One thing that has always made me happy throughout my youth and has grown into a passion into my young adulthood is my love and connection to movies. Some of my greatest childhood memories have come from the movies that brought me comfort or made me laugh as a kid and continue to bring me joy to this day. As I got older, this of course progressed into watching more mature and complex films along with the nostalgic ones from my childhood, making it a frequent hobby of mine to sit down and watch and rewatch my favorites as a way to cheer myself up or simply destress after a long day. Although I have already seen the way they end, simply the act of sitting down and reconnecting with their stories again brings me the same joy as if I was watching it for the very first time. As someone who not only has a personal connection to these films but a love for the art of filmmaking, I've come to love everything about them and how they are made. From the cinematography, the lighting techniques, animations used, and even the little details you can see in the performances of the actors, everything about them still continues to make me happy whenever I sit down to enjoy them yet again.

To me, independence means more than simply self-sufficiency and dependence, but speaks to me as a form of individuality and the ability to support others when given the opportunity. To say that I am an independent person not only means that I support myself generally but also says to me that I control my circumstances and therefore am in control of the person I want to become. My independence says to the world that the choices I make for myself control my destiny for me rather than the need for support from others. While this comes with a standard of responsibility, as an independent person then has no one to blame for their shortcomings but themself, it also comes with the satisfaction that your success and personal growth comes from your actions. While neither is necessarily mutually inclusive attributes, I believe that independence is easily paired with the ability to support others around you. With every dependent person, there must be an independent person there to support them, whether that be financially, paternally, etc. Just as I would say that not all forms of independence are good, not all forms of dependency are bad. Often the path towards developing indecency starts with dependency, as is the path I’m on. Now as a high school senior and soon to be 18 years old I am in a position of slowly growing independence which allows me to make choices for myself like an adult would in a safe environment. So far it’s allowed me to start to make choices for myself that will guide me down the path to becoming the person I want to be for the rest of my life.

The way I try to leave a positive impact on the world is by mentoring a group of middle school boys at my church. Since joining the student ministry two years ago as a volunteer small group leader I have had the privilege of guiding a group of now eighth graders in their faith as they navigate middle school together. While my job as a high school leader is quite minimal on Sunday mornings and can seem useless some days, the unseen influence that I have as a high school mentor is something that goes miles beyond the time that I spend with them each week. Although it can be hard to tell how effective your efforts to reach out to the students can be, the aim in serving is to provide an example of what a strong relationship with god looks like in an older student. My job as someone who went through the same things they are now is to help bring encouragement and guidance to them as they navigate through their stress ridden middle school years. The hope, as my time as their leader comes to a close and they advance into their high school years is that I will have aided in bringing them closer to god so that they may develop a faith of their own that they may go on and share with their peers and all those they influence with.

As a 17-year-old high school student, it is not often that I find myself in a position to call myself a mentor, as I am still consistently under the guidance of mentors myself. However, as a senior thespian within my high school's theatre troupe, I was allowed to become a senior mentor to a group of newcomers who were eager to participate in their very first theatrical experience. The purpose of establishing these "Big/Little" relationships early on in the semester was to bridge the gap between the upper and lower classmen and to bring together a closer sense of community within the troupe, as this was the theme for our shows and goals going into this school year. I was excited to lead and build relationships with my group of freshman guys because I was determined to give them the encouragement and the experienced advice that I never had the opportunity to get in my freshman year. My hope as a mentor now is to encourage a space of inclusivity and growth and to give these newcomers the tools and the confidence they need to explore their strengths and weaknesses as performers. As someone who has grown himself over the years since when he first started as a freshman, I hope to inspire not only my group of littles but all those I have a form of influence in to not be afraid to try something new and continue to develop their skills as the years go on. As I graduate high school and look onto my past troupe as an alumnus I hope to see from the seeds planted my senior year a growing community of influential students who aim to grow in their talents and love of theatre.

As someone who often finds themself sacrificing a healthy amount of sleep in order to finish everything I need to get done, simply the absence of urgent responsibilities brings me the space I need to take the load off my shoulders. When I do happen to have a day off from work and school, tend to make the most of it as they seem to come less and less frequently in this past semester. I do things such as indulging in the things that typically comforts me such as my favorite movies, books, and foods. In this time to myself I often find myself taking care of things that I didn't always have the motivation to do prior such as cleaning up my room and refolding my laundry, which are small things with no deadline to worry about but that have a significant boost towards my current mental health once finished. During these days, I find myself enjoying the little things I never had the motivation to make time for before and I walk into my next day at work, school, or rehearsals with a recharged battery and a much better mindset for the duties that await me.

While it is hard to admit at times, the most effective way that I help to remain in a mindset geared towards my growth is the understanding that I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. For me, simply having the understanding that there always can be room for improvement on a personal level or in anything I do in life is the first step towards my actual growth. On the other hand, I also need to step back from my normally hypercritical nature towards myself and understand that the need for perfectionism isn't necessary in order for me to succeed in life or be proud of myself or my accomplishments. Both of these pills can be very hard to swallow at times depending on my situation, but both must be put in balance in order for me to find the correct mindset to better myself and my actions as I go on through life. Sometimes the easiest way for me to do this is to take time to focus on my mental health, this normally includes taking free time out of my day to healthily isolate myself and temporarily eliminate distractions and responsibilities from my day and just simply breathe. Sometimes time alone to sit and relax and indulge in a movie, some tea, a good book, some music in my car, or a few minutes out of my day to say a quick prayer can do so much for me throughout the rest of the day and change my mindset for the better.

The biggest aspect of the life I dream of living someday is my goal of having a full-time career as an actor. I don't dream of being rich or famous necessarily, but I dream of doing what I love most, which is performing surrounded by the people that I love who inspire me to be the best version of myself every day. I want to live my dream life as a proud husband and father so that I can have a family to share my life and passions with, close to my siblings and their families, where hopefully I can be a part of the vision for their dream lives. While I don't include incredible wealth in my goals for my future I want to work hard in my adult life and be as financially comfortable as necessary to help support whatever journey that my children or loved ones find themselves on in the path to achieving their dreams. I want to be an inspiration to all those around me, especially my children, I want to challenge them to become the best, most compassionate, generous, ambitious, and loving versions of themselves that they possibly can be. That way I can say my biggest achievement in life was not the things I did during my lifetime but the legacy I left behind with the impact that I left on those around me.

While I could easily argue that the importance of saving and budgeting my money responsibly has been most notable to me, I find that the lesson in generosity in using my money is the most influential and important lesson that was taught to me as a child. My parents began instilling this idea with me and my brothers at a young age, insisting that 10% of all money we earned from doing chores around the house be donated in some way. Whether that be to our church or to a charity of our choice, my parents wanted us to have an understanding that earning money comes with a multitude of personal responsibilities but that our Christian faith calls for us to be generous towards those who are in need. While this idea was difficult and somewhat frustrating to comprehend at a young age as I felt I was not keeping all of the money I deserved and had worked hard for throughout each week, this lesson stuck with me. Now as a young adult I have a part-time job where I control my own financial decisions and continue to incorporate my parent's lessons into my daily life. I understand that their intent was to teach me how generosity and a willingness to serve the needs of others when I can is important to the fulfillment of myself and those around me. It can be tricky to counteract the effects that earning money can have on egregious tendencies without the willingness to give to others, which is why I am glad that I was taught this at a very young age and have an understanding that the accumulation of money isn't the most important aspect to life or responsible financial literacy.

Prior to my junior year of high school and before I had begun my first dual enrollment classes at a nearby university, I was neutral on my stance on the death penalty as a viable form of capital punishment in the United States. I felt as if it didn't really matter whether or not inmates were sentenced to death, as many that committed crimes worthy of the death penalty were likely to do life in prison anyways. While I didn't particularly support the decision to use the death penalty as a form of punishment, I still remained neutral on the subject. This was until I read Bryan Stevenson's "Just Mercy" in my English 1101 course, in which case my eyes were opened wide into the history of the American practice of death sentences over the last half a century. This book turned my entire view on the practice of capital punishment around as I learned of the horrific things that were allowed in relation to this practice, especially in regard to the disenfranchisement of African Americans. Specifically in the southern states, such as Alabama, in which case death sentencing was used much more commonly than I had expected as a form of incarcerating black men and women for crimes unworthy of such a harsh punishment. Many of which they were falsely tried for and/or were charged much harsher than necessary. While Stevenson worked his best to defend as many of these individuals as possible in his work as a criminal justice attorney, some of his clients never got their justice and died at the hands of the American judicial system. This book was a powerful and eye-opening experience for me, as it is the reason I choose to support an end to this practice in the United States.

I think that art and music are some of the most important aspects of society, not only to our present but also to our past and future selves. Art is how humans have evolved their methods of expression throughout our history and preserved their legacy for years to come, for centuries we've studied past civilizations and carried on their stories through their various art forms. We study images engraved on cave walls, pottery, literature, fashion, the evolution of music styles through different ancient cultures, and many more as a form of retelling the stories of people from the past. That is why music and art are still shaping and becoming more and more important to our society today, because we use them to tell our stories, as individuals and various groups under one vast humanity. The way we express ourselves through art is constantly changing, shifting the way our future generations will tell their stories as they study ours as we did from the generations before us. This not only enriches the life we live now but keeps our legacy alive in the centuries to come from now. As a student with a passion for acting and live performance, I am a strong believer that the ability to tell a story is one of the purest forms of human expression that one can participate in. The investment we as humans put into the stories we tell and experience is what enriches our lives and allows us to connect with others in ways we could never do without it. I strive to find a career in the performing arts because that feeling of engaging an audience into an immersive story and making them laugh, cry, and overall connect with fictional characters in such a short time is so euphoric to me that I cannot imagine using the rest of my life for anything else. Acting, singing, and dancing bring out the life in me that very few other things ever could, and I believe that it along with all other forms of art bring out the life in humanity. Having been a small part of making that happen makes me feel as if I'm helping bring light to a world that can be very dark at times. When we immerse ourselves in the art around us it brings out the most intimate and compassionate parts of our souls, and I hope to continue to bring that not only to others but to myself.

While not directly said to me, the most insightful and probably most encouraging financial advice I have ever heard is a quote from Dave Ramsey, who says "live like no one else so that you may live and give like no one else." The sentence in itself seems to make no sense, but the premise is that for one to achieve financial success and great wealth, they must first live out their lives in a way that is different from others and say no to things that would slow their journey to their financial goals. Making tough but responsible choices with the way that money is spent and saved early on will lead to financial prosperity that will expand your limits to the luxuries you can afford like no one else can. Another reason why I love and value this quote so much is the importance it places on generosity towards others. It shows that financial prosperity gives you the ability to provide for others in a way that you never were able to before, so that you truly can live and give like no one else can.

My favorite piece of art is "Death of A Salesman" written by famous American playwright, Arthur Miller. I read this play last spring as a part of a dual enrollment English class, which thrilled me as someone who has a passion for performing and reading dramatic literature. After reading this play and analyzing Miller's challenge to the "American Dream" in this piece for many months I fell in love with his work and the characterization he put into it. So much so that I decided to perform a section of his work for my regional literary competition as a dramatic solo. I worked for many weeks afterward to connect with his characters very closely to interpret his characters as accurately as possible. This wasn't easy, as Miller's work is widely considered as one of the greatest of all American playwrights, meaning that any interpretation of his writing comes with big shoes to fill. Nevertheless, I walked away the day of the competition with my first regional champion medal, and that year I took my performance all the way to my statewide literary final competition, which leaves "Death of A Salesman" in a very special place in my heart.

My favorite book is "Just Mercy" written by Bryan Stevenson. I read this book this past fall in one of my dual enrollment English classes and it is my favorite is because it drastically changed my insight on the death penalty and racial injustice in the south over the past couple of decades. As someone who has lived in the south for most of my life, I was truly shocked to hear about the many things I read in this book and how recently they had occurred. This book outlines the life of the author, and his experiences working as a young criminal defense attorney in Alabama. Most of the stories he tells throughout the book include instances of representing various clients of color charged who were charged with the death penalty. After reading of the experiences he and his clients went through I was taken back as to the recency of the events, as some of them took place as early as the early 2000s. It had troubled me to think that kind of blatantly racist misconduct within our own federal and state justice systems was still an issue during the time that I was born. As an American living in the south, this made me seriously reconsider the way I viewed our criminal justice system and the morally of the death penalty as a legal practice. After reading "Just Mercy" and educating myself further on the practices described in the book I have decided to no longer support the death penalty and will choose to vote for policies and candidates that would pursue racial justice for those that have been repeatedly hindered by it.