I want to attend law school because I care about fairness, responsibility, and helping people navigate systems that often feel confusing, cold, or stacked against them. Law shapes almost every part of life, from public safety to economic opportunity to the rights people have when they are at their most vulnerable. I have seen how important strong institutions and good representation are, and I want to build a career where I can make a real difference for people who need someone in their corner. I am currently a student at Nebraska Wesleyan University studying Political Science with minors in Economics and Criminal Justice. My academic path reflects the way I think about the world. I want to understand not only what the law is, but also how policy, economics, and public institutions affect real people in their everyday lives. I have always been drawn to work that carries responsibility. That is one reason I have balanced school with years of work, while continuing to push myself academically. I believe that discipline, consistency, and a willingness to put in the work matter, especially in a field like law where people are trusting you with some of the hardest moments of their lives. My interest in law has also grown through public service experiences. Interning in Washington, D.C. in the Office of the House Majority Leader gave me a closer view of how government decisions affect communities across the country. It reminded me that behind every policy debate are real families, real pressures, and real consequences. That experience strengthened my desire to pursue a legal career because I want to work in a profession where careful thinking, strong advocacy, and ethical responsibility can directly improve people’s lives. What stands out to me most about the legal field is that knowledge alone is not enough. A good lawyer must also know how to listen. In today’s world, people are often talked over, rushed, or treated like a file instead of a person. I do not want to be that kind of lawyer. I want to be someone who listens closely, asks the right questions, and takes the time to understand a client’s full story. Kindness and empathy are not weaknesses in legal work. They are strengths. When clients feel heard and respected, trust is built, and trust is essential if an attorney is going to represent someone well. I also think empathy matters because the legal system does not affect everyone equally. Some people enter it with money, confidence, and support, while others enter it already at a disadvantage. I want to use my legal education to serve people with fairness and dignity, especially those who feel overlooked or intimidated by the system. That does not mean lowering standards or ignoring the law. It means applying the law with integrity while remembering that justice should not lose its human side. Law school is the next step toward the kind of life and career I want to build. I want to become an attorney who is dependable, thoughtful, and steady under pressure. More than that, I want to be the kind of lawyer who combines strong legal skill with kindness, listening, and empathy, because those qualities are what make real justice possible.

I want to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector because I care about work that actually matters to people’s everyday lives. I have always respected careers that are built around service, responsibility, and helping communities become stronger. To me, nonprofit work is not about getting attention or chasing status. It is about stepping up, solving real problems, and being part of something bigger than yourself. That kind of work means a lot to me because I have seen how much of a difference strong leadership and committed service can make. My interest in this path comes from both my academic background and my personal experiences. I study Political Science at Nebraska Wesleyan University, with minors in Economics and Criminal Justice, because I want to understand how policy, law, and institutions shape people’s opportunities. I have also spent years balancing school with work, including my job at Menards, where I learned how to be dependable, work with all kinds of people, and stay steady under pressure. Those lessons carried over into every other area of my life. They taught me that real service is not always flashy. A lot of times it is about showing up, doing the job right, and making life a little better for the people depending on you. I have also been involved in volunteer and civic experiences that shaped the kind of impact I want to make. Through Nebraska We the People, I saw how powerful civic education can be in helping young people understand government and their role in it. Serving as a timer and facilitator later on gave me the chance to support that mission in a different way by helping the event run smoothly and fairly for other students. I also volunteered at the White House Easter Egg Roll, where the mission was to help create a welcoming and memorable experience for families while supporting the operation of a major public event. Experiences like those may seem different on the surface, but both showed me the importance of service, organization, and helping create opportunities for others. Looking ahead, I want my work to make a difference in communities that need stronger representation, better access to information, and more trust in the institutions that affect their lives. I am especially interested in nonprofit work connected to public policy, civic education, and community support. I want to be part of organizations that help people understand government, connect them to resources, and make sure their voices are not ignored. Too many people feel shut out of the process, or like no one in leadership actually sees them. I want to help change that. At the end of the day, I want a career built on service, not just success. I want to do work that is practical, meaningful, and rooted in helping real people. The nonprofit sector stands out to me because it gives people the chance to serve others directly while also pushing for long-term change. That is the kind of work I want to be part of, and that is the kind of impact I hope to make.

There are moments in life when a story enters your world at just the right time, when you're questioning your path, your place, or your worth, and offers not just entertainment, but clarity, hope, and a renewed sense of purpose. For me, that story was Wicked. I first encountered Wicked in middle school, during a time when I was struggling with self-identity and acceptance. I didn’t quite fit the mold of who I thought I was supposed to be. I wasn’t the most outgoing, the most popular, or the most understood. When I heard Elphaba sing "Defying Gravity" for the first time, it was like a mirror was held up to my own life. The line “It’s time to try defying gravity” wasn’t just a lyric, it became a personal call to step into who I was, unapologetically and courageously. What I love most about Wicked is how it reimagines a classic story through the lens of empathy and nuance. Elphaba, so often dismissed as simply the “Wicked Witch,” becomes a fully formed, complex, and deeply human character. She is intelligent, principled, and brave, even when those qualities make her an outcast. Her willingness to speak out against injustice and to stand firm in her beliefs, even when the world misjudges her, is a lesson that resonates with me every day. In a society that often favors appearances over truth, Elphaba’s story reminds me that doing what is right is often not what is easy, or popular. On the other side of the spectrum, Glinda’s journey is equally powerful. Beneath her bubbly surface is someone who struggles with image, expectations, and finding her own moral compass. Her transformation from someone who values popularity to someone who values purpose and friendship is a reminder that we are all capable of growth, change, and redemption. The song "For Good" captures that beautifully, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” It reminds me of the power of connection and how the people we meet can leave lasting imprints on our lives. Wicked has also taught me about resilience. When people label you or misunderstand your intentions, it's easy to want to shrink yourself or conform. But Elphaba's strength lies in her refusal to do either. That strength inspired me to apply to college as a Political Science major and pursue a career in law, fields where standing up for what’s right, even when it’s difficult, is essential. I want to help others who feel misunderstood or powerless, just as Elphaba inspired me to embrace what makes me different. The upcoming movie adaptation has only renewed my excitement for the story. Seeing Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba brings a new energy to the narrative, and I’m thrilled to see how their portrayals will bring these characters to life for a new generation. It feels like a full-circle moment, Wicked was there for me when I needed it most, and now, it’s about to reach millions more through film. To me, Wicked isn’t just a musical, it’s a philosophy, a source of empowerment, and a reminder that our value isn’t measured by how the world sees us, but by how we choose to live, love, and lead. As I continue on my journey, both academically and personally, I carry its lessons with me like a compass: be bold, be kind, and above all, be yourself, even if that means defying gravity.

My name is Jaxson Kent Waller, and I am currently an undergraduate student at Nebraska Wesleyan University studying Political Science with the goal of becoming a lawyer. I come from a low-income background, and because of this, I have experienced firsthand the challenges that many families face when they do not have access to adequate legal, social, or governmental support. My goal is to dedicate my life to serving others through a career in law, advocating for those who are often left without a voice. From an early age, I understood that systems, whether legal, educational, or political, do not work equally for everyone. I watched members of my community struggle with housing insecurity, employment discrimination, and a lack of access to proper healthcare and education. These issues were not just personal hardships, they were symptoms of systemic failure. And while charity and volunteerism help in the short term, I believe that long-term change must come from within these systems. That belief is what drives my ambition to become a public interest lawyer. I chose to study Political Science because it allows me to understand the frameworks of government, policy, and justice. I’m learning not just how laws are made, but how they can be used as tools to protect people, or, when misused, how they can hurt them. My coursework has introduced me to political theory, civil rights law, constitutional law, and public policy analysis. Each class reinforces my belief that the law can and should be a mechanism for fairness and equity. I want to use my degree as a launchpad to attend law school, and eventually work in legal aid or public defense, ensuring that all people, regardless of income, race, or background, can access justice. Law, to me, is not simply a profession. It’s a commitment to truth, to equity, and to humanity. I want to advocate for families who are facing eviction, help immigrants navigate a complex and often hostile system, and protect workers from exploitation. I believe that by working in nonprofit legal organizations, public defender offices, or policy-focused legal roles, I can help change the trajectory of people’s lives. And over time, I hope to help reshape the institutions themselves, making them more inclusive and responsive to the needs of the people they serve. Robert F. Lawson’s life and legacy are incredibly inspiring to me. His service did not end with his military retirement, it continued through his commitment to helping others. He understood that service is not just a chapter in one’s life; it is a lifelong calling. I see my future the same way. I am not simply looking for a job, I am seeking a mission, one rooted in service, justice, and compassion. This scholarship would not only help alleviate the financial burden of my education, but also allow me to focus more fully on my goals. As a low-income student, I am acutely aware of the barriers that stand between me and a legal career. But I am also deeply committed to overcoming them, not only for myself, but for all those I hope to serve in the future. I am grateful for the opportunity to apply for the Robert F. Lawson Legacy Scholarship. If awarded, I will carry forward the values Mr. Lawson lived by: service, integrity, and a dedication to making the world better for others. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jaxson Kent Waller

One legal issue that completely changed my perspective on the world—and helped solidify my decision to study law, is the fight for the recognition of tribal water rights in the United States, particularly through the lens of the case Arizona v. Navajo Nation (2023). Before learning about this case, I understood water as a resource we should protect. What I didn’t fully understand was how access to water, something so fundamental to life, could still be denied to entire communities in the United States today. The Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, has long suffered from a lack of running water and reliable infrastructure. The community has argued that the U.S. government has not honored its responsibility, rooted in historical treaties, to ensure water access on tribal lands. In Arizona v. Navajo Nation, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government is not obligated to take active steps to secure water for the Navajo Nation beyond what is explicitly stated in treaties. That ruling struck me. It challenged my previous assumptions about justice, fairness, and the role of the law. I had always believed the legal system was there to protect those who had been historically marginalized. But here was a case where the law, or at least its interpretation, failed to reflect that. Instead, it showed how justice can be delayed or denied through technicalities, and how the legal process can feel distant or even hostile to the people who need it most. At the same time, learning about the case introduced me to an entire community of legal advocates, many of them Native lawyers, who are fighting to change that reality. They are combining litigation, legislation, and public education to move justice forward. It showed me that law is not just about what’s written in the Constitution or decided in courtrooms. It’s also about people. It's about the trust communities place in legal institutions and the duty of those within the legal system to earn and honor that trust. This case didn’t just inform me about tribal sovereignty or treaty obligations. It changed how I think about law as a living, evolving practice. It showed me that legal outcomes are often shaped by who is in the room, who has power, and who is left out of the conversation. That realization is what pushes me toward a future in legal work. I want to be one of the people in the room, someone who can help ensure that the law lives up to its promise of fairness. As someone from a low-income background, I understand what it feels like to have your future depend on systems that weren’t designed with your challenges in mind. That’s why I’m committed to studying law: to help build a more just and inclusive system, especially for communities that have been overlooked for too long. I’m grateful for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship, and I hope to honor the legacy of TJ Crowson by using my legal education to challenge ideas, do the right thing, and serve others with both courage and compassion.

From a young age, I’ve been drawn to how policy shapes the world around us, not just in major headlines, but in the smaller, everyday decisions that affect people’s lives. Whether it’s how a city funds its schools, how a state supports mental health care, or how the federal government responds to climate change, public policy determines opportunities, resources, and quality of life. That’s what inspires me. I want to be part of those conversations and help shape decisions that create fairer, more inclusive communities. For me, policy isn’t about politics, it’s about people. I hope to serve at both the state and federal levels of government during my career. I’m especially interested in starting at the state level because I believe that’s where change often begins. States can move more quickly than the federal government and are often the first to test out innovative policies. They’re also close to the communities they serve, which means legislators have a more direct line of communication with constituents. But long-term, I also want to work at the federal level, where I can help influence larger systems and advocate for nationwide reform. I believe the most effective leaders understand both levels of government and know how to bridge the two. My goal is to carry the voices of local communities into broader policy discussions and make sure no one gets left behind. One issue I care deeply about is access to clean water, especially for Native American communities. It’s a basic need and a human right, yet far too many people in tribal nations still lack reliable access to safe drinking water. This isn’t just a technical issue, it’s the result of decades of broken promises, underfunded infrastructure, and a failure to respect tribal sovereignty. It’s also an environmental justice issue, a public health issue, and a civil rights issue all at once. I believe solving it will take more than just money, it will take collaboration between tribal, state, and federal governments, and a willingness to listen to tribal leaders who have been advocating for their communities for generations. I want to help move those conversations forward through legislative work that centers on justice, accountability, and respect. At the heart of all of this is civil discourse. I believe civil discourse is what turns ideas into action. It allows people with different experiences and perspectives to come together and find solutions that work for the common good. In today’s divided political climate, it’s easy to forget that disagreement doesn’t have to mean disrespect. Some of the best policy ideas are born out of tension when people are willing to engage in tough conversations with open minds and a shared goal. Civil discourse helps us stay focused on what matters: solving problems, helping people, and building trust in our institutions. Without it, policy becomes reactive and short-sighted. With it, policy can be thoughtful, inclusive, and lasting. My interest in public service comes from a desire to do more listening than talking, to learn from the people affected by policy, and to bring those stories into the rooms where decisions are made. This scholarship would help me continue building the skills I need to be that kind of leader. I’m committed to working across differences, lifting up unheard voices, and using policy as a way to bring people together, not push them apart.

I want to practice law to help those in my community live safer, more protected lives. I am a sophomore at Nebraska Wesleyan University and have always dreamed of becoming a lawyer one day. I want to further my academic future at the University of Nebraska Lincoln School of Law. In hopes of one day becoming a prosecutor and working towards making my hometown of Lincoln Nebraska a safer more desirable city to live in. Not only do I want to make the community I live in safer, I want my future children to be able to grow up having a better life than I had growing up. I want my kids to be able to safely have a good childhood and achieve their goals without having to worry about the financial burden that comes with wanting to do great things someday. I have always wanted to protect the constitutional rights of individuals and carry out the law in the way that it was designed by the framers of the Constitution had meant them to be. When I practice law I don't want to be a prosecutor just to put the bad guys into jails or prisons, but to find the truths of what happened and hopefully find successful alternatives in making my community safer while also helping the people who committed the crimes they are accused of reform their actions in ways that won't ruin their lives. I don't want to practice law to make people's lives worse, I want the system that is wrongly putting people in prison for decades to change and to find stronger alternatives to harsh capital punishment. Such as community service, or better parol plans. I have always been interested in the process of how laws are made and I believe that knowing how laws are made is just as important in the process of practicing law. I want to go to Law School to have the education that will help me fully understand the process of not just practicing law but also how each law is made and why we have them. It is important to know that laws are made for our community and society to successfully operate in a way that everyone lives a safe, and more fair life. No, the law is not perfect and it is also flawed. But it is a human construction that can be reformed through legislation. I want to one day be a part of the process of making laws and reforming them to make society a more fair and safe place to live in. After all, laws are put in place for people, not for the government. I want a law school education to one day be able to understand how laws work and go into action to be able to change laws in legislation for the better to make things more fair for everyone. Ever since I took my first law and government class in high school I have wanted to one day practice law and I have been working towards that goal ever since. I am a Political Science major and one day one to attend law school to gain an understanding of how laws are made, and how laws are executed while being able to help people in their legal troubles and the unfairness that society has placed on them by one day hopefully being apart of lawmaking and changing the law for the better. I hope to be able to attend law school and do great things one day to help the people that are around me.

Ever since I took my first civics class in the 9th grade of High school, I knew I wanted to pursue further education In politics. I wasn't sure how I would ever get into a position of being able to make a difference and how I could help people in this field. So from my love of politics, I took my first law class my senior year and fell in love with how laws are created and put into action in the real world. I am a college student who is majoring in political science in hopes of one day going to law school right here in my home state of Nebraska in hopes of one day being able to work in the legal field under the system that I learned about throughout my time in high school and now in my second year of studies at the University. I don't wanna just to be a lawyer, I wanna be a great lawyer, I want to make a difference wherever I end up, I have dreamt of becoming a prosecutor and being able to work for the government on either the state or federal level to make my community a safer place for the people that I love and my community as a whole. My long-term goals are to potentially run for a political position in my state government, and be able to work in the Unicameral legislature in Nebraska while also being a lawyer with the experience of a lawmaker, I could work towards finally making life a little easier for the people of my small but large state. I want to make work conditions better for those who have no choice but to work as much as they can to provide for their families and to do so I want to propose a 36-hour work week which would give working-class individuals a 4-and-a-half-day work week. Which I think could be a very possible change in my very conservative state. I also want to change over time in my state to any time worked over 9 hours in a single day to help the people working 12+ hour days just to put food on the table for their families. When I talk about wanting a life working in politics and the courtroom, I want to help people be able to live an easier, more stress-free life, because growing up I watched my dad work 12-hour days in construction to come home and barely be able to pay the bills and feed me and my siblings, And my mom working countless hours as a school teacher to help young kids to be able to grow up and do well in their future education. My goal is not to be successful by only ever getting good grades and being smart in the classroom but to be able to work towards success for all of the people around me and be able to make life around me more enjoyable for everyone.

In my life, I have lost 5 close relatives. As an 18-year-old male student pursuing higher education, I constantly think of the family members who have been taken from me throughout the years of my short but meaningful life thus far. I know that some people have lost more than me, and some people have lost less, but today my goal is to tell you about the 5 members of my family that I lost and how each one of them has made me into the person I am today. The first of the 5 to pass was my Aunt Alisha, Alisha was only 27 years old when she passed and I was only 5 years old. Alisha took care of me when my young mom was unable to do so, my mother being 23 at the time, and already having 3 children of her own by the time she was 22. My aunt was my mother's only sibling. She had 2 children of her own, my cousins Anthony and Maddie. Both were very young when she passed. Maddie had only been months old when Alisha Passed. Alisha was too young to die and she passed away from skin cancer in her home on July 16th, 2010. The second family member was quite some time after and the next 4 all passed away within the past 4 years. My uncle Rolly. Uncle Rolly, or Roland passed away very suddenly from Heart failure after having passed out at his job, he was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital where he passed away shortly after. Rolly was 63 at the time, he was my great uncle and he always taught me how to do the simple things. My last memory of him was at my grandmother's house, he was laughing at me for how I peeled a cucumber and showed me how to do it. Rolly passed away on April 19th, 2019. My third and fourth Family members to pass away in my lifetime were my two great-grandmothers, both of them passed in 2021 within 10 months of each other and it just shows how easily people can be taken away from you. My great-grandma Murl, the Father of my grandpa, passed away from Alzheimer's disease after having suffered from memory loss and dementia for a few years, 4 if I'm not mistaken. She was an amazing woman, having helped my parents out financially in times of need when my young parents thought that we were going to lose our home. My great-grandma was such a giving woman, and she always loved to give back to her community. Murl was 92 when she passed on January 5th, 2021. My great-grandma Betty was such an outgoing lady, she had raised 4 children almost by herself after her husband passed away at a young age. My Grandma Betty was tough until the day that she passed away. She worked until she was 80 years old in a small town called Elk Creek Nebraska in a small store on Main Street. My Grandma told me before she passed that she was always so proud of me and the man that I was becoming. I got a text from my mom while I was in class that my great-grandma was in the hospital that she was probably not going to make it, and that she was in her last few hours. I raced to the hospital to find her having just passed surrounded by my loved ones and we stood around her for what I remember felt like hours as we just stared at her and cried. My great-grandma Betty was 88 when she passed on November 2nd, 2021. The Last of my relatives to pass was my grandpa Jeff. He was in such a healthy condition up until about 8 months before he passed away. he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and since the day he was diagnosed. He was in disbelief about what was happening to him, he was taken by this cancer so fast that my aunt and uncle got married in his house so that he could see them married before he passed. My Grandpa Jeff was not ready to go and he was still taken from us on September 14th, 2022 at the age of 68. In conclusion, I talked about each of my family members and I got different things that helped me focus on what really matters to each of them, My aunt Alisha taught me to care for others. My uncle Rolly taught me to teach and guide the people in my life who may need it. My great-grandmas taught me to give back to my community and to the people that I love. And my grandpa Jeff taught me to cherish the life that I have.

I'm going to start this essay on how I could not figure out what the Meaning of the word Ode is. I am an 18-year-old and a part of Gen Z and maybe that is the point of this essay is the fact that all the definitions of the word I found did not fit with what this essay seems to want to talk about. And my Apologies if this is something that everyone else knows and I have just been too sheltered. What I think the question is asking is what things are easy, and what things are hard for both Millennials and Gen Z's, And what things can be compared between the two. Now I am a member of Gen Z and both my parents are Millennials, my mother being 36 and my father being 37. Yes, I was a teen pregnancy, this year I became exactly half of my mother's age which is crazy to anyone to imagine being the same age or older than your parent was when they had you. Especially because I can still consider myself a child to some extent. Now what things do I think that millennials had that I believe are harder for Gen Z's? Well, I am going to tackle this question based on how I think. I am an undergraduate Political Science major at Nebraska Wesleyan University and I think that Gen Z has had it much harder than its predecessor. Not only are houses 300% more expensive to buy in this day in age, but the costs to live have reached all-time highs for new adults. Essentials in today's day in age, like shelter, transportation food, water, and education are all things that have gone up in price so significantly in the past 20 or so years that Gen Z, like myself have no idea how to tackle becoming independent adults. When I look back at how Millenials lived they all seem to have lived a party-like childhood, with no crazy technology, a lot of going outside, and their parents not worrying about what they were doing. And I believe that a lot of people, Millenials included kind of see their childhoods that way. Gen Z spends most of their time indoors, on their technology, socializing on the internet, and seems to be extremely sheltered. To me, it seems as if those same people who went out and did whatever they wanted as a child are the parents of Gen Z children that have been so badly sheltered and that is crazy to think because those parents grew up completely different. I am not saying that all Gen Z's behave in this way. I have worked 2 jobs over the past 2 and a half years and I have gotten used to putting up with customers and having to understand that as an adult you have to grow as a person, not just physically but mentally. Gen Z is the future of our workforce and Gen Z's grow up and are a lot tougher than even I might give them credit for. This Past election we have had some of the first Gen Z members to join the United States House of Representatives. For example Congressman Maxwell Frost of Florida. It takes a lot of knowledge, a lot of time, and a lot of effort to be elected a Congressman in any of the 435 districts in the U.S., and Gen Zer did it. The Sad thing was that this same Congressman was not granted a mortgage on a house in Washington D.C. to be able to move to the city that holds Congress, because his credit/credit age was not good enough for the banks in a city that is completely unaffordable to live in. Now only 15 years ago you could get approved for almost any house you wanted to as long as you had a down payment and the promise to pay the money back. Of course, I am referring to the housing market crash in 2008. This is just proof that if this same representative had been elected to Congress 14 years prior, he wouldn't have this issue that New Gen Z adults are having to go through. Not to hate on Millenials, because they didn't know what their future was going to look like. They were born from a fairly wealthy age of Baby Boomers, and Generation X as the economy at the time favored the American People. Millennials Were a part of the first age of people who learned the technology that we all know and love today. Many of the people in the technology workplace are Millennials. And It seems to a lot of people that Gen Z are the tech wiz, and they know the most about technology, but if my computer or phone is having any issues, one of the first people I go to is my Millennial mother. Millennials are extremely hard working, they work extremely hard to make sure that their children can succeed, and they know that it is hard for their children with the economy how it is, and just coming out of a pandemic. My mother raised 3 children while going to school to eventually have 3 degrees, an associate's in nursing, and pre-childhood education, and a bachelor's in pre-childhood education. My father even though he was a teen parent worked a blue-collar job to support our family of 5 up until my mother was able to get a job as a preschool teacher. If older generations think that Millennials grew up to be a bunch of nobodies then I would have to say they are wrong, and my parents are proof of that. In conclusion, I believe that although Gen Z and Millenials have their differences, in the end, the two generations both have hardships in their lives and other things that seem like they had it easy with. I appreciate anyone who took the time to read what I had to say today.

I have lost quite a few family members at a young age. by the age of 16, I had lost 2 great-grandmothers that I had been very close to. I lost both of them in 2021 around the time of the coronavirus. My great-grandmother, who I just called Grandma Betty was such a hard-working woman and she was always supporting me and my goals. She was such a loving woman who single-handedly raised 4 children after her husband passed away at a young age. My other great-grandmother, (Grandma Murl) was also a very hard-working woman, and she had developed dementia in her later years it was so sad seeing her become something that I had never seen before. She got to the point where she didn't even know who we all were, and that affected me in a way that I had never felt before. I felt as if the world had taken what made my grandma... my grandma. I have also felt loss from other people, who I felt was not there time yet to go. My Aunt Aleisha passed away when I was 5. I had spent a lot of time with her as she was my mother's only sister and she would take care of me while my mom pursued school and work to be able to support me and my two siblings. My Aunt passed away from skin cancer when she was only 27 years old. She would have been 40 this year and even that is too young for someone to be taken from us. I especially felt sad for my mother as it was her only sister. her big sister. The women she looked up to. My grandma also had lost her firstborn daughter. I could not imagine the pain of losing a child or a sibling. But In my own way, I lost someone who was a very significant part of my family. I lost my Grandpa Jeff last year. Which was hard for me because he was such a stubborn guy, he did not believe that he was going to die, or could die of this cancer that took over his body so fast. Not even a year before he passed he seemed as healthy as can be and had an accident that had him going to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. The cancer took him so fast that it didn't even give him a chance to fight back. He was only 68 and he had only just gotten to the point where he could retire. My grandpa was always there for me and proud of the person that I was becoming and I could not stop crying when he passed. My last family member was really hard to lose too. He was only 63 and what my whole family thought was full of life. The life of the party whenever we met really. My uncle Rolly. Rolly passed away in 2019 after suffering from heart failure. It was so fast and so sudden that I could not even believe it when My mother told me what had happened. I broke down into tears right there and then. these 5 deaths have shaped my life to the point where I understand how fragile life really is. I know that it is short. And the people around me need to be cherished. I still remember the very day that each of these 5 people passed. July 16th, 2010, April 19th, 2019, January 5th, 2021, November 2nd, 2021, and September 14th, 2022. Cherish and Respect your loved ones.

I believe that understanding the Nature of our Universe and how it came to be can help us as a civilization become more sustainable. I believe that knowing where the Universe came from could help countless people because it gives us meaning and purpose. I also believe that Exploring what is out there can help us invent and create new technology by not only understanding how things work but also finding new things, such as elements because it is very unlikely that human beings have discovered every type of element. I mean we are just a global civilization, what if we were able to travel to systems where the star burned hotter, a system where it burned much colder? That could be the difference in the production of completely different elements that could create planets made out of things that we humans can't even imagine. I believe that if we traveled to even one more planet and understood how to make it home like we do Earth it could prolong the life of our people, civilization, and humankind by millions or billions of years. The reason I believe that is because we humans are the most likely cause of any future extinction event. Whether it is a deadly virus that wipes out an entire planet to mass war and famine. Humankind is going to be the sole reason that we ever cease to exist on planet Earth. The reason that I feel like if we become a multi-planetary species we could spread out our species onto multiple where the chance of an extinction-level event goes down exponentially. Understanding the nature of our Universe, how things happen, and how we can manipulate things into working for us can make becoming a multi-planetary species possible. I not only think it is important that we explore the unknown of the universe, I think it is one of the most important things that we can do as a civilization. Maybe if we learn and go out there and explore space we can find the cure to cancer, the cure to even death itself! Maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration of what is possible, but that is just it, what is possible is not just what we believe in, and I feel like as humans we forget about that sometimes. Yeah, we know if we throw something into the sky it will come back down. But think about it. That sort of thing does not happen on every planet or space rock. When it comes to space we don't even know a fraction of what is going on out there. From how black holes work, to how even time flows. The Universe is so unknown we can't even see where it ends. Some scientists say that it is expanding at a rate that is faster than light and we cannot see it because even light can't see it. What if there is an edge and we just can't see that far because we humans can only see what is in the visible universe? Maybe the Multiverse theory is true and the laws of physics behave differently in each of them. I believe that if there is a Multiverse the likelihood that it is infinite is unlikely. but maybe there are countless universes within it. I believe that the concept of the Big Bang is a cool concept to think about. Of course, we don't know if that is what happened. But maybe the universe condenses into such a little ball of matter with the hottest of heats that we could even imagine and then explodes until trillions of years later when all the stars die and the universe is a cold dark existence full of blackholes it shrinks back down until it can all repeat and happen again. How cool would it be if the Universe was in this cycle? On Earth, cycles form naturally, like the rain cycle, life cycle, and even plate tectonic cycles. I think that if cycles such as this can form naturally on Earth they are and probably do occur in space. A concept I hope that we as humans continue to pursue is space travel. Yes, it may be very slow with the technology that we currently have. But what if someday we can get better at it? Cars only drove slowly at first when they were first invented. and now we have cars that move at 300 miles per hour. Also, the right brothers invented planes as these flimsy little almost gliders. And a little over a hundred years later we have Jets that can travel at Mach 10! We mustn't give up in our search for greater technology because we as a species always seem to find a way to develop better and more efficient technology. Thank you for listening to all of my crazy ideas and I appreciate anyone who took the time to read through my thoughts about space and what it could mean to keep learning about and developing technology to study and one day travel through space and create great technology for the future of our people. Thank you.

I want to practice law because I have always wanted to help people. Now I know that's why everyone says they "Want" to practice law. But for me, I want to help people in the courtroom from the perspective of the Prosecutor. Many people believe that the Prosecutor's job hurts people. But What they don't understand is that they are protecting everyone when they do their job. Yes, they may be putting someone away for a crime that was directly at another person but putting someone behind bars for doing something is not the point of becoming a Prosecutor. The point of becoming a prosecutor is to help those people that you do convict. I don't personally think that jail or prison time is a great idea to help individuals who have messed up. Sticking someone in an 8 by 10 room does not solve any long-term societal problems. I have met with a child prosecutor by the name of Christopher Turner and his job is to decide what punishments are pursued by the state or his office. And he has full rain of what kind of punishments should be given to those that he does decide to pursue. He talked about programs to help miners get better, community service, and the final resort would be any kind of juvenile detention. I love the fact that he is able to help kids directly as a prosecutor. I don't see how anyone thinks that locking a child up is going to help them become an adult in some way. And I get that some people commit crimes that should never be acceptable. and sometimes we have to put them into a jail or prison. Moving on. My favorite kind of Law is Constitutional Law. I strongly believe that every lawyer should know Constitutional Law because it is not only the supreme Law of the Land. But knowing constitutional law helps guarantee that practicing lawyers are protecting people's constitutional rights, such rights that are talked about in the constitution and in the 27 amendments to the constitution. Protecting what is right and trying to correct and fix what is wrong is one of the most important parts of becoming a Lawyer. I have also always believed that Lawyers are capable of changing our country for the better. Right now I am a first-year student at Nebraska Wesleyan University and I am Majoring in Political Science and Minoring in Both Criminal Justice and Economics. I believe that every layer should know about Political Science because it is how laws that they are protecting are made. My dream Is to one day go to Law school at the University of Nebraska College of Law and to come out of Law school, and help the people that are wronged. And to be able to make our society a better place by not only helping those who make mistakes. But to make sure that the system is not screwing over people that don't deserve what is happening to them. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship, I have always wanted to achieve a higher education and because of donors like you I am able to go to college and one day be able to attend grad school so that someday I can also give back and help people. It is important that as a society we help each other grow so that we all can grow and achieve great things together. I appreciate anyone who took the time to read this and hope they feel the same towards the law that I do. thank you.

For Me, my trauma has been hard on my life physically. Everyone talks about how this or that is the hard thing for them. Mine is just the fact That I am always getting hurt! In my life, I have fractured both my wrists once when I was 2 because I fell, and one time in 3rd grade because I tried to do some unintelligent stuff on a trampoline. In 7th grade, I suffered from testicular torsion which led to me having to have surgery to get it fixed. And then my junior year of high school I got a concussion while I was walking in the gym because a girl kicked a basketball at the back of my head. Well, the ACT was shortly after that and I never managed to be able to take the ACT after that concussion but a few months later I took the SAT instead once my head was back to a safer place. In my senior year of high school I pulled my left hip flexor 3 times and had to undergo a month's worth of leg stretches each time to bring my leg back to the point where I could run again. (I was a Sprinter in track in field). The most recent and what I hope to be the final event that happened to me was a few months ago. I remember it like it was yesterday, July 29th, 2023. I fractured my pelvis bone playing not tackle, but just touch football with my friends. sadly we were only about a minute into playing when I fell to the ground running at full speed and and couldn't get off the ground. Well, I had to be carried to my car and drive myself home so that my mother could take me to the hospital where I found out what happened. Now how is this going to help me when I enter the criminal justice realm and better serve victims? Well no I never really considered myself a victim the times I was hurt but I do consider myself someone who was able to get back up and have great resilience every time I've had to recover. My dream in life has always been to work in the legal field and in criminal justice. I want to spend my life helping people who have had serious not only physical trauma but mental trauma. Now I know my experience did not leave me mentally scared but I believe it to be the reason that I am so resilient and that I am so full of passion towards making a better future for others and helping people. Now my career goal is to be a prosecutor, and I have always wanted to become a prosecutor because I believe that it can genuinely help victims. the first mock trial I did was about a victim in an accident that broke their leg due to another person's negligence. Now I know it was just a mock trial but I knew that is what I wanted to do with my life. I absolutely love the Law and right now at Nebraska Wesleyan University I am Majoring in Political Science, with both a Criminal Justice and Economic Minor (Criminal Justice is only offered as a Minor at my school). And my hope is that I will be able to go to law school in the fall of 2027 to further my dream of one day becoming a prosecutor and helping prosecute the people who cause trauma in other people's lives. Thank you for reading and considering me!