Equality amongst men and women is how the world should be run. The human race needs both men and women to continue as a species. We need men to kill the spider living in the bathroom or to help with chores around the house. We need women to bring life into the world and to help keep order in the household. Both genders need each other to love them after a long stressful day. However, time and time again, women have been pushed down and told they belong in the kitchen. This has to end The first women's rights movement was the 1848 Seneca Falls convention. One hundred women signed a pledge that stated they accepted the fact that people would not agree with the movement but they will do everything in their power to keep on marching on and succeed in gaining the right to vote. This convention grew over time but the women did not gain the right to vote until the 19th amendment was passed on August 18, 1920. This was a big success for women, however, they were still being oppressed. Women entered the workforce during the world wars due to the men leaving for war. It wasn't till the1960's that women started joining the workforce. Today more women are working white-collar jobs than in the history of the human race. This is a great start but women are still being pushed down. There needs to be a change from the traditional household to men can be a stay at home dads. One goal that I have is going to med school and becoming a trauma surgeon. I want to make a difference and prove that women do not just have to be nurses but they can be doctors as well. So far I have applied for and gotten accepted into pre-med degrees. I have a plan and how I am going to execute it. The plan is to get through college by having my nose in a book and doing the best I can do. Once I make it through undergrad at a less expensive college, I will take the MCAT and apply for fancier medical school. From there it is all keeping up and knowing the content. After medical school, I will work in the field as a doctor. I truly want to help people. Whether that be stitching someone up, or proving that women can do things. It is a goal both for myself and my dream of becoming a trauma surgeon, along with a dream that women will have equality and prove that we can be in a powerful role. This scholarship will help with the cost of school so I can fulfill that dream and literally give people a second chance at life.

This is my 14 year old kitty. Her real name is Marlene, but we call her Kitty and that is what she thinks her name is. She has been with me since before pre-school. She's knows how to cuddled in the ups and downs of life. And of course she needed cuddles after her photoshoot.

A dream life is personal to each individual. Some people achieve their dream life and some people never get the chance. A dream life looks like a house in the wood. Secluded but close enough to the city resources. Within that life is an old surgeon reflecting on her life with her husband. She went to school and decided she wants to be the best of the best. She created that dream and achieved it. She loved to work on cars and have her fun cars to take out on a long drive. She woke up every morning to the beautiful sounds of the wind through the trees. Next to her was her kitten and on the other side was her husband. She lived a good life. She was satisfied with the people she got to help and the work she had up in. That is what a dream life looks like. I hope that someday I can be in that position; satisfied with my life.

Having friends is vital to human life. We are designed to connect with people. If we did not create those connections with people, we would live like an outcast. The loneliest animal in the world is the Hertz Whale. This animal cries at 52 hertz, meaning the other whales in its species cannot understand it. This whale lives alone. The 52 Hertz whale's loneliness can be reflected in our own life. We may feel grief when we lose a romantic partner or move to a different city. However, unlike the whale, we can communicate with others and make friends. Friendship on the surface level is someone one connects to and hangs out with. Diving deeper, friendship is telling that person you connect with everything. It is the ability to trust someone with your life. They are the person you go to when feeling down or joyful. Friends have your back, and you have theirs. Friendship is a blessing this world has to offer. Having friends is a reminder that humans are not designed to live alone, but rather we are designed to live together united as one. We do not have to be lonely, instead, we have someone to fall back on.

The definition of patient is "the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset" (Oxford Languages). With that being said, patients is not something that comes naturally to some people. To others it comes too easily. Having patients in day to day life is critical. It allows people to make friends, learn new skills, and be a better citizen. If one does not have patients, they may end up being considered overbearing, stuck up, or toxic. If one has patients, they are more likely to be considered a "go with the flow" kind of person. However, one needs to have a balance between being patient and being overbearing. If they are too relaxed, they are likely to be taken advantage of. Patients means being balanced. It means that one should learn balance in their life and not let anger get the best of them.

The definition of a growth mindset is: "individuals who believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others" (Harvard Business Review). With that being said, if someone wants to achieve something, a growth mindset will allow them to achieve their goal. We all start with physical growth. We were born and over time we grow into our adult bodies. Even after we have made it to adulthood we still grow. Our skin cells replace themselves if we get a cut, remodeling of our bones allows us to get a new skeleton every ten years, even our brains gain new neurons after adulthood. Our bodies are constantly changing. So what makes our mindset different? The first step to having and keeping a growth mindset is to ask the question "what do I want to achieve?" After that question is asked, it needs an answer. Take a gymnast, for example. This gymnast wants to have an Olympic-winning floor routine. She has figured out what she wants to achieve, now she has to answer the question, "how do I achieve this goal?" She now has to focus on how she is going to achieve that goal. She may use strategies like talking to a coach or friends about what she can do to improve her floor routine. The last thing that she needs to keep a growth mindset is to practice. Anyone can have a growth mindset if they stop saying "I can't" and start saying "I will". If our bodies can continue growing, that means our minds can too. All we have to do is find a goal and reach for it.

With a busy life, it is important to take time out of my day to just relax. A good portion of the time that means I need to get away from others and just breathe. A way for me to practice self-care is to get outside. About 15 minutes out of town is a calm, quiet place that overlooks the Black Hills. This place is has a beautiful cliff, at the bottom of that cliff is a valley and river. In the distance, I can see the city. Being in this place and seeing the city reminds me that I need to step back from life and breath. It is okay to take a break now and then and focus on keeping myself upright and doing well. I go to this place at least once a week; if I am not able to make it, I make sure that I find another way to take a break from my hectic life. Normally, that means I will take a shower while listening to some of my favorite music or taking a drive in my car and appreciate the work I have done. So long as I can step away from life, I'm focusing on myself and my well-being. If I do not get to step away from life, I end up thinking I'm not good enough. I'll end up draining myself for others. But I need to remind myself, it is the little things that count. All I have to do is focus on doing those things.

Although it may be stereotypical, my favorite scientist would be Albert Einstein. Albert was such an interesting human. He was a geniuses while also being socially awkward. He is a hero in my book.

There was a time in my life that I was faced with the challenge of moving high schools. I did not move high schools once, but twice. At the first and second high school I went to, I was at the top of my class with a 4.25 GPA, but when I had to change to another high school I was devastated. My GPA and class rank dropped. I no longer wanted to do the work and do well. However, after a while, I found that I do have dreams and I do want to do well in life. In order to achieve my dreams, I had to pick myself up and get the work done. I had to keep on marching on when times get rough. Today I found that I can and I will achieve those dreams so long as I continue to put in the work.

Independence does not just mean one can take care of themselves, it means that one is able to keep on marching on in life when times get hard. There was a time in my own life that I was faced with the challenge of moving high schools. I did not move high schools once, but twice. At the first and second high school I went to, I was at the top of my class with a 4.25 GPA, but when I had to change to another high school I was devastated. My GPA and class rank dropped. I no longer wanted to do the work and do well. However, after a while, I found that I do have dreams and I do want to do well in life. In order to achieve my dreams, I had to pick myself up and get the work done. I had to keep on marching on when times get rough. Independence is not just something that kids want and adults have. Anyone can have it so long as they work for it.