Throughout my life, I was instructed not to stare not to let my gaze linger on the children in waiting rooms who appeared different, who bore their struggles, visible or invisible. I am intimately acquainted with the sensation of being scrutinized, of feeling eyes settle on the braces that once encased my skin, inviting wordless questions. It is not the physical pain that undoes me, but the paralyzing fear of never being "normal," a fear woven into daily existence. The search for inner peace is nearly futile when reality feels perpetually unreal. The internal refrain Why am I like this? What did I do to deserve this? has echoed within me since my earliest memories. Even participating in the same activities as my peers exacts a heavier toll; it takes me three times as much effort to reach the same spaces. The exhaustion from sleepless nights, spent searching for a position that does not inflame every nerve, is overwhelming. A single night spent keeping pace with bodies unburdened by pain can demand a week’s worth of recovery. ​ I have come to realize that those of us who are often the subject of stares usually possess a deeper understanding of mortality. Imagining a reality beyond my endless cycle of doctor’s visits or adapting to routines that offer brief comfort requires strength. The questions that loom are deeply personal what about college, where new acquaintances may not know how to respond if I suddenly begin to bleed? What about the man who claims to love me, but recoils when he learns I cannot bear his child a truth I had to accept before turning ten-unable to imagine a future shaped by the fractures that have always defined my existence? I have learned to cherish each fleeting moment, aware that simply arriving at the present is a triumph. This awareness is my burden and motivation an ever-present reminder of the fragility of what I once loved. When passion and purpose finally ignite in a mind like mine, they become indelible, etched into my core, impossible to extinguish. There is no alternate version of myself; my challenges have always been present. Genuine connection emerges not from the absence of brokenness, but from the grace with which I allow it to shape my life. This understanding is often lost on my peers. I have learned to adapt to the relentless cycle of test results, surgeries, and new diagnoses a narrative that began with my first breath and will only end with my last. So, I implore you: stare. Defy convention and look, because I am aware of the eyes that followed me. It is the discomfort with confronting my strength, not my weakness, that breeds isolation and sustains otherness. Stare at my love for creation, and as I embark on a new journey. Only when I was constrained did I realize my creative potential. Living with a rare disorder and the inability to bear my own child is problematic, but it has enabled me to grow. It has given me the chance to find my passion and become who I am. Art can change not just one life but many, and that drives me to explore, experiment, and enlighten so yes, address and stare. This scholarship helps alleviate the financial stress of my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and chronic illnesses. With the feeling of "what disease will I acquire next?" Those in this position are concerned about all forms of finances due to feelings that flood those who have developed health concerns year after year, leaving all in a state of unease. ​

At the start of my senior year, our district Key Club was left without an advisor when our advisor was no longer employed by the high school. Suddenly, our club felt abandoned, and I realized in that moment how much was at stake. For me, community service is not just an extracurricular activity woven into the fabric of who I am. I could not allow something so meaningful, not just for myself but for my peers, to simply wither away. Driven by a sense of responsibility and deep connection to the club, I did everything in my power to keep it alive. I reached out to teachers one by one and worked closely with my principal to find support. Even without an advisor, I organized and designed Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts, which I sold at our school's Pink Out game. Through sheer determination and heartfelt appeals to our administration, we raised nearly $500 for charity. My leadership and commitment sustained Key Club through the fall until a new advisor could take over. This experience reaffirmed for me that community service is essential; it has shaped my character and my outlook on life. I hold onto the hope that those around me can discover the same passion I have found, and for many of us, Key Club is the closest thing to that spark. The encouragement of my family, who have instilled in me the values of self-advocacy, resilience, and compassionate love, serves as my compass. Their lessons are a testament to the quiet strength found in perseverance and the profound beauty of loving fiercely, especially in the face of adversity strengths my family had instilled within me. Even when kindness is met with challenge, empathy must prevail. My commitment to community service is not just a duty, but a privilege, one that compels me to support those less fortunate, regardless of circumstance. Though the world’s generosity can seem fleeting, my family's guidance grounds me in the belief that kindness and inspiration should be constants in my life. My hope is to inspire friends, family, acquaintances, and children alike, sharing the love encourage that drives me, and helping others discover their own passions along the way. Community is crucial whether it be within community service or not, taking the courage to help those less fortunate is not just a reward but something in which we as a society can benefit from. My journey of representing the Key Club furthermore expressed my love for leading with a purpose and helping those and will be skills in which will follow me for the rest of my life.

In the future, I envision myself making a meaningful difference by using the most pressing issues confronting society as both a mirror and a canvas for my own growth. My career will be a sophisticated expression of the emotional landscape of my life, a blend of personal passion and the collective struggles many face. As a student pursuing Fashion Marketing and Management with the intent of buying and selling, I am not simply following a creative impulse. The delicate balance between self-expression and social consciousness will define my path, leading me toward a role that both enables creative freedom and empowers me. Throughout all of my high school years, I have found myself not just following my artist addiction but also on the communal business side, as I have followed the job of selling at a jewelry store and working at bridal store all years of high school, the community has always stayed prominent in life and taught me I would be pleased to have a job/future involvement with the public. The questions I once pondered in grade school about artists' purpose and approach have deepened, becoming the foundation of my journey. By immersing myself in a diverse academic environment over the years, I hope to both draw inspiration from and contribute to a vibrant community that resonates far beyond the classroom. Ultimately, my work will be guided by both the sophistication and the genuine emotion of my own personal, emotional, and religious affiliation in my life. I will rely on experience and inspiration to shape not only my work, but also its ripple effect on those around me. My artistic journey is deeply intertwined with a heartfelt devotion to community and an unwavering desire to help others, a passion I hope to ignite in those I encounter. The encouragement of my family, who have instilled in me the values of self-advocacy, resilience, and compassionate love, serves as my compass. Their lessons are a testament to the quiet strength found in perseverance and the profound beauty of loving fiercely, especially in the face of adversity strengths my family had instilled within me. Even when kindness is met with challenge, empathy must prevail. My commitment to community service is not just a duty, but a privilege, one that compels me to support those less fortunate, regardless of circumstance. Though the world’s generosity can seem fleeting, my family's guidance grounds me in the belief that kindness and inspiration should be constants in my life. My hope is to inspire friends, family, acquaintances, and children alike, sharing the love encourage that drives me, and helping others discover their own passions along the way, not just in community but within a job that allows me to show passion and be involved in people's lives, as I could not picture living without both of those connections.

Throughout my life, I was instructed not to stare not to let my gaze linger on the children in waiting rooms who appeared different, who bore their struggles, visible or invisible. I am intimately acquainted with the sensation of being scrutinized, of feeling eyes settle on the braces that once encased my skin, inviting wordless questions. It is not the physical pain that undoes me, but the paralyzing fear of never being "normal," a fear woven into daily existence. The search for inner peace is nearly futile when reality feels perpetually unreal. The internal refrain Why am I like this? What did I do to deserve this? has echoed within me since my earliest memories. Normalcy remains a distant mirage. Even participating in the same activities as my peers exacts a heavier toll; it takes me three times as much effort to reach the same spaces. The exhaustion from sleepless nights, spent searching for a position that does not inflame every nerve, is overwhelming. A single night spent keeping pace with bodies unburdened by pain can demand a week’s worth of recovery. ​ I have come to realize that those of us who are often the subject of stares usually possess a deeper understanding of mortality. Imagining a reality beyond my endless cycle of doctor’s visits or adapting to routines that offer brief comfort requires strength. The questions that loom are deeply personal what about college, where new acquaintances may not know how to respond if I suddenly begin to bleed? What about the man who claims to love me, but recoils when he learns I cannot bear his child a truth I had to accept before turning ten—unable to imagine a future shaped by the fractures that have always defined my existence? I have learned to cherish each fleeting moment, aware that simply arriving at the present is a triumph. This awareness is my burden and motivation an ever-present reminder of the fragility of what I once loved. When passion and purpose finally ignite in a mind like mine, they become indelible, etched into my core, impossible to extinguish. There is no alternate version of myself; my challenges have always been present. Genuine connection emerges not from the absence of brokenness, but from the grace with which I allow it to shape my life. This understanding is often lost on my peers. I have learned to adapt to the relentless cycle of test results, surgeries, and new diagnoses a narrative that began with my first breath and will only end with my last. So, I implore you: stare. Defy convention and look, because I am aware of the eyes that followed me. It is the discomfort with confronting my strength, not my weakness, that breeds isolation and sustains otherness. Stare at my love for creation, and as I embark on a new journey. Only when I was constrained did I realize my creative potential. Living with a rare disorder and the inability to bear my own child is problematic, but it has enabled me to grow. It has given me the chance to find my passion and become who I am. Art can change not just one life but many, and that drives me to explore, experiment, and enlighten so yes, address and stare. ​