was in a Cambridge Global Perspectives course. Someone chose the topic of literacy. This person elaborated on the necessity of reading and presented the statistical values of how many people were illiterate globally, nationally, and locally. As a lover of books, I was astonished at how many people were robbed of imagination and fantastical escapes. That week I talked to the student who presented the ideas of creating a more literate world and starting working on a non-for-profit focused on access to books and education. I plan to establish this project by the end of my high school graduation. This one encounter, one presentation shifted my view enormously on the access to education I am granted. I found a new passion in this because I fell in love with reading for too many reasons to list and because it was essential to my daily tasks. The thought that a myriad of people in the world did not have this pleasure nor skill gave me the purpose I was looking for. After that, I have always viewed the knowledge I have will more respect and gratitude. My gratefulness and understanding widened that day and has given me the motivation to change the world in a way far greater than mine. I was named after Princess Jasmine and one day I want to say "I can show you the world", but for an entirely different reason.

Answer terribly wrong! I am taking a big risk on this one. Hypothetically if I answer how I am wrong, I'm doing it correctly. So, by answering the question correctly, I am doing everything wrong. Technicalities still make me applicable. I cannot say why I deserve this scholarship more than someone else, that is for the judge to decide. I can tell you that if I were given this scholarship, it could potentially prosper a young, dedicated individual, who would be more than willing to lead the next generation into something wonderful. My career goals are to start a mission aimed at helping those who have less access to education. I want to become successful and have financial stability. Enough financial stability to give my loved ones as well as me the most opportunities in life possible. I wish to influence and encourage others to be amazing, kind, and aware. I started high school in a completely different direction than I pursued the previous 14 years of my life. I felt lost and unsure of my decision because of this. I ended up deciding to make my own path starting multiple clubs and finding new passions. I still strive as what I was, but continue to strive as someone new.

I have an extremely optimistic outlook on life. This quality makes me seem naive, trusting, and childish sometimes, but often my optimism is what grants me my motivation and aspirations. I view good in everything, and it does turn on me in some situations, but my ability to see the silver lining in everything makes me keep going even when I have been put in negative situations. My optimism sometimes gets me into trouble, but it always gets me out. I am the person I am today because of my positive outlook. I value being a good person who knows how to make people smile and can always be a friend. I enjoy people being able to talk to me or confide in me if they need me. I am proud that I can smile even when I want to cry because it reminds me that there is always some good no matter how dreadful things get. You can always find something to be grateful about no matter the situation, as long as your life and air in your lungs still have it better than some people. I enjoy being a happy person very much and it is hard to fathom people who do not have the same outlook as me because I dislike it a lot when I am sad or mad. I could not imagine not smiling as much as I do or not laughing as much as I can. In life so far it has helped create great friends and bonds. My kindness has gotten me far and, in the future, I think it will propel me to do remarkable things. I want to start a non-for-profit giving access to education and I think a positive mindset that gives you constant reassurance and motivation will help me succeed even when things are going sideways. My happiness and ability to make others smile will help me be a great leader and network with the right people. I want to give people second chances and opportunities. I think my outgoingness and ability to make people feel heard will help when I need people to follow. My positivity creates an open mind and growth mindset. It helps me create a group of friends and family who trust means will support me through my hardships. In the long run, giving people the benefit of the doubt stops me from closing myself off from opportunities in the future and present.

Clean water accessibility is one of the biggest problems the world faces. Although the Earth is covered with approximately 71% of water, only 3% of it is accessible to humans. Two-thirds of this is frozen in ice caps and 1% is divided between agriculture, consumption, cleaning, etc. This is particularly important due to the necessary water plays in living beings. Not only is water necessary for humans to survive, but for plants and animals. Without trees, there is no oxygen and without animals to eat, there is no food. Water is one of the primary sources of every life. At least half the Earth's population endures water scarcity at least once a year. The top three water sources in the world are Brazil, Canada, and Russia. Water frozen in tundras or in freshwater springs, these countries hold the largest supply of water in the world. Ways we can solve this problem on a local level are by focusing on healthier habits and environments. Not using excessive water when showering or brushing our teeth. It may seem little, but thousands of people added together, create a large body of water waste. Reserving natural habitats and investing money into important reservations, allowing them to prosper and regain their former self. On an international scale, solutions can be viewed through the United Nations creating treaties with countries dedicated to water usage, such as the Paris Agreement. Sharing finance burdens, investments, and information toward the water supplies and cleaning systems. Working together to keep our water clean. Possibly even communicating with the three largest water suppliers to help create a specific trade route and beneficial distribution process. These are solutions every country could internally and externally look into. Thus, ensuring a future where water is not a privilege, but a right granted by life.

I think a change that could be emplaced into education is the reinstalment of home economics and practical classes. The majority of students grow up to be in a specific profession. Although math and science are important, they are not always necessary for survival. There is a set niche of careers that require advanced levels of math and science and unless you are in that niche, you do not use them in your everyday lives. Unlike this, there are a set number of skills needed for adulthood. Not everyone has a place to learn to cook, clean, or budget. In today's society members are expected to leave their house around 18, start college and learn to grow on their own. Life skills are just as important as academic skills if not more, everyone deserves to have a teacher teach them. As young adults, many struggles with filing taxes, budgeting their money properly or pulling out loans. Throughout life no matter what occupation these skills are trivial to every individual. Setting students up for adulthood is not just about teaching them how to read and write, but also providing them with the proper format and foundation for life. Home economics teaches the core portions of home management. For healthy next generations, it is vital that they have a healthy home environment and life skills to help with properly raising a family. Classes like home economics not only teach life skills but responsibility and independence. It teaches students how to cook and manage food properly. Financially when you get into college you save more money cooking your own meals, but many individuals struggle to learn proper food handling. These skills are valuable for any and every person and help reinforce a positive home space for the next generation of kids to come. Preparing kids in a class with practical skills grants them chances to see and learn from failure before they are older and have harder consequences; while providing them with a guide to help correct and redirect them onto the proper path. Many of the practical skills used on a daily basis are things I find many teenagers my age do not know or struggle to grasp. Placing them in these classes sets them up for a successful future and gives their children more opportunities in life. Reinstating these classes would be a large help to the future kids figuring out life.

I absolutely love the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. This was the series that got me hooked on reading. I read it in seventh grade and could not put it down! The story is a historical book on unsolved murders. Taking a twist on their endings to create a world for viewers who love thrillers and mystery. This book has everything from romance to murder, explaining how thin the line between love and hate is. As I stated the story is written especially well. The main character is a female forensic pathologist in the late 1800s. Because of the time and setting throughout the story, people are constantly shunning her for pursuing science instead of what society thinks is best for women. To make it worst she is an aristocrat meaning people judge her harder, even her own family. The storyline depicts the struggles a female went through in that time and how she broke the societal norms to pursue what she believes in. She struggles with her own family not accepting what he wants to do. Her father is suffering an illness and tries to keep her captive because he fears losing her like her mother. There are plot twists that blur moral lines between family and society causing viewers to think and reimagine everything they have been taught. At some point, the uncle of the main character convinces her father to attend the world's best forensics school and pursue her passion. There she struggles to fit in an all-male school and experiences loss and betrayal from her friends and family. The book creates a wonderful plot while still portraying important messages and themes for young adult readers. My love of reading has only grown since this book opened my eyes to a new wormhole of escapes.

In my school community, I have worked on a period project, making feminine products more accessible around our campus. At my church, I have helped with a purse drive. The purse drive collects hygiene and feminine products to be put into a purse, then you distribute them to women at the Broward Outreach Center or females you run into. Similar to my school project, but on a larger scale. Other projects I have worked on are the Box of Joy and Share a Meal. Share a Meal happens one Saturday a month. You cook hot food and make a bagged lunch with PB&J's, cookies, utensils, and more. After you make around a hundred-fifty or so, you go to Broward Outreach and distribute the meals to people who come. The Box of Joy project happens closer to Christmas. You get a box and fill it with gifts and necessities, they then get sent to families who cannot afford gifts for their children that year. Around Christmas, we also do the Angel Tree. We receive a list of kids with Terminal Cancer, and we make angels with their age and gender, the community picks an angel and gets a gift. We wrap the gift and print the names and then have an event where Santa comes and gives out the gifts to each family. We do a similar event for kids fighting AIDS and HIV's. We do an event and donate gifts to those families who cannot afford them because of treatments. These are just some of the activities I have done in my community for as long as I can remember. All these focus on giving people positive moments in their lives. It may not change everything, but it only takes a small action to make a tremendous change.

In second grade my dad taught me how negatives worked using my lunch money as an example. I always used to buy two ice creams instead of one or four pop tarts. He explained how everything costs something and that if I ran out of money, I would be hungry. I didn't believe him until there wasn't enough money in my account for lunch one day and I got a cheese sandwich. Since second grade I have been very aware of money and try to save. As I've grown, I have had multiple encounters with financially successful people or financially stable people and the one lesson I have gathered from the majority is living below your means. When you live below your means it means to spend less than you make. In my head that was always common sense, it’s why I always saved so much, but to many, this is not as obvious. You never know when an emergency will arise, and it’s always best to be prepared. Sometimes just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it and that saying goes for money as well. If you can afford a first-class ticket, but it does nothing negatively to you if you purchase an economy ticket why do it? Being prepared and well versed in what to use your money on is especially important and I think gorging on too many unnecessary things causes a successful person to decline and a working person to become stagnant. Spend what you need and save what you don't, then you can budget and use your money on what is valuable to you.

I work as a Sunday school teacher every week throughout the school year. I hope as a mentor to provide a safe place for my students. By being their teacher, they look up to me and see me as a role model. I teach kindergarten through third grade. In these stages, they are most influenced. This is part of why I chose those grade levels. I hope in the long-term life the students I teach take with them kindness, understanding, and respect. I hope that these kids learn a growth mindset that helps navigate them in the toughest parts of life. Communication is key and I want them to grow older and be able to provide the same safe space I have given them to the many individuals out there who need it. My acts influence who they are today and tomorrow. Some of them will grow up to be teachers, lawyers, firefighters, or performers. Some of them will be parents or guardians, but I hope all of them are amazing humans who know how to love and guide. Hopefully, their experiences with me will give them the references they need until they have more of their own experiences to base judgment on, but what I hope most is that they learn to never give up and always ask for help when they are stuck, no matter what age they are or what situation they are in.

A tough time for me was my sophomore year. I struggled internally just a little. I attended a Performing Arts middle school because I have a passion for the arts. I had two choices for high school, Performing Arts or Pre-Law. I went to the school for Pre-Law, deciding I can do arts as a hobby, but law as a sturdy life plan. My first year of high school was online. When I started my 10th-grade year I tried joining performing arts clubs. Coming from a performing arts school they weren't what I wanted nor expected. Because the school was a Pre-Law school, they didn't have the same prioritization as I was accustomed to, and I wouldn't be learning anything new. I've always been in classes with advanced learning students, but because I was in five out of seven college classes in just 10th-grade it was harder to fit in. Most of the kids I had classes with were older and already had friend groups going on for about 4 years. My friends went to the Performing Arts school. I realized I didn't even want to do law, but business. It made me feel like I made the wrong choice in high school and worried me about scholarships and my future. By the end of the year, I found great friends, I am the leader of clubs I learned I have a passion for and now have access to a theater club involved with the International Thespians Society. I felt like I made a wrong choice in the beginning, but it taught me it's about what you do with the situation you're placed in. Not every choice I make will be perfect, but I can make or find a perfect solution for what I need if I try hard enough.

Three of the most helpful things I do are journaling, praying, and painting. I have been raised by people who have luckily emplaced a growth mindset into me at an early age. Even with a positive mindset sometimes things still get under your skin and make you feel depressed, stressed, or anxious. I have been in performing art since I was in pre-school and am vocally trained. When I need to express myself, music is an obvious outlet for me, but I realized sometimes music hypes me on or heightens my emotions. About three years ago I started journaling, only on occasions though. I really found it distasteful at first. I didn't think it worked. In the last three years, I have grown a lot as a person. Whenever I feel emotional, I write it down to better grasp what I am feeling and how to convey it. This has helped me in my relationships because I was able to communicate effectively. It allows me to back away from the situation and view it differently. I struggled with the identification of my emotions and I love reading. So, I figured out that if I started writing a character and reread it, I could better identify what I was internally experiencing from an un-personal stance. I could better dissect and understand the situation as well. Writing has given me a more open mind and the ability to not overthink as much. I also have gotten stronger in my faith. This really helped me with just talking. Having a conversation with someone I felt didn’t judge me. It also helped me stop feeling like I was always alone because I knew I could always pray and maybe there isn't someone physically with me, but there is always someone out there who understands. Mindfulness is still something I personally struggle with because it's hard for me to clear my head. It's something I try to do before I fall asleep while I'm lying in bed. I started because I struggle with falling asleep, my mind is constantly thinking and racing so a doctor suggested I try clearing it. Because it's so hard for me, I don't like doing it, but I do it anyway because it's good for reflection. You go through a lot of personal growth when you learn to sit back and enjoy the company of your thoughts and understand them. Painting I got into because of covid. I’m no Picasso, but it gives me a direct outlet. I use colors subconsciously sometimes and when I look at the overall painting I try to identify why I did what I did. It's also productive and turns my negative emotions into something artistic and beautiful. Art helps me remember that even negative things can be positives, that it's all about the outlook. It helps reinstate that positive mindset when I feel helpless. Sometimes you need a good distraction that places you in a happy place while you calm down. Everyone is different; so, I recommend you try some of these. If they don't suit you sometimes you have to learn yourself first. I found painting through my love of art, but I love reading, and I can't enjoy it when I'm stressed or mad. Some people just need a nice nap or a hug from their furry friend. The most important thing is to know yourself and what helps you best. Journaling is the place to start if you need to start reflecting on yourself and your growth. From there you'll slowly start to find the activities that work best for you.

I went to a church event not too long ago and I earned fifty dollars for bringing the most people. About a week later when I got off my bus, I stopped at Publix to get a sub. As I was waiting in line a guy in front of me was buying long-lasting foods such as cereal, snack bars, etc. The total came out to be eight dollars and some change. He only had around six dollars and was apologizing to everyone while trying to figure out what to put back. I gave him ten dollars to pay for the food he had and told him to keep the change. I could see that he was super grateful and was not looking for help, I pulled out the rest of the money and gave him thirty dollars from the forty I had left. I told him to get some more food when he needs it; that he should stay safe. He kept saying thank you and told me he would not have to worry about eating for the next three weeks. He expressed how he could focus on working now that he knew he had food to eat. I used the last ten I had to pay for my meal and walk home. I was raised Catholic, and I believe it is why I prioritize charity and giving. Once every Saturday before covid, my family used to run a project called Share a Meal. We would cook and make bagged lunches. That afternoon, we would hand out both the hot meals and the to-go bags at the Broward Outreach Center. My mom, also being a teacher, is one of my prime examples of how to be selfless and respect every life. She works with students who have special needs now. I have the privilege of seeing first-hand the myriad of people including her, who care for individuals. I was able to aid kids in kindergarten through fifth grade in the summer. I worked with three kids, specifically every day. During camp, I helped them read, write, and grow. I have always had people around to guide me. They help show me what kindness, love, and selflessness should look like. The project I am working on right now is a non-for-profit. The mission is to grant access to education, to those who experience inaccessibility. There will be two main branches one is a student tutoring students program. The first branch's aim is to allow young individuals learning opportunities on how to lead and better teach. Giving students who have the inability to receive extra help a safe place to learn. This branch focuses on creating a safe environment, friendships and harnessing the potential of youth. The second branch focuses on donating books and spreading a love of reading. Making sure that every person who wishes to escape through imagination has the freedom to do so. In the future, I hope for my plans to expand toward being able to teach those who are illiterate and struggle with finding a place to learn or fit in. Being able to grant people access to education and happiness is something I am enthusiastic about. I am only sixteen and have slightly six hundred words to write, but these are some of the examples I chose to display the selflessness my faith and community have worked so hard to place in the young woman I have become.

I have personally never gone through severe mental health issues, but that does not mean I am not impacted by those around me who have. My mom suffers severe anxiety and so does my brother. Growing up it caused a lot of strain on me because she was always worried and it wasn't until I was older that I could understand why. She is also a teacher and because of this I see firsthand a million different people going through a million different situations, but all with the same issues and they normally revolve around mental health. Seeing my mom as a teacher has shown me how much people go through. I have worked as a teacher's aid during summer to help kids with autism and I see the struggle some of them have due to their own mental health. Those same elementary kids had parents that I dealt with. They went through mental pain and health issues because they just wanted the best for their children. I teach CCD on Sundays and some of my students have parents who suffer from depression and other well-known struggles. I see how much their parent's struggles impact them as a growing child and it has caused me to be more aware of my body language, tone, and reactions. I have become far more understanding because of these accounts. I have strong beliefs that mental health just like any other physical disease is still a disease that needs to be solved. Not as many people are open to mental health issues and so I joined a club at my school, eventually becoming president so I can reinforce the concept of safe spaces and communities. I believe in effective communication and teaching others how to communicate as well. I destress by writing down my worries, fears, my anger and it helps me a lot. Due to the importance of reading and writing in my life, I have started working on a nonprofit I hope to run by the time I graduate high school. One of the branches of this nonprofit focuses on sharing a love of reading and helping those that are illiterate. My love of reading and my form of coping aren't accessible to everyone, but everyone deserves a chance to speak and write their thoughts out. Reading can be an escape needed for people struggling with reality, a way for them to gain hope and motivation. My larger goal in life because of these experiences is to eventually provide sufficient materials and educators globally to those who are illiterate. My goals are large, but the problem is larger. Everyone suffers if not daily from time to time due to mental health. It isn't always evident and that's why it is important to constantly check in and ask. I am only 16 years old, so I do not have as much experience, but some people only need to see it once to realize the severity and change needed. I aspire to help those around me and connect not just physically but mentally.