I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Being able to persist and bounce back as quickly as I did to help others, while struggling myself, is a skill I plan to apply later at my profession in the medical field.

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Last week, I told a friend that ignoring someone in mental distress was wrong and that I knew that she was better than that. The girl being ignored bullied me in 5th grade, but she clearly wasn’t doing well, so I reached out to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t okay, but is seeing a therapist now. Generosity is exactly what is described in the above examples: putting others before yourself without expecting anything in return. It is kindness. It is showing a person that someone cares. It is giving. It is doing what is right and not caring what others think. It is standing firm for what you believe in. It can save a life. Living by generosity not only changes the world around you, but also helps the world inside you grow.

Growing up with a grandpa invested in science, farming, physics, and the world around us had a dramatic impact on me. Beginning as a young child, a deep rooted importance for the environment was instilled in me. From growing up on the farm watching my grandpa practice both hydroponic and aquaponics at a small scale, crop rotation, the use of ground covers, permaculture, biodynamics, and the most minimal use of environmentally safe pesticides. He has been farming his entire life and has found ways to sustainably promote his crops while hugely reducing the threat to the health of future generations. Out of all of the farmers that I have met, my grandpa is the most environmentally conscious, inspiring not only myself, but many other members of the community, to apply sustainable thinking to everyday life and gardening. Working with plants and nature is of great importance to keep the environment alive and safe for future generations. During and beyond college, I plan to continue the topic of microplastics in the environment and create a solution to reduce their existence in the environment, something I was able to begin researching and creating in AP Research this year. Through my research, I found that microplastics (MPs) are an increasing issue in our environment today and pose many potential health risks.

As team captain of both cross country and track and field for all 4 years, I was named “the injury doctor” and “assistant coach” by my fellow teammates. Since I had suffered multiple fractures of my shin bones, I was practically an expert on the steps necessary to treat stress fractures. With supervision from the athletic trainer, I would assess the strength of the teammate and suggest exercises for weaknesses to help them through the recovery process. I felt immense joy in helping teammates recover, especially seeing improvements over time. I enjoyed helping those with running related injuries since I am very passionate about running, but would love to expand the scope of injuries in which I would look at and assess at a doctoral/medical level. This is why I plan to pursue a degree in biology with a co-major in pre-medical studies. I have wanted to be a doctor since I was a little kid and my passion for the medical field has only grown since then, mainly through experiences on the cross country team. The love that I hold for the content of biomedical sciences/biology on top of helping those on my cross country and track teams combined two of my passions into an achievable major that I will use to later work a fulfilling job as a physician. During and beyond college, I plan to continue the topic of microplastics in the environment and create a solution to reduce their existence in the environment. Through my research, I found that microplastics are an increasing issue in our environment today and pose many potential health risks. These shocking facts are what fuel my efforts to develop a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health.

“Failure is a wonderful opportunity to grow”: the wisest, most useful phrase I have ever heard. This simple phrase my dad said to me while laying on the ground after falling off of my bike has stuck with me for my entire life. Even at a young age, I understood that this phrase held immense power if put to use. I wiped my tears and was able to successfully ride my bike down the sidewalk by the end of that same day. I have applied this phrase to multiple situations in my life and still find it useful. It encapsulates the meaning of the phrase “don’t give up” and puts it in a light where it is applicable to life. Framing mistakes and failure as a positive opportunity shifts the mindset of a person and allows them to see the silver lining in the gloomiest of situations. A vital time that sticks out in my memory where I used these wise words was during sophomore year cross country. My doctor informed me that my MRI scans showed I had stress fractures in both of my tibias. I was unable to run for the rest of the season. As little as it sounds, this was a huge deal to me. I was devastated and contemplated never returning to running. This only lasted a maximum of a few hours because I remembered the phrase my dad told me with utmost importance the day I couldn’t quite seem to ride my bike. I decided I should use the fractures as a pipeline for growth. I became involved in everything I could at an assistant coach level. I found a way to contribute through implementing injury prevention techniques on teammates. Applying this phrase to everyday life benefits even the worst of situations.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Being able to persist and bounce back as quickly as I did to help others, while struggling myself, is a skill I plan to apply later at my profession in the medical field.

My goal is to attend Miami University to major in biology/pre-medical studies to later become a physician. I enjoy helping people and find great interest in what the medical field has to offer for the future. I am working on publishing a research paper over the topic of microplastics and human health. I love animals, plants, exercise of any form, leading others, and spending time with loved ones. I have learned grit from baling hay in the summers and fighting through injuries. Covid-19 made my parents broke and I have no money to fund my secondary education.

My favorite book of all time is the one I am reading at the time. No seriously. I can't pick no matter how hard I try. As many avid readers claim, I don't have a favorite book, but I do have a select few that are somewhere near the top of the list. One of my favorite books (not my most favorite just a favorite) is The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Not only was the twist absolutely incredible, but the characters were relatable and the writing style made it even more thrilling. The plot of the book was slow at first, but around 50 pages in I was hooked. This was one of the only books that I had no self control whatsoever and had to finish reading it. The feature in this book that makes it so good is the twist. The book is about a psychotherapist who has a slight obsession with a patient who refuses to talk after shooting her husband in the face. The therapist is determined to get her to speak and even moves jobs to spend more time with her. Eventually, the reader is told that the therapist's wife cheated on him with this patient's husband and that the therapist himself was the catalyst in the patient shooting her husband in the face. Crazy right! The reader throughout the entire book is left in the dark without knowing the truth, but once it is finally revealed the entire sequence of events following up makes so much sense. Although I cannot pick a favorite book, The Silent Patient is pretty close to the top. Spending time reading and reflecting on books is an activity that everyone would benefit from.

As team captain of both cross country and track and field for all 4 years, I was named “the injury doctor” and “assistant coach” by my fellow teammates. Since I had suffered multiple fractures of my shin bones, I was practically an expert on the steps necessary to treat stress fractures. With supervision from the athletic trainer, I would assess the strength of the teammate and suggest exercises for weaknesses to help them through the recovery process. I felt immense joy in helping teammates recover, especially seeing improvements over time. I enjoyed helping those with running related injuries since I am very passionate about running, but would love to expand the scope of injuries in which I would look at and assess at a geriatric doctoral/medical level. I also plan to choose a minor in Spanish and/or psychological science to fulfill my desire to fully handle patient situations, no matter the background. I value the importance of being understood by a health professional to receive the best care possible and plan to do exactly that for my patients. Although I do not know what my doctoral specialty is going to be quite yet, I am leaning towards becoming a geriatric physician. I easily get along with elderly people, which I found out through my job working at a local pharmacy. By pursuing a strong education with a passion for medicine, I am working towards improving the lives of elderly people of the future. Since I am not quite qualified to perform geriatric medicine, I am working towards becoming educated and as prepared as possible to give medical care to elderly patients. Taking care of the generations that our families were built on is something that everyone should partake in.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. All of the tough times I was having - dealing with problematic shins for three years and mental health disorders - helped me learn that extremely challenging events happen frequently in life. I realized that the best way to deal with them is to push through and seek constant improvement in every possible way. The unfortunate events that happened were valuable experiences in the long-run. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. Learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience and independence than ever before. Staying positive is a gift during tough times.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Dealing with problematic shins for three years and mental health disorders helped me learn that extremely challenging events happen frequently in life. The best way to deal with them is to push through and seek constant improvement in every possible way. Looking back on the events that happened, I realize that they were valuable experiences in the long-run. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. Learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience and independence than I ever would have if I had never gone through what I did.

Out of my 220+ documented service hours, one of the most rewarding experiences was tutoring a struggling 5th grade student. Reading and doing math problems was enjoyable on its own, but seeing a student go from a 1st grade reading level to an appropriate 5th grade reading level was astonishing. Being able to make a change in this girl’s life was so rewarding to me. Another organization I served for was Harrison Youth Track, a program that taught 1st-6th graders the basics of the different events of track and field. I was a volunteer that helped run events, host games, supervise, and make sure the kids were having fun. I spent about 32.5 hours in total serving for this organization and plan to do it again this spring because of how much fun the kids had. Watching the kids come out of their shells and blossom was incredible. To satiate my desire to make positive change in the community, I joined the National Honor Society and Key Club at William Henry Harrison High School. National Honor Society (NHS) is a well-known organization that values service, academic achievement. I have held the offices of vice president and secretary of NHS at my high school. I am responsible for finding and organizing volunteer opportunities for the members to participate in, including a before-school tutoring service to fellow high school students. Key Club is also a well-known organization that provides services to the community. I have held the role of secretary of Key Club for two years now and share all of the volunteer opportunities that I found/created for the National Honor Society with this organization as well. These two organizations have made it easier for me to share my love of serving the community and create opportunities for others to give back.

Finances- something that is so important in everyday life, yet few young people know anything about it, including myself. However, my knowledge on finance has changed. Through speaking to adults who deal with finances everyday, teachers, and my parents, I now possess much more financial knowledge. Out of all of the financial tips that I have learned, the most helpful one was to be smart about my money and start saving early. Unfortunately, my mom didn't start saving for retirement until a few years ago. She is 48 years old and will have to work for another 15+ before having enough to retire. My dad on the other hand opened a Roth IRA as soon as he began his job at the age of 19. He is 51 and could retire today if he desired to. One of my math teachers opened a stock retirement account at the age of 18 and now has over a million dollars saved up for his retirement at the age of 60. Learning through the experiences of others has allowed me to feel more prepared to be smart about my money and prepared for retirement. Because this has proven to be important, I set up a meeting at the bank to open an account to help me save for retirement. Even though I am nowhere near retirement, it is beneficial to plan ahead in order to be prepared and financially stable in the future. I think everyone would benefit from looking into retirement savings, especially at a young age.

Education should focus more on developing a strong character of future citizens. To become a person of strong character, one must develop respect for all, no matter the background. One must also prioritize honesty, integrity, intellect, responsibility, acceptance, diversity, and other well founded moral values. It is of utmost importance to live by these values, which I have practiced throughout my entire life. When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Last year, my personal mental health struggles were shared with many others outside of my immediate circle. Instead of immediately blaming the girl who shared my private information, I understood that there was probably something going on in her life to make her act like this. I asked her what was going on and assured her that I was there to help. She eventually revealed her own mental struggles to me and got professional help. She is doing much better now. Last week, I told a friend that ignoring someone in mental distress was wrong and that I knew that she was better than that. The girl being ignored actually bullied me in 5th grade, but she clearly wasn’t doing well, so I reached out to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t okay, but is scheduled to see a therapist now. These values are representative of Miami University of Oxford's Code of Honor. The Code of Honor is an aspirational statement that encapsulates the integrity of Miami University and the welcoming community it fosters. It highlights the values of strong moral conduct, honesty, diversity, and respect. The Code of Love and Honor also mentions the liberal education that Miami University offers. I see a huge importance in a liberal education. A liberal education not only includes prerequisites, but also the soft skills and moral improvements that make students well-rounded individuals. Stepping out of comfort zones and learning about new things through strong moral education is something that would make society a better place, one student at a time.

The characteristic I value most in myself is resilience to push through tough circumstances. I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. I became fixated on everything that was going into my body and exactly what I looked like. I would get so upset about how I looked that I wouldn’t eat for days at a time. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. It got to the point where I was severely underfeeding my body for multiple years and it decided it finally had enough. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. I found comfort in taking the role of what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach”, head team captain for all four years, and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments. Even though I found new ways to help out with the team and express my love for the sport, I was still struggling. At this point, I was battling discovering who I was as a person, four different eating disorders, anxiety, and depression all just before the Covid-19 quarantine began. I decided I needed professional help to deal with my problems; thankfully, help was available to me. All of the tough times I was having - dealing with problematic shins for three years and mental health disorders - helped me learn that extremely challenging events happen frequently in life. The best way to deal with them is to push through and seek constant improvement in every possible way. Looking back on the events that happened, I realize that they were valuable experiences in the long-run. I feel so much more grateful for everything that I have. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and allowed me to become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. I predict that learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience and independence than ever before.

As team captain of both cross country and track and field for all 4 years, I was named “the injury doctor” and “assistant coach” by my fellow teammates. Since I had suffered multiple fractures of my shin bones, I was practically an expert on the steps necessary to treat stress fractures. With supervision from the athletic trainer, I would assess the strength of the teammate and suggest exercises for weaknesses to help them through the recovery process. I felt immense joy in helping teammates recover, especially seeing improvements over time. I enjoyed helping those with running related injuries since I am very passionate about running and am looking to eventual be able to assess at a doctoral/medical level. Out of my 220+ documented service hours, one of the most rewarding experiences was tutoring a struggling 5th grade student. Reading and doing math problems was already somewhat enjoyable to me, but seeing the student go from a 1st grade reading level to an appropriate 5th grade reading level was astonishing. Being able to make a change in this girl’s life was so rewarding to me. Another organization I served for was Harrison Youth Track, a program that taught 1st-6th graders the basics of the different events of track and field. I was a volunteer that helped run events, host games, supervise, and make sure the kids were having fun. I spent about 32.5 hours in total serving for this organization and plan to do it again this spring because of how much fun I had. Watching the kids improve and some really come out of their shell and blossom was incredible. Through my mentorship of others, I truly wish to make some positive difference. Something as simple as making someone's day would be a fulfilling impact of my mentorship of others.

Learning about the work stolen from a courageous scientist was heartbreaking on its own, but knowing that it was a young women made it even more unbearable. I am planning to continue my microplastic research throughout my life and would love to find groundbreaking information. This is exactly what this scientist did and it was ripped from her. Two men took all of the credit and left her with no recognition until after she passed. I heavily sympathize for Rosalind Franklin. I admire her. By pursuing the installation of my microplastic filter in homes, especially in underdeveloped countries, I am being courageous. I have shared this idea to many social media platforms where it has received lots of great, constructive criticism, but also backlash and doubts about my abilities. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my efforts towards making this world a better place. If my research were to be stolen from me and two other scientists received all of the credit for it, I would be enraged. Rosalind, however, did not show many signs of this and her love for science failed to waver. She continued to research and use her bright mind to contribute more crucial information to the science world. This inspires me to adopt this same mentality and not care about the recognition aspect of discovering/developing something but rather the contribution itself to the science field. I think everyone could benefit from learning about the values and ambitions that Rosalind Franklin practiced.

Finances- something that is so important in everyday life, yet few young people know anything about it, including myself. However, my knowledge on finance has changed. Through speaking to adults who deal with finances everyday, teachers, and my parents, I now possess much more financial knowledge. Out of all of the financial tips that I have learned, the most helpful one was to be smart about my money and start saving early. Unfortunately, my mom didn't start saving for retirement until a few years ago. She is 48 years old and will have to work for another 15+ before having enough to retire. My dad on the other hand opened a Roth IRA as soon as he began his job at the age of 19. He is 51 and could retire today if he desired to. One of my math teachers opened a stock retirement account at the age of 18 and now has over a million dollars saved up for his retirement at the age of 60. Learning through the experiences of others has allowed me to feel more prepared to be smart about my money and prepared for retirement. Because this is has proven to be important, I set up a meeting at the bank to open an account to help me save for retirement. Even though I am nowhere near retirement, it is beneficial to plan ahead in order to be prepared and financially stable in the future. I think everyone would benefit from looking into retirement savings, especially at a young age.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. The disorder took over. I became fixated on everything that was going into my body and exactly what I looked like. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. It got to the point where I was severely underfeeding my body for multiple years and it decided it finally had enough. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician with a focus in psychology to help those like me. During this time, the most frustrating part was facing the stigma surrounding mental health. Mental health struggles are still being treated like a disease that shouldn't be talked about. Family members, friends, everyone was having a hard time understanding what was happening and why. To fix this, education should be offered to the families and friends of those struggling with mental health to create a fresh sense of understanding, instead of usual feelings of confusion. This would also create a support team aside from medical professionals that could be available for the person struggling with mental health. On a more specific, applicable note, I plan to join my university’s mental health awareness clubs, eating disorder/body image specific clubs, and create opportunities for education on mental health. I plan to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where I plan to bring awareness and offer support through the Miami Body Project and Miami Hope clubs. Through these clubs, I will reach out to those struggling with mental health disorders, specifically eating disorders, and share what I did that helped me in recovery. This will provide support and encouragement to those struggling with eating disorders by showing them that it is possible to recover. Making an effort to offer education and reduce the stigma around mental health is something that everyone would benefit from.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. The disorder took over. I became fixated on everything that was going into my body and exactly what I looked like. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. It got to the point where I was severely underfeeding my body for multiple years and it decided it finally had enough. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician with a focus in psychology to help those like me. During this time, the most frustrating part was facing the stigma surrounding mental health. Mental health struggles are still being treated like a disease that shouldn't be talked about. Family members, friends, everyone was having a hard time understanding what was happening and why. To fix this, education should be offered to the families and friends of those struggling with mental health to create a fresh sense of understanding, instead of usual feelings of confusion. This would also create a support team aside from medical professionals that could be available for the person struggling with mental health. On a more specific, applicable note, I plan to join my university’s mental health awareness clubs, eating disorder/body image specific clubs, and create opportunities for education on mental health. I plan to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where I plan to bring awareness and offer support through the Miami Body Project and Miami Hope clubs. Through these clubs, I will reach out to those struggling with mental health disorders, specifically eating disorders, and share what I did that helped me in recovery. This will provide support and encouragement to those struggling with eating disorders by showing them that it is possible to recover. Making an effort to offer education and reduce the stigma around mental health is something that everyone would benefit from.

I love my ability to recognize the needs of others and myself. As a cross country and track team captain of 4 years, I am able to see and fix problems my fellow teammates are facing, offer reassurance, provide wisdom, and tough love when needed. I have been labeled the "assistant coach" and "the injury doctor" because of this ability. Although being able to address and amend the needs of others is a crucial skill to have, being able to practice self-care when appropriate is a skill that is often overlooked. Self-care is necessary in every single person’s life to be mentally and physically healthy. Essentially, self-care is any act that improves one’s physical or mental well-being. I consider even the smallest of things, like getting to bed on time, an act of self-care since it can improve experiences later on. I generally practice self-care when I am feeling anxious and stressed to step back, collect my thoughts, and resume enjoying life. These self-care activities usually include independent endeavors such as reading a novel, taking a bath, working out, listening to music, practicing yoga, researching an interesting topic, meditating, and going for a quiet walk. I used to not prioritize self-care and (not surprisingly) my overall health was poor. I have found that taking time to myself to explore strategies that work for me to improve mental and physical well-being was crucial. After determining the self-care activities that worked for me, my life has become even more enjoyable. I feel much more grounded and in tune with my mental and physical needs. Being able to know when and how to effectively practice self-care and love towards oneself is something that everyone would benefit from.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. The disorder took over. I became fixated on everything that was going into my body and exactly what I looked like. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. It got to the point where I was severely underfeeding my body for multiple years and it decided it finally had enough. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. I was heart-broken and lost. During this time, the most frustrating part was facing the stigma surrounding mental health. Mental health struggles are still being treated like a disease that shouldn't be talked about. Therefore, one practical solution would be to eliminate this stigma. Family members, friends, everyone was having a hard time understanding what was happening and why. To fix this, education should be offered to the families and friends of those struggling with mental health to create a fresh sense of understanding, instead of usual feelings of confusion. This would also create a support team aside from medical professionals that could be available for the person struggling with mental health. On a more specific, applicable note, I plan to join my university’s mental health awareness clubs, eating disorder/body image specific clubs, and create events where others are given the opportunity to be educated on mental health and eating disorders. As an incoming college freshman next year, I plan to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to major in biology and minor in psychology of some sort on a pre-med track. They have multiple mental health clubs, but ones more specific to what I plan to bring awareness to and offer support include Miami Body Project and Miami Hope. Through these clubs, I will reach out to those struggling with mental health disorders, specifically eating disorders, and share what I did that helped me in recovery. This will provide support and encouragement to those struggling with eating disorders by showing them that it is possible to recover. Making an effort to offer education and reduce the stigma around mental health is something that everyone would benefit from.

Math- what nearly every aspect of our world is built upon. From the desk I am sitting in, to the most intricate of skyscrapers- math is everywhere. Seen in angles, dimensions, volumes, kinematics, dynamics; math is something that we can continuously count on (or count using). So why does it sometimes not feel that way? Twenty questions left on a MathXL assignment with no clue how to crack the code of the questions; we have all been there. It’s frustrating and feels like there is no logical explanation for concepts that are based on logic. Thankfully, I have been given wonderful math teachers to help me sort through AP Calculus AB and BC, making me feel able to count on math again. There was one specific instance that inspired my love for math- learning the unit circle during pre-calculus. The unit circle is one of the most fundamentally important pieces of knowledge to possess when trying to navigate calculus. Memorizing it and being able to utilize it to further problem-solve inspired me to solve a bigger problem this world is facing- microplastics. By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that has proven to pose threats to human health. Currently, I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the number of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic (MP) filter patented. Continuing to push through and fight to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing the strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my efforts towards making this world a better place. Receiving the Learner Education Women in Mathematics Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in. How does math fit into this? To determine the number of MPs in the water samples, I used a method inspired by Kankanige & Babel (2020). I centrifuged the water sample to collect microplastics in the bottom of the tube and massed it. I dried the water samples out, leaving just the MPs remaining. I was able to hand count the number of particles before and after being passed through the MP filter under a microscope. I then calculated the average difference in weight and used the value to estimate an average size of MPs existing in the water samples. I microscopically analyzed water samples before and after being passed through the MP filter and determined the effectiveness of my filter and the percent of MPs removed from the water. By using principles of math, I was able to determine that my MP filter was effective in potentially reducing the exposure of MPs to humans. Without math, I would have been unable to fully address the effectiveness of my filter, causing a solution to this dire problem to remain unavailable.

Math- what nearly every aspect of our world is built upon. From the desk I am sitting in, to the most intricate of skyscrapers- math is everywhere. Seen in angles, dimensions, volumes, kinematics, dynamics; math is something that we can continuously count on (or count using). So why does it sometimes not feel that way? Twenty questions left on a MathXL assignment with no clue how to crack the code of the questions; we have all been there. It’s frustrating and feels like there is no logical explanation for concepts that are based on logic. Thankfully, I have been given wonderful math teachers to help me sort through AP Calculus AB and BC, making me feel able to count on math again. There was one specific instance that inspired my love for math- learning the unit circle during pre-calculus. The unit circle is one of the most fundamentally important pieces of knowledge to possess when trying to navigate calculus. Memorizing it and being able to utilize it to further problem-solve inspired me to solve a bigger problem this world is facing- microplastics. By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that has proven to pose threats to human health. Currently, I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the number of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic (MP) filter patented. Continuing to push through and fight to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing the strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my efforts towards making this world a better place. Receiving the Learner Education Women in Mathematics Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in. How does math fit into this? To determine the number of MPs in the water samples, I used a method inspired by Kankanige & Babel (2020). I centrifuged the water sample to collect microplastics in the bottom of the tube and massed it. I dried the water samples out, leaving just the MPs remaining. I was able to hand count the number of particles before and after being passed through the MP filter under a microscope. I then calculated the average difference in weight and used the value to estimate an average size of MPs existing in the water samples. I microscopically analyzed water samples before and after being passed through the MP filter and determined the effectiveness of my filter and the percent of MPs removed from the water. By using principles of math, I was able to determine that my MP filter was effective in potentially reducing the exposure of MPs to humans. Without math, I would have been unable to fully address the effectiveness of my filter, causing a solution to this dire problem to remain unavailable.

One terrifying problem on the rise that has proven to pose threats to human health are microplastics. Microplastics can cause a number of disruptions to human health and are expected to almost triple in existence by 2060. I believe to fix this problem, we must all do our part: recycling, installing filters, educating ourselves on microplastics. To fully educate myself on the issue, I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health to develop a microplastic filter prototype that will reduce human exposure to plastics and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. A life with reduced microplastics would be my dream come true. Receiving the Bold Deep Thinking Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fulfills my dream of making this world a better place, beginning with one less microplastic particle at a time.

My passion resides in researching and learning more about problems in our world in order to work toward a solution. One terrifying problem on the rise that has proven to pose threats to human health are microplastics. Microplastics can cause a number of disruptions to human health and are expected to almost triple in existence by 2060. Because of this, I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health to develop a microplastic filter prototype that will reduce human exposure to plastics and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. A life with reduced microplastics would be my dream come true. Receiving the Bold Impact Matters Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fulfills my dream of making this world a better place, one less microplastic particle at a time.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Being able to persist and bounce back as quickly as I did to help others, while struggling myself, is a skill I plan to apply later at my profession in the medical field.

Being able to live a healthy life comes from many different factors that influence both physical and mental well-being. One of these factors is something as simple as the water we drink. By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health and reduce the lifespan of organisms exposed to them. Because of this, I decided to write a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health. I am also developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. Over the course of a few days with these filters installed in wastewater plumbing, water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is a crucial solution to have in place prior to 2060 to ensure most have access to living a long, healthy life. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Longevity Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics in drinking water. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place and allowing everyone in it to live a long, healthy life.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have hopefully decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Make Your Mark Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place, one microplastic filter at a time.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Driven Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place.

My passion resides in researching and learning more about problems in our world in order to work toward a solution. One terrifying problem on the rise that has proven to pose threats to human health are microplastics. Microplastics can cause a number of disruptions to human health and are expected to almost triple in existence by 2060. Because of this, I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health to develop a microplastic filter prototype that will reduce human exposure to plastics and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. A life with reduced microplastics would be my dream come true. Receiving the Bold Dream Big Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fulfills my dream of making this world a better place.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty-mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating that caused me to develop severe bone fractures due to nutritional deficits. Thankfully, I was able to get professional help and worked through my problems. Unfortunately, this was not easy and many solutions would have made my experience a little easier. When I was struggling with mental health, the most frustrating part was facing the stigma surrounding it. Therefore, one practical solution would be to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health problems. Family members, friends, everyone was having a hard time understanding what was happening and why. To fix this, education should be offered to the families and friends of those struggling with mental health to create a fresh sense of understanding, instead of usual feelings of confusion. This would also create a support team aside from medical professionals that could be available for the person struggling with mental health. In this day in age, mental health struggles are still being treated like a disease that shouldn't be talked about, at least in my experience. Instead of acting like mental health problems are a choice, we should try and reframe how people view mental health struggles. Offering an education system and examples of how to help will make family members and friends of the person struggling with mental health feel more equipped and comfortable to handle potential future situations. Overall, implementing solutions to help those struggling with mental health would be beneficial to all of those involved.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to climate health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on the environment and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve climate health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place, one climate-improving microplastic filter at a time.

My favorite scientific discovery is of the exponential increase in microplastics. Although the fact this is occurring is very concerning, it has inspired me to write a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health to develop a microplastic filter prototype that will reduce human exposure to plastics and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Science Matters Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place.

My dream life looks like making the world a better place through pursuing my passions. I love researching and learning more about problems in our world in order to work toward a solution. One terrifying problem on the rise that has proven to pose threats to human health are microplastics. Because of this, I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health to develop a microplastic filter prototype that will reduce human exposure to plastics and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. A life with reduced microplastics would be my dream come true. Receiving the Bold Dream Big Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fulfills my dream of making this world a better place.

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Above are just a few examples of what I have done to encourage and support others throughout my life. A very recent scenario where people were physically struggling and needed mental support was during cross country season. As head team captain for all four years, I have been the voice of encouragement for all teammates. I found those around me looking to me for support, advice and words of encouragement to get through the workouts. I encouraged them by breaking down exactly what we were going to accomplish, why we were doing it, and how to do it in the most effective way possible. The responses were always more positive than before I had spoken to them, making me feel helpful and supportive. I believe everyone would benefit from being a more encouraging individual.

Confidence- something I have struggled with in years past but have finally found in myself. Unfortunately, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. The disorder took over. I became fixated on everything that was going into my body and exactly what I looked like. Comparisons consumed my life. I lost myself and my confidence was destroyed. Fortunately, I found professional help and rebuilt who I am. I am stronger than ever now and used confidence as a tool to keep myself going during the recovery process. I would repeat encouraging phrases in my head like “keep going”, “I know you can do this” and “you’re too strong to give up”. Confidence to me is a belief in oneself. It isn’t something that appears or that someone is born with, but instead something that is built up and sustained. To first build confidence, I found I needed to fake it until I started to believe it. I would tell myself encouraging thoughts, like the ones above. Even when I didn’t think I believed them, I truly think they were subconsciously altering the way I was thinking. To build my confidence even stronger, I continue to repeat positive affirmations to myself and try to find the silver lining in every situation.

Everyone needs a good hobby right? I enjoy a very wide range of hobbies: spanning from crocheting to weight lifting to painting to baling hay. I enjoy running, swimming, biking, weight lifting, and any type of exercise really. Moving my body make me happy and clears my mind all while keeping me physically healthy. I love to paint, crochet, sew, knit, draw, and make all sorts of craft projects. These allow me to express all of my creative energy. I have fun reading, researching, taking things apart and putting them back together. Learning new things makes me feel powerful and productive. I enjoy gardening, hiking, going for nature walks and being in tough with mother nature. I sometimes spend hours at the park. I like to bale hay, arrange straw, oil machinery, and perform any work that needs to be done on my grandpas farm. I love helping him and learning new pieces of wisdom along the way. Most of all, I love the hobby of learning. Through all of the hobbies I do, I learn and am able to develop as an individual. This is of utmost importance to me. Whatever it takes, I must grow as a person, no matter how small the positive change. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This is my favorite project out of all of my hobbies at the moment since I have learned an incredible amount along the way. I plan to publish my research paper and patent my filter in spring of this year and couldn’t be more excited. I believe finding what hobbies make a person happy are beneficial to seek out.

On my bucket list: explore the world and make it a better place all while having fun. That is all. Simple, but complex at the same time. There are so many ways to interpret it, but I intended it to mean that I will achieve great things that will improve the world, I will explore and learn new things, and I will have fun. So far, I have take steps to achieve the goal of making the world a better place. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. To fulfill the goal of exploring the world, I have so far traveled to 15 different states in the US. I plan to visit as many places as possible to explore different cultures and learn as much as possible. The last goal on my bucket list is to have fun. I have done a great job at this one so far: spending time with friends, reading, swimming, playing games, and so much more. I plan to have a tight knit family when I am older which will be a blast. Overall, having bucket list goals is something that everyone can benefit from since it keeps inspiration and ambition alive.

A question that everyone has wondered at least once: What is the meaning of life? I truly don’t think that there is a direct, textbook answer to this, however, we all can define it based on our own morals and values. Personally, I believe the meaning of life is to find happiness. I don’t think it’s to be the most successful or richest person on the planet because in the end, none of that really matters. What matters is if I can determine if I am happy or not. Now how do I determine if I am happy? I have to find what makes me feel happy. What makes me feel happy is spending time with people I love, adventuring, seeing the world, experiencing new things, spending time alone to reflect, learning, and making an effort to improve the planet. One major project I am completing currently is research determining the effectiveness of a micro-plastic filter on reducing human exposure to micro-plastics and protecting the health of humans and nature. Doing this makes me feel fulfilled and happy, therefore, I am achieving my meaning of life. People make “the meaning of life” sound so mysterious and completely unrealistic to define, but I think it is quite the opposite. The meaning of life is whatever a person decides to make it. There really is no right or wrong answer. The meaning of life is an important question to reflect on and I believe everyone would benefit from pondering it.

As a junior school student, I didn’t spend a second of my time studying. In the moment I thought this was a great thing, being able to receive good grades without having to spend time studying. However, looking back I wish I would’ve at least attempted to try out a few study strategies before grades really mattered. As I began freshman year, I realized my AP classes were going to require studying, but I didn’t even know where to begin. Thankfully, after lots of trial and error, I have finally found some effective study strategies that allow me to retain necessary information. I am mainly a kinesthetic learner and pick up information while moving my body or constructing something by hand. One day, I was getting very frustrated that I couldn’t remember the unit circle. To take out my frustration, I began jump roping. With each hop, a new idea formed stronger in my mind: what if I recite an interval marking on the unit circle every thirty seconds of jump roping? Surely enough, it worked and I was a pro at reciting the unit circle in no time. Other study strategies I found work for my kinesthetic brain include flash cards, walking and reading information, reciting a term between weight sets at the gym, using flash cards while on the elliptical and really any other time I can recite information while moving my body. Through lots of trial and error, I finally found my groove and, three years later, can finally efficiently study just in time for college next year. My hard work finding effective study strategies is reflected in my 4.641 gpa and ranking of 5th out of 320+ students academically. I truly think every student would benefit from exploring new study strategies.

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Last week, I told a friend that ignoring someone in mental distress was wrong and that I knew that she was better than that. The girl being ignored bullied me in 5th grade, but she clearly wasn’t doing well, so I reached out to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t okay, but is seeing a therapist now. Empathy is exactly what is described in the above examples: being able to truly understand the feelings of others. In these situations, I found myself being able to understand what the other person was going through and try to do what was right instead of standing by, witnessing mistreatment. Living by treating others with empathy not only changes the world around you, but also helps the world inside you grow.

Living in an era that revolves around technology, I frequently find myself losing track of time scrolling through social media. Although it is enjoyable in the moment, it always leaves me even more stressed and anxious than I was prior to turning on my phone. To self-care a solution to this, I made sure to prioritize other responsibilities before allowing myself to mindlessly scroll on my phone. I treat going on my phone as a reward after completing a productive task, like a homework assignment. This is just one example of what the important practice of self-care could look like. Self-care is necessary in every single person’s life to be mentally and physically healthy. Essentially, self-care is any act that improves one’s physical or mental well-being. I consider even the smallest of things, like getting to bed on time, an act of self-care since it can improve experiences later on. I generally practice self-care when I am feeling anxious and stressed to step back, collect my thoughts, and resume enjoying life. These self-care activities usually include independent endeavors such as reading a novel, taking a bath, working out, listening to music, practicing yoga, researching an interesting topic, meditating, and going for a quiet walk. I used to not prioritize self-care and (not surprisingly) my overall health was poor. I have found that taking time to myself to explore strategies that work for me to improve mental and physical well-being was crucial. After determining the self-care activities that worked for me, my life has become even more enjoyable. I feel much more grounded and in tune with my mental and physical needs. Being able to know how to effectively practice self-care is something that everyone would benefit from.

Interviewer: "What animal would you be for a day if you could choose any and why?" Me: "A sewer rat." Interviewer: "What?" Let me explain. We can all agree that being a sewer rat would be pretty awful, right? Let me ask another question: would being a sewer rat for a day change your outlook on life? I think so. That is why I chose to be a sewer rat, so that I could come back as myself with a renewed sense of gratitude. No matter how hard we may try, we all take advantage of things. It's unfortunate, it's inevitable, but it's how it is. The clothes on our back, the roof we live under, the clean water we drink, being able to be warm and dry: we take it all for granted. If I had a chance to change my outlook on life, I would take it and be able to come back even more grateful than I am today. To live with gratitude, in the present moment without experience as being a sewer rat, I practice mindfulness techniques that allow me to be as aware as possible of every positive thing in my life. These techniques include meditating to ground myself in the present moment, journaling to reflect on what I am thankful for, spending time with loved ones, and taking the time to appreciate even the smallest of things. I now focus on stepping back every once in a while and thanking someone who I appreciate instead of getting caught up in other tasks. Doing this helps me be thankful for what I have instead of taking advantage of it. Gratitude is something that everyone should reflect more on, since doing so makes me a much more fulfilled person.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. These shocking facts are what fuel my efforts to write a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and develop a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. My intense passion for this topic fuels me. This is only one major thing that keeps me going to complete goals and fuel my life. More major motivators include my friends and family, nature, helping others, improving at the gym, running, reading, sunrise, and everything else that is positive in my life. I find it extremely important to step back and acknowledge the motivation that keeps me going. I feel much more grounded and in tune with my relationships, interests, and who I am as a person. Taking time to reflect on what fuels my motivation is something that everyone could apply and benefit from.

Living in an era that revolves around technology, I frequently find myself losing track of time scrolling through social media. Although it is enjoyable in the moment, it always leaves me even more stressed and anxious than I was prior to turning on my phone. To find a solution to this, I made sure to prioritize other responsibilities before allowing myself to mindlessly scroll on my phone. I treat going on my phone as a reward after completing a productive task, like a homework assignment. This is just one example of keeping my mind at ease and relaxed by accomplishing a productive task and rewarding myself. Relaxing is necessary in every single person’s life to be mentally and physically healthy. Essentially, relaxing includes any act that improves one’s physical or mental well-being. I consider even the smallest of things, like getting to bed on time, an act of relaxation since it can improve experiences later on. I generally practice relaxation techniques when I am feeling anxious and stressed to step back, collect my thoughts, and resume enjoying life. These relaxation activities usually include independent endeavors such as reading a novel, taking a bath, working out, listening to music, practicing yoga, researching an interesting topic, meditating, and going for a quiet walk. I used to not prioritize self-care and (not surprisingly) my overall health was poor. I have found that taking time to myself to explore strategies that work for me to improve mental and physical well-being was crucial. After determining the relaxation activities that worked for me, my life has become even more enjoyable. I feel much more grounded and in tune with my mental and physical needs. Being able to know how to effectively relax and take care of mental health is something that everyone would benefit from.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to successfully accomplish. Receiving the Bold Success Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Career Goals Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push forward and fight to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Being able to persist and bounce back as quickly as I did to help others, while struggling myself, is a skill I plan to apply later at my profession in the medical field.

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Last week, I told a friend that ignoring someone in mental distress was wrong and that I knew that she was better than that. The girl being ignored bullied me in 5th grade, but she clearly wasn’t doing well, so I reached out to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t okay, but is seeing a therapist now. These are just a few instances where I stayed committed to speaking my mind. I consider staying silent and allowing wrong acts to occur in my presence to be just as bad as participating. When something is wrong, I stay true to myself and my moral beliefs by speaking up and advocating for the rights of others that may be too scared. Speaking the truth is something that is necessary to do, no matter how hard it is.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is only the beginning of what I plan to accomplish. Receiving the Bold Goals Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in, beginning with microplastics. My long-term career goal is to become a physician to help others through the tool of medicine. I am extremely passionate about human health and plan to do everything in my ability to preserve it. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my overall goal of making this world a better place.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. This is my talent. Completing critical research to advocate for strategies that will benefit human health. By pursuing the installation of my microplastic filter in homes, especially in underdeveloped countries, I am being courageous. I have shared this idea to many social media platforms where it has received lots of great, constructive criticism, but also backlash and doubts about my abilities. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing my talent of strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my efforts towards making this world a better place. Receiving the Bold Talent Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in.

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. It was the right thing to do. I am currently researching the effectiveness of a wastewater filter on reducing human exposure to microplastics and improving human health. By pursuing the installation of my microplastic filter in homes, especially in underdeveloped countries, I am being courageous. I have shared this idea to many social media platforms where it has received lots of great, constructive criticism, but also backlash and doubts about my abilities. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my efforts towards making this world a better place. Receiving the Bold Bravery Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in. Since my parents are not contributing money to my college education, I am funding it solely on my own.

Picture this: there is a slight mist in the air, dew on the grass beneath your feet. The air is perfectly crisp with just enough bite. You continue to walk up the trail towards the sound of the rushing waterfall, but hear a rustling in the brush beside you. You look to your right and see a small red fox peek its head out curiously. You smile and continue the trek. After many miles of hiking, you finally reach the glorious waterfall. The air smells perfectly wet and the water is perfect. You perch on a cool rock, watching the water pour over the edge and take it all in. The fox jumps up and relaxes beside you. You feel like you belong. You feel at home. Having experienced this tranquil encounter myself, I have developed an even deeper love for nature and preserving it for the future generations to come. To do this, I have done extensive research on the threats posed towards nature preservation, specifically looking at the immense amount of plastic waste. The Great Pacific garbage patch is one horrible example of where plastic is accumulating in our environment. It is over three times the size of France and continues to exponentially grow. At this alarming rate, not only can peaceful nature encounters be taken away from everyone, but health and well-being too. I have been writing a research paper investigating the effectiveness of my widespread wastewater water filter on reducing harmful effects of microplastics on human health. This is a solution that requires everyone to take some type of action to reduce the degradation of mother nature. Taking action will not only preserve the beauty of mother nature, but also the health of the future generations to come.

Microplastics (MPs) are an increasing issue in our environment today and pose many potential health risks. Akhbarizadeh et al. (2019), affiliated with Shiraz University, define MPs as “small pieces of plastics with size ranging from 100 nm to 5 mm” (p. 1696). 359 million tons of plastics were manufactured in 2018 and there was an increase in plastic production of 29% between 2011 and 2018. MPs are infiltrating every part of our daily life with no signs of stopping, which proves to be extremely concerning due to the unknown health risks they pose to humans (Kapp & Miller, 2020, p. 1). Despite current efforts to keep MPs at bay, they are still rapidly increasing with no signs of stopping. It is crucial to implement different ways to try to reduce the amount of MPs in our day-to-day lives. A solution to reducing MPs from tap water with no additional filtration does not currently exist. One way we can develop this solution and reduce the amount of microplastics in the environment is to develop a filtering system to remove MPs out of household wastewater and impact the average predicted percent of MP in drinking water. Currently, MPs are found to pass through wastewater treatment plants that do not have the filtration technology implemented to stop them (Toussaint et al., 2019, p. 640). This is why it is of utmost importance to develop a device to at least reduce the amount of MPs that are present in water that humans drink. People are concerned about potential health risks that MPs pose to humans as well as the environment (Coffin et al., 2021, p. 1). A filtering device should be created and installed into households to filter MPs out of wastewater and reduce human exposure to protect human health and ease concerns. Since humans are regularly exposed to MPs, there is importance in looking into how exactly MPs are impacting human health. MPs have been found to be carriers of toxic chemicals and other microorganisms that cause tissue damage (Toussaint et al., 2019, p. 640). Researchers at the University of California reported that mice consuming MP polymethyl methacrylate were found to have damaged DNA that malformed their cellular structure (Browne et al., 2015, p. 3). MP exposure in mice also caused altered blood biomarkers, inflammatory responses, energy deficiency, lipid metabolism disruptions, oxidative stress, and decreased liver weight (Deng et al., 2017, p. 1&8). Normal functions that should be occurring in the body were hindered because of MP consumption in animals studied. Since these malformed functions occurred in mice, it is plausible to believe that these same negative effects can happen through human exposure to MPs. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. I am unable to submit a video.

My grandpa owns a farm here in southwest Ohio. He has been farming his entire life and has found ways to sustainably promote his crops while hugely reducing the threat to the health of future generations. He practices both hydroponic and aquaponics at a small scale, crop rotation, the use of ground covers, permaculture, biodynamics, and the most minimal use of environmentally safe pesticides. Out of all of the farmers that I have met, my grandpa is the most environmentally conscious, inspiring not only myself, but many other members of the community, to apply sustainable practices to everyday life and gardening. I have been working on my grandpa’s farm for the past 5 years of my life. I mainly bale hay and straw in the summer, but also complete various miscellaneous tasks throughout the year. Struggles I face in the summer while baling include the baler shearing a bolt, failing to tie the string, overheating, and various other malfunctions. While baling hay in an extremely rocky and bumpy field, the wagon I was baling on completely gave out when passing over a huge bump. The entire metal frame snapped in half. My grandpa and I bungeed it up just enough to wheel it home to fix it. He taught me how to weld and together we fixed the metal frame. Unfortunately we lost almost the entire day of work, but at least we had a wagon to use the next day in the field. One specific example of a struggle-turned-into-success story that sticks out to me is when myself and my brother were baling in the 105° weather and the baler sheared a bolt. We were five loads into the field and very far away from my busy grandfather. At the time, my mom was driving the tractor and my brother and I were on the wagon. This was at the beginning of my baling experience, so I had no idea how to solve the problem since my grandpa would always be there to fix it. My brother had a slight idea, but with my grandpa so far away we decided to try it. It was jolting trying to change the bolt out at the exact right time, but we managed to do it within an hour and continued to finish the load so we could get some water. My sustainable grandpa has inspired me to expand my summer garden tremendously. Through manual removal of weeds and the use of my grandpa’s garlic spray recipe, I use no chemicals in my garden. Over the years, my garden has over tripled in size and is a sustainable way to provide my family with produce in the summer. Struggles I faced in my garden at first mainly consisted of insects and weeds. I pull all weeds by hand and by keeping up with it, I am able to keep them under control to keep my plants thriving. To fix the problem of bugs, I use my grandpa’s all-natural garlic spray which has proven to be a very efficient solution. Sustainably growing food, whether that be commercial farming or at-home gardening, is something that is doable and benefits the health of people all over the world.

There is no selfless good deed. Almost everyone has seen that Friends episode, right? There has been some controversy over the statement that Joey made where he challenges Phoebe saying “there is no unselfish good deed”. Phoebe went on to spend the entire episode trying to prove him wrong, but failed. Although serving the community is a generous act of kindness, I agree with Joey and believe it is not entirely selfless. Serving the community and seeing aspects improve in front of my eyes, no matter how small, genuinely is one of my favorite pastimes. Whenever I can help out with an activity or event I feel helpful, full, warm, happy. These positive feelings prove that it is in fact not a selfless act. To satiate my desire to make positive change in the community, I joined the National Honor Society and Key Club at William Henry Harrison High School. National Honor Society (NHS) is a well-known organization that values service, academic achievement. I have held the offices of vice president and secretary of NHS at my high school. I am responsible for finding and organizing volunteer opportunities for the members to participate in, including a before-school tutoring service to fellow high school students. Key Club is a junior Kiwanis Club for high schoolers. It is also a well-known organization that prioritizes providing various needed services for the community. I have held the role of secretary of Key Club for two years now and share all of the volunteer opportunities that I found/created for NHS with this organization as well. These two organizations have made it easier for me to share my love of serving the community and create opportunities for others to give back. My 220+ service hours is exactly what proves Joey right.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. Through the design process aspects of the creation of this microplastic filter, art and STEM combine to make this world a better place. Art is utilized when creatively brainstorming how the visual aspects of the filter will increase its marketability and even its effectiveness. Through the design of my logo “MicroNoMore”, I used artistic techniques to draw people in and make them more likely to take an interest in the microplastic issue at hand. STEM adds on to the marketability of my microplastic filter by improving its effectiveness and ability to complete the task it is designed to do. Together, the elements of STEM and art combined can make the world a better place by increasing the genuine promise that a product/design has to offer. Through applying creativity, I was able to execute my idea successfully.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country, my MRI results showed both of my tibial bones fractured due to my nutritional deficits. I was out for the rest of the season. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Being able to persist and bounce back as quickly as I did to help others, while struggling myself, is a skill I plan to apply later at my profession in the medical field.

As team captain of both cross country and track and field for all 4 years of high school, I was named “the injury doctor” and “assistant coach” by my fellow teammates. If any runner was complaining of pain, I was able to assess it and offer basic recommendations to help them through it. By the time I had suffered multiple fractures of my shin bones, I was practically an expert on the steps necessary to treat stress fractures. I would assess the strength of teammates' stabilization muscles in the lower leg and suggest exercises for weaknesses that I identified to help them recover. I felt immense joy in helping them and especially seeing them improve over time. All of the suggestions I made were verified by the trainer at my high school as well as the addition of any doctor referrals if needed. I enjoyed helping those with running related injuries since I am very passionate about running, but would love to expand the scope of injuries in which I would look at and assess at a doctoral/medical level. This is why I chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology on a pre-medical track to become a physician. The love that I hold for the content of biomedical sciences and biology on top of helping those on my cross country and track teams combined two of my passions into an achievable major that I will use to later work a fulfilling job helping people. My time and leadership skills learned as a 4-year team captain in both cross country and track has prepared me for a career in the medical field. Being a leader is creating an accepting environment where all feel safe and comfortable, setting an example of the right thing to do, motivating others to improve past where they thought possible, communicating between the team and coaches, and overall providing a sense of guidance towards success. If I am given the opportunity to be a scholarship winner, I will be able to fully focus on improving these leadership qualities, my character, and furthering my education. As my future career choice being a physician, I must embody values that are developed through applying myself to a strong educational program. As of now, I plan to attend Miami University, located in Oxford, Ohio. Miami University is one of the only public schools still considered at the same level as private, ivy league schools. They offer a liberal education that values strong moral conduct, honesty, diversity, and respect. I plan to continue to contribute these same ideals that I hold at Miami University through the use of this scholarship money. I will join clubs, reach out to those in need, volunteer, offer help, welcome others, and do what is right. I also plan to further my undergraduate research in microplastics in our drinking water and continue to improve my household wastewater filter to reduce human exposure to plastics at Miami University’s state of the art research center and lab. Studying here will not only offer the prerequisites I need to be a successful physician and change the world, but also the soft skills and moral improvements that will make me a more well-rounded individual with a stronger character. Being able to afford to attend a wonderful institution like Miami University to develop my character and become a better leader is something that everyone could benefit from, especially a future doctor of the United States.

There is no selfless good deed. Almost everyone has seen that Friends episode, right? There has been some controversy over the statement that Joey made where he challenges Phoebe saying “there is no unselfish good deed”. Phoebe went on to spend the entire episode trying to prove him wrong, but failed. Although serving the community is a generous act of kindness, I agree with Joey and believe it is not entirely selfless. Serving the community and seeing aspects improve in front of my eyes, no matter how small, genuinely is one of my favorite pastimes. Whenever I can help out with an activity or event I feel helpful, full, warm, happy. These positive feelings prove that it is in fact not a selfless act. There is always at least a small reward for the volunteer, but that is not to take away from how generous volunteering time is. Out of my 220+ documented service hours, one of the most rewarding experiences was tutoring a struggling 5th grade student. Everyday after school, I would come to Miamitown Elementary and spend an hour or two with the student (grand total of about 35 hours). Miamitown Elementary was an elementary school apart of the Southwest Local School District before combining with Whitewater Elementary last year to form Miamiwhitewater Elementary School. Reading and doing math problems was already somewhat enjoyable to me, but seeing the student go from a 1st grade reading level to an appropriate 5th grade reading level was astonishing. Being able to make a change in this girl’s life was so rewarding to me. Joey was right. Another organization I served for was Harrison Youth Track, a program that taught 1st-6th graders the basics of the different events of track and field. I was a volunteer that helped run events, host games, supervise, and make sure the kids were having fun. I spent about 32.5 hours in total serving for this organization and plan to do it again this spring because of how much fun I had. Watching the kids improve and some really come out of their shell and blossom was incredible. Again, Joey was right. To satiate my desire to make positive change in the community, I joined the National Honor Society and Key Club at William Henry Harrison High School. National Honor Society (NHS) is a well-known organization that values service, academic achievement. I have held the offices of vice president and secretary of NHS at my high school. I am responsible for finding and organizing volunteer opportunities for the members to participate in, including a before-school tutoring service to fellow high school students. Key Club is a junior Kiwanis Club for high schoolers. It is also a well-known organization that prioritizes providing various needed services for the community. I have held the role of secretary of Key Club for two years now and share all of the volunteer opportunities that I found/created for NHS with this organization as well. These two organizations have made it easier for me to share my love of serving the community and create opportunities for others to give back. I thoroughly enjoy providing service to others which is exactly what proves Joey right.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. Through the design process aspects of the creation of this microplastic filter, art and STEM combine to make this world a better place. Art is utilized when creatively brainstorming how the visual aspects of the filter will increase its marketability and even its effectiveness. Through the design of my logo “MicroNoMore”, I used artistic techniques to draw people in and make them more likely to take an interest in the microplastic issue at hand. STEM adds on to the marketability of my microplastic filter by improving its effectiveness and ability to complete the task it is designed to do. Together, the elements of STEM and art combined can make the world a better place by increasing the genuine promise that a product/design has to offer. STEM is simply not as effective as STEAM when working on making the world a better place. Art is an aspect of STEAM that is frequently overlooked. This is why I am pursuing a degree in biology with a focus in art, along with mental health and engineering, to help educate myself on how to effectively combine all elements of my education to create the most efficient designs possible. I am paying for college completely on my own, so I need all the financial support available. My parents currently have two mortgages and are putting all extra money towards rebuilding our house that recently suffered a fire. They are also supporting my eldest brother through his private college education and do not have funds remaining for me. I am an exceptional student with a weighted GPA of 4.641, ranked 5th in my class of 320+, held the role of team captain of both cross country and the distance track team for all four years of high school, received varsity letters in cross country, track and field, and swimming in all my years of participation, and have taken and received an A or A+ in all 13 AP, college-level classes I have taken. I have also worked as a farmhand on my grandfather’s farm since I was 14, baling square bales of straw and hay, unloading them into various barns, training new workers, greasing equipment, and delivering hay/straw to different locations. Being able to afford to pursue a college education will allow me to be equipped to execute my dreams of making this world a better place, one microplastic filter at a time.

“Failure is a wonderful opportunity to grow”: the wisest, most useful phrase I have ever heard. This simple phrase my dad said to me while laying on the ground after falling off of my bike has stuck with me for my entire life. Even at a young age, I understood that this phrase held immense power if put to use. I wiped my tears and was able to successfully ride my bike down the sidewalk by the end of that same day. I have applied this phrase to multiple situations in my life and still find it useful. It encapsulates the meaning of the phrase “don’t give up” and puts it in a light where it is applicable to life. Framing mistakes and failure as a positive opportunity shifts the mindset of a person and allows them to see the silver lining in the gloomiest of situations. A vital time that sticks out in my memory where I used these wise words was during sophomore year cross country. My doctor informed me that my MRI scans showed I had stress fractures in both of my tibias. I was unable to run for the rest of the season. As little as it sounds, this was a huge deal to me. I was devastated and contemplated never returning to running. This only lasted a maximum of a few hours because I remembered the phrase my dad told me with utmost importance the day I couldn’t quite seem to ride my bike. I decided I should use the fractures as a pipeline for growth. I became involved in everything I could at an assistant coach level. I found a way to contribute through implementing injury prevention techniques on teammates. Applying this phrase to everyday life benefits even the worst of situations.

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that other upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Last week, I told a friend that ignoring someone in mental distress was wrong and that I knew that she was better than that. The girl being ignored bullied me in 5th grade, but she clearly wasn’t doing well, so I reached out to make sure she was okay. She wasn’t okay, but is seeing a therapist now. Generosity is exactly what is described in the above examples: putting others before yourself without expecting anything in return. It is kindness. It is showing a person that someone cares. It is giving. It is doing what is right and not caring what others think. It is standing firm for what you believe in. It can save a life. Living by generosity not only changes the world around you, but also helps the world inside you grow.

Microplastics (MPs) are an increasing issue in our environment today and pose many potential health risks. Akhbarizadeh et al. (2019), affiliated with Shiraz University, define MPs as “small pieces of plastics with size ranging from 100 nm to 5 mm” (p. 1696). 359 million tons of plastics were manufactured in 2018 and there was an increase in plastic production of 29% between 2011 and 2018. MPs are infiltrating every part of our daily life with no signs of stopping, which proves to be extremely concerning due to the health risks they pose to humans (Kapp & Miller, 2020, p. 1). Despite current efforts to keep MPs at bay, they are still rapidly increasing with no signs of stopping. It is crucial to implement different ways to try to reduce the amount of MPs in our day-to-day lives. A solution to reducing MPs from tap water with no additional filtration does not currently exist. This research is my why. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. My ever-growing ambition towards reducing the exponential increase of microplastics gives me hope. If I can put effort towards a movement that I am passionate about, I have faith that so many others will too. I have even seen it myself while browsing different communities on social media sites. There is a whole world of people who would love to support change; all it takes is one person to initiate the change and reach out for support. Seeing the condition our environment is getting to can make one feel hopeless, but taking a look at the vast community of people willing to make a difference would fill one with at least a glimmer of hope. When feeling hopeless, finding a community that cares is something that everyone would benefit from.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. I was heart-broken and lost. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. While getting mental and physical professional help, I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Looking back on the events that happened, I realize that they were valuable experiences in the long-run. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and allowed me to become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. I predict that learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience and independence than ever before. Being able to bounce back as quickly as I did and continue to help others as I was struggling myself is something that I will be able to apply later in life in my desired profession. I developed an even better sense of grit that baking straw and hay in 100 degree weather couldn’t even teach me. I was mentally strong enough to determine that my situation wasn’t the worst it could be and that I believed in myself to push through. Finding the silver lining in an unfortunate situation is an experience that everyone would benefit from.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. Through the design process aspects of the creation of this microplastic filter, art and STEM combine to make this world a better place. Art is utilized when creatively brainstorming how the visual aspects of the filter will increase its marketability and even its effectiveness. Through the design of my logo “MicroNoMore”, I used artistic techniques to draw people in and make them more likely to take an interest in the microplastic issue at hand. STEM adds on to the marketability of my microplastic filter by improving its effectiveness and ability to complete the task it is designed to do. Together, the elements of STEM and art combined can make the world a better place by increasing the genuine promise that a product/design has to offer. STEM is simply not as effective as STEAM when working on making the world a better place. Art is an aspect of STEAM that is frequently overlooked. This is why I am pursuing a degree in biology with a focus in art, along with mental health and engineering, to help educate myself on how to effectively combine all elements of my education to create the most efficient designs possible. I am paying for college completely on my own, so I need all the financial support available. My parents currently have two mortgages and are putting all extra money towards rebuilding our house that recently suffered a fire. They are also supporting my eldest brother through his private college education and do not have funds remaining for me. I am an exceptional student with a weighted GPA of 4.641, ranked 5th in my class of 320+, held the role of team captain of both cross country and the distance track team for all four years of high school, received varsity letters in cross country, track and field, and swimming in all my years of participation, and have taken and received an A or A+ in all 13 AP, college-level classes I have taken. I have also worked as a farmhand on my grandfather’s farm since I was 14, baling square bales of straw and hay, unloading them into various barns, training new workers, greasing equipment, and delivering hay/straw to different locations. Being able to afford to pursue a college education will allow me to be equipped to execute my dreams of making this world a better place, one microplastic filter at a time.

Microplastics (MPs) are an increasing issue in our environment today and pose many potential health risks. Akhbarizadeh et al. (2019), affiliated with Shiraz University, define MPs as “small pieces of plastics with size ranging from 100 nm to 5 mm” (p. 1696). 359 million tons of plastics were manufactured in 2018 and there was an increase in plastic production of 29% between 2011 and 2018. MPs are infiltrating every part of our daily life with no signs of stopping, which proves to be extremely concerning due to the health risks they pose to humans (Kapp & Miller, 2020, p. 1). Despite current efforts to keep MPs at bay, they are still rapidly increasing with no signs of stopping. It is crucial to implement different ways to try to reduce the amount of MPs in our day-to-day lives. A solution to reducing MPs from tap water with no additional filtration does not currently exist. This research is my why. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. In the future, I plan to pursue a career in medicine with engineering and mental health focuses. Since microplastics are such a huge problem in the world we live in today, creating my microplastic filter is a small step in the right direction. What needs to be achieved is a full shift in how we view the environment around us and how to effectively preserve it, and our own health, through our actions. This is something that has already been somewhat accomplished, but I believe we need to bring about more change. How to exactly bring about this change is what I plan to advocate for in my future career, along with practicing medicine as a physician. The problem of microplastics is a topic that must be further investigated for the well-being of human health in the future.

How far would you go to be as successful in a sport as possible? As someone with a “whatever it takes” mindset, I pushed myself too far, developing unhealthy habits and mental disorders along the way. It all began going downhill during freshman year cross country. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating with causes rooting from as early as 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. I was heart-broken and lost. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming a orthopedic physician specializing in mental health to help those like me. Even though I found new ways to express my love for the sport and discovered a new passion, I was still struggling. At this point, I was battling an identity crisis of who I was as a person, four different eating disorders, anxiety, and depression all just before the Covid-19 quarantine began. I decided I needed professional help to deal with my problems; thankfully, help was eventually available to me. Unfortunately, those around me didn’t believe in mental health. I was constantly told to “tough it out” and to “walk it off.” Clearly mental health disorders are very real and I wish someone had told me that earlier on. The stigma around mental health must be changed so that others do not have to experience the loneliness that I did. Mental health should be prioritized and respected to show people that it is normal, completely okay to struggle with it, and that they deserve help. Looking back on the events that happened, I realize that they were valuable experiences in the long-run. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and allowed me to become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. I predict that learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience and independence than ever before. Normalizing mental health disorders and finding the silver lining in unfortunate situations are experiences that everyone would benefit from.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. I was heart-broken and lost. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. I found comfort in taking the role of head team captain for all four years, what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach” and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments while also fueling a new aspiration: becoming an orthopedic physician to help those like me. Even though I found new ways to express my love for the sport and discovered a new passion, I was still struggling. At this point, I was battling an identity crisis of who I was as a person, four different eating disorders, anxiety, and depression all just before the Covid-19 quarantine began. I decided I needed professional help to deal with my problems; thankfully, help was eventually available to me. Unfortunately, those around me didn’t believe in mental health. I was constantly told to “tough it out” and to “walk it off.” Clearly mental health disorders are very real and I wish someone had told me that earlier on. The stigma around mental health must be changed so that others do not have to experience the loneliness that I did. Mental health should be prioritized and respected to show people that it is normal, completely okay to struggle with it, and that they deserve help. Looking back on the events that happened, I realize that they were valuable experiences in the long-run. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and allowed me to become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. I predict that learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience and independence than ever before. Normalizing mental health disorders and finding the silver lining in unfortunate situations are experiences that everyone would benefit from.

Microplastics (MPs) are an increasing issue in our environment today and pose many potential health risks. Akhbarizadeh et al. (2019), affiliated with Shiraz University, define MPs as “small pieces of plastics with size ranging from 100 nm to 5 mm” (p. 1696). 359 million tons of plastics were manufactured in 2018 and there was an increase in plastic production of 29% between 2011 and 2018. MPs are infiltrating every part of our daily life with no signs of stopping, which proves to be extremely concerning due to the unknown health risks they pose to humans (Kapp & Miller, 2020, p. 1). Despite current efforts to keep MPs at bay, they are still rapidly increasing with no signs of stopping. It is crucial to implement different ways to try to reduce the amount of MPs in our day-to-day lives. A solution to reducing MPs from tap water with no additional filtration does not currently exist. One way we can develop this solution and reduce the amount of microplastics in the environment is to develop a filtering system to remove MPs out of household wastewater and impact the average predicted percent of MP in drinking water. Currently, MPs are found to pass through wastewater treatment plants that do not have the filtration technology implemented to stop them (Toussaint et al., 2019, p. 640). This is why it is of utmost importance to develop a device to at least reduce the amount of MPs that are present in water that humans drink. People are concerned about potential health risks that MPs pose to humans as well as the environment (Coffin et al., 2021, p. 1). A filtering device should be created and installed into households to filter MPs out of wastewater and reduce human exposure to protect human health and ease concerns. Since humans are regularly exposed to MPs, there is importance in looking into how exactly MPs are impacting human health. MPs have been found to be carriers of toxic chemicals and other microorganisms that cause tissue damage (Toussaint et al., 2019, p. 640). Researchers at the University of California reported that mice consuming MP polymethyl methacrylate were found to have damaged DNA that malformed their cellular structure (Browne et al., 2015, p. 3). MP exposure in mice also caused altered blood biomarkers, inflammatory responses, energy deficiency, lipid metabolism disruptions, oxidative stress, and decreased liver weight (Deng et al., 2017, p. 1&8). Normal functions that should be occurring in the body were hindered because of MP consumption in animals studied. Since these malformed functions occurred in mice, it is plausible to believe that these same negative effects can happen through human exposure to MPs. Another major disruption observed through the ingestion of environmentally realistic concentrations of MPs in studied animals was to the endocrine system. The endocrine system is crucial in hormonally regulating reproduction, development, and immune health in organisms, so its dysfunction is detrimental. MP exposure has proven to disrupt the endocrine system, causing downregulation of genes, less feeding activity, slow growth, oxidative stress, different metabolic disorders, abnormal cell growth, reproductive failure, developmental issues (Deng et al., 2017, p. 1; Rochman et al., 2014). Researchers from Shiraz University found that absorbing pollutants carried by MPs (compounds including bisphenol-A, ethylene, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and phthalates) could cause humans to experience the same endocrine disruption symptoms and toxic effects seen in mice exposed to MPs (Akhbarizadeh et al., 2019, p. 1704). Researchers from the University of California found that birds who ingest a larger volume of MPs were found to have plastic accumulation in tissues and endocrine system disruptions that caused inflammation, necrosis, a decrease in weight, a suppress in immunity, a stunt in growth, and premature death (Browne et al., 2015). These examples of endocrine disruption caused by MP exposure calls for the creation of a device to reduce the level of MP exposure to humans. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a MP filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This is an issue that must be addressed to look out for the future health of the world.

By the year 2060, microplastics are expected to triple in existence. Microplastics are a terrifying problem on the rise that have proven to pose threats to human health. Currently I am writing a research paper about microplastics and their harmful effects on human health and developing a microplastic filter prototype to reduce exposure to humans and improve public health. This filter will be installed into wastewater plumbing to remove contaminants from the water. Over the course of a few days with these filters in place, the amount of microplastics in the water systems will have decreased dramatically. If my microplastic filter is installed and properly maintained, there is a possibility to completely rid the need for any additional water filtration. Water coming straight out of the tap will be completely clean and safe to drink. To execute this idea, in spring or summer of this year, I plan to have both my research paper published and my microplastic filter patented. By pursuing the installation of my microplastic filter in homes, especially in underdeveloped countries, I am being courageous. I have shared this idea to many social media platforms where it has received lots of great, constructive criticism, but also backlash and doubts about my abilities. Continuing to push through and fighting to fix a problem I am passionate about is showcasing strength and an insatiable inspiration that fuels my efforts towards making this world a better place. Receiving the Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship will allow me to be able to better afford my secondary education at an institute that will allow me to continue to research ideas and develop solutions to improve the world we live in. Since my parents are not contributing money to my college education, I am finding it solely on my own.

I began cross country freshman year of high school as a star runner. Running forty mile weeks, biking, swimming, weight-training, and even drinking a gallon of water a day; I was putting in the work to be successful at what I loved. I was number one on the team and had a strong passion for the sport; however, I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. The disorder took over. I passed out from the utter fatigue of minimal calories and hours of intense workouts. It got to the point where I was severely underfeeding my body for multiple years and it decided it finally had enough. At the beginning of my sophomore cross country season, Dr. Dailey broke the news to me that I had fractured both of my tibial bones due to my nutritional deficits and was out for the rest of the season. I was heart-broken and lost. What was I supposed to do now? My 7th grade dreams of becoming an Olympic runner were shattered, along with my shin bones. Even though I wasn’t the perfect image runner that I always thought I would be, it took about a week for me to bounce back to find a way to remain enthusiastic about the sport even when I was unable to participate. I found comfort in taking the role of what the team referred to as “the second assistant coach”, head team captain for all four years, and “the injury doctor”. Finding a different way to express my love for running helped ease the deep pain of my no longer possible future accomplishments, something that made my experience on the cross country team that much more valuable. I could walk away with lifelong experience that would be useful in each aspect of life. I learned that extremely challenging events happen frequently in life. The best way to deal with them is to push through and seek constant improvement in every possible, something I learned from reflecting on the bench at my favorite sport. The discovery that I have the choice to feel grateful for my resources has led me to develop a new source of motivation and allowed me to become a more flexible, productive, and pragmatic individual. This probably isn’t a typical response to this prompt, but running truly is my favorite hobby just because of what it has taught me so far. I can't wait for what it has in store for me next.

Patience is a virtue. We’ve all heard it right? But what does it exactly mean? In my short lifetime of only 18 years I have experienced many instances where I had to practice patience, many of which I never would have expected. An experience that sticks out to me is with my own personal mental health struggles. I fell victim to disordered eating beginning in 5th grade. The issues escalated quickly as soon as I began high school. For years, every mirror I walked by I criticized my figure and had thoughts in the back of my head about everything that I didn’t consider “perfect”, but this time it was stronger, worse. At first I was labeled a “picky eater”, but as the numbers on the scale continued to drop and new bones started to peek through my skin, it became more and more clear what was really going on. The disorder took over. I became fixated on everything that was going into my body and exactly what I looked like. It consumed my life. I decided it was time to work on myself. Although it was so extremely difficult, so found that giving myself time to change was one of the most important parts- patience. I sought constant improvement in every possible way and most importantly was patient with the improvements made to continue to have the motivation to keep going. I predict that learning how to deal with these life-altering problems at a young age will help me express more resilience, independence, and patience than I ever would have if I had never gone through what I did. I guess the saying “patience is a virtue” certainly does ring true, huh?

When I was in preschool, the one person of color in my class was avoided by my peers like the plague. I made sure to play with him so he didn’t feel alone. I understood the importance of offering the gift of kindness at a young age. When I was in 2nd grade, some “friends” asked me to join a ghost club that the new girl was banned from joining. I denied the invitation and hung out with the new girl instead. When I was in 6th grade, I stood up to a boy who was relentlessly teasing a shy girl in Mrs. Cunningham’s science class. He started teasing me and I didn’t care; he gave up. When I was in 11th grade, I reached out to freshmen on the cross country team and invited them to a team event that upperclassmen purposely were trying to exclude them from. The upperclassmen were mad, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Last year, my mental health struggles were shared with others outside of my immediate circle. Instead of immediately blaming the girl who shared my private information, I understood that there was probably something going on in her life to make her act like this. I asked her what was going on and assured her that I was there to help. She eventually revealed her own mental struggles to me and got professional help. She is doing much better now. Last week, I told a friend that ignoring someone in mental distress was wrong and that I knew that she was better than that. The girl being ignored actually bullied me in 5th grade, but she clearly wasn’t doing well, so I reached out to make sure she was okay. She is scheduled to see a therapist now.

As team captain of both cross country and track and field for all 4 years of high school, I was named “the injury doctor” by my fellow teammates. If any runner was complaining of pain, I was able to assess it and offer basic recommendations to help them through it. By the time I had suffered multiple fractures of my shin bones, I was practically an expert on the steps necessary to treat stress fractures. I would assess the strength of teammates' stabilization muscles in the lower leg and suggest exercises for weaknesses that I identified to help them recover. I felt immense joy in helping them and especially seeing them improve over time. All of the suggestions I made were verified by the trainer at my high school as well as the addition of any doctor referrals if needed. I enjoyed helping those with running related injuries since I am very passionate about running, but would love to expand the scope of injuries in which I would look at and assess at a doctoral/medical level. This is why I chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology on a pre-medical track to become a physician. The love that I hold for the content of biomedical sciences and biology on top of helping those on my cross country and track teams combined two of my passions into an achievable major that I will use to later work a fulfilling job helping people. If I am given the opportunity to be Anthony Jordan Clark Memorial Scholarship winner, I will be able to fully focus on furthering my education and improving who I am becoming as a person. As my future career choice being a physician, I must embody values that are developed through applying myself to a strong educational program. As of now, I plan to attend Miami University, located in Oxford, Ohio. Miami University is one of the only public schools still considered at the same level as private, ivy league schools. They offer a liberal education that values strong moral conduct, honesty, diversity, and respect. I plan to continue to contribute these same ideals that I hold at Miami University through the use of this scholarship money. I will join clubs, reach out to those in need, volunteer, offer help, welcome others, and do what is right. I also plan to further my undergraduate research in microplastics in our drinking water and continue to improve my household wastewater filter to reduce human exposure to plastics at Miami University’s state of the art research center and lab. Before I graduate, I will publish my research paper studying how my filter will reduce human microplastic exposure in drinking water and the patent of my filter. At Miami, I will continue to improve this microplastic filter since it is such a threat to the future health of the world. The growth of microplastics is expected to triple within the next few years. We are already consuming a credit card's worth of plastic each week, but with this increase, it will only get worse and threaten our wellbeing even more. Being able to afford to attend a wonderful institution like Miami University is something that everyone could benefit from, especially as someone who will reduce microplastics and change the world.