To me, friendship is not something to be taken lightly. I don't have a large friend group, and the few close friends that I do have are real. They are not people who bring me down, or who talk behind my back, or who will leave me in the blink of an eye. My friends are people who I feel safe around, who I can confide in, and who make me laugh. Friendship is one of the most amazing things that life brings, and I don't intend on ever taking it for granted. There are several people in my life that I have been friends with for over a decade, and they remain my closest companions to this day. Friendship is not easy. The relationship is never going to be 50/50. Some days your friends will need extra support, and some days you will. Some days you won't want to see each other, and some days you'll spend 10 hours together. Friendship is a lot of work, but it is so worth it.

I practice self-care by spending my days exactly as I want to, not how others would like me to. During the first few years of high school, I would often wonder if there was something wrong with me. I didn't have a giant friend group, I didn't want to stay out late, and I didn't want to sleep in until noon on the weekends. I would feel sad that I wasn't always invited to gatherings or hang-outs, but after a while I realized that I didn't want to go to them anyway. I would much rather spend my time with close friends, doing activities I actually enjoyed. Today, I practice self-care by designing my own schedule, and listening to myself. I love to wake up early, to weightlift, to train my basketball skills, to spend time outside, and to go to bed early. I used to be ashamed that I didn't share the same hobbies and values as some of my friends, but now I feel proud of who I am.

When I visited Italy at 13 years old, I thought I would emerge well-educated in the breath-taking works of the Renaissance. To some degree, I did. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was my favorite, because of the backstory and the years of hanging upside down, not to mention the gorgeous colors and tranquil atmosphere within the building. I loved the artwork in the Vatican and in the various churches around Rome. While I am still blown away by the beautiful works to this day, I can't say that any of them are my favorite piece of art in this world. That title belongs to the "Snowy Day" painting that my mother hangs up in our hallway every year come Christmastime. It depicts families and children playing in the snow, laughing, throwing snowballs, and building forts. Growing up, I would stare at it for hours, each time finding a new family to look at. This painting symbolizes Christmas and holiday cheer for me, and it is my favorite piece of art, surpassing all of Michelangelo's, Raphael's, and da Vinci's stunning work.

"I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I've been." If anyone is able to guess where this quote is from, I'm impressed! When I first read these words, I'll admit that I went straight into reading the next line. I barely paid any attention to them until it came time to choose a new quote for the chalkboard in my room. I was skimming back over all the possible options, and I came across these words once again. This time, I let the phrase wash over me. I realized that much of my life had been spent trying to do exactly what the quote said, but I had never been successful. It was such a deep and beautiful sentence, and I loved the little reminder. I ended up choosing a different quote to write on my chalkboard, but I kept the above quote in the back of my mind. If no one has guessed by now, the quote was spoken by Winnie the Pooh. Knowing the childish and innocent origins of the sentence made it even more special. Who knew that a silly old bear could be so wise? When trying to get somewhere new in life, the answer is simple: you must start walking away from where you are right now. No one can be in two places at once. Winnie the Pooh truly simplifies this idea, and I love it.

My best skill is my perseverance. This may be a basic skill, but few ever realize just how much it can benefit them. My quickest example of perseverance is my basketball success. I am the starting point guard for my school's varsity team, and have been ever since I entered high school. In my sophomore year, I led my team to the first title game appearance in program history. Winning a state championship has been my goal since I was nine years old, and I am hoping my perseverance throughout the years will pay off this next season. Making starting varsity my freshman year was a huge personal victory, but it didn't come from me bribing the coach on the first day of practice. Throughout grade school, I spent countless hours in the gym with my teammates. I spent years dribbling around trash cans, attending private trainings, and playing 1 v 1 with my friends. My dad was my coach, and I owe a lot of my perseverance to him. I am improving my best skill by never quitting. Perseverance is not something that I can learn from a textbook. I have learned how to push myself past the difficult obstacles by doing just that. I have taught myself how to ignore the tiny voice in my head, telling me that something is too hard. I have focused on my goals and kept my eyes on them, and my ability to persevere has flourished.

The obvious answer to the question of how to live a long, healthy life is a good nutrition plan, exercise, and not falling into a pothole on your way to work. However, I think there's a bit more to it than that. A person can do everything correct, physically speaking, but can be suffering mentally and emotionally. At a certain point, it doesn't matter how many carrots are eaten or how many pounds one can benchpress. That person will be mentally wasting away, and I think anyone would agree that isn't exactly a "healthy" life. I believe the best way to live a long, healthy life is by investing in your mental and emotional health. Finding friends, attending therapy sessions, spending time alone, seeing new places, and experiencing new experiences! A life is not lived if it is only spent inside your head. The reason I believe this is because I have experienced it. During the pandemic, I was the fittest and strongest I had ever been, up to that point. I was training for hours daily to become better at my sport. However, I lost friends, my relationship with my parents was strained, and I was depressed and angry. It didn't matter how physically healthy I was, because emotionally, I was extremely weak. As society has slowly eased back into some sense of normalcy, I have realized just how much I needed the world outside of my home. I have realized how important mental health is, and how it must be prioritized just as much as physical health.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has been one of the most difficult and depressing periods of my life, as it has been for much of the world. Losing friends, athletic opportunities, and the majority of my high school career has certainly not been easy, but I have been able to use this time alone to better myself for when the chaos finally ends. I pride myself on my motivation and perseverance, and I believe I displayed these qualities very well during the months of isolation, specifically regarding my athletic abilities. In the beginning of the pandemic, all basketball trainings and games were cancelled, and I knew I would need to create my own training plan to stay on top of my game. I built a schedule that involved shooting and ball-handling, strength training, and a Peloton bike ride every day. I became the best player I had ever been, and when private trainings began to open back up, I was there several times a week, every week. In the months following, I was able to play in my junior year basketball season, and for my AAU team. I also started weightlifting. I am proud of how much progress I made during Covid.

Women are the key to successful societies. I've grown up reading books and watching movies that depict a strong, empowered female character, and every one describes a blooming economy, a flourishing political climate, and male characters being handed humility on a silver platter. In my opinion, the best way for society to effectively empower women is through support, validation, and uncomfortable truths. Women often feel that they need to endure all of life's challenges on their own, and that giving up their sole control is a sign of weakness. However, support groups, friendships, family, and relationships are all ways to empower women, and help them grow stronger and more powerful. Validation is important because it promotes vulnerability and honesty. If one woman's story is validated, and this is shown on a social media platform, more and more women will slowly start to come forward with their own experiences. Social media is a great way for society to empower women, especially due to the increasing body positivity and mental health support found on the platforms. Lastly, embracing uncomfortable truths is essential for women empowerment. For centuries, women have been shoved in the corner, largely ignored and told to keep quiet. Their voices have been shushed, and their realities and struggles have been silenced. If society acknowledges the immensely sexist social structure that it operates on, we are one step closer to empowering more women. It is uncomfortable to admit that one is sexist. It is uncomfortable to address feminine hygiene, or sexual harassment. By embracing these realities, more women's voices will be heard, and society will start to change.

A growth mindset is one of the most important qualities a student can have. Actually, it is one of the most important qualities anyone can have. The ability to push past obstacles and setbacks to achieve success is vital, because challenges are thrown at people every single day. When I was in fourth grade, my mother sat me down and asked if school was challenging enough. She asked how quickly I was learning the material, and if I became easily bored while the teacher was talking. I told her that school was a bit dull sometimes, and I nearly always received 100% on my assignments. A few weeks later, I sat down to take a test. Our school's librarian told me it was to see if I was eligible for the new program, "Highly Capable and Highly Motivated." I assume I passed the test, because from that day on, I was pulled out of my classes once or twice a week to meet with other kids who weren't being challenged. We began calling this class, "Challenge Class," and it quickly became my favorite hour of the school week. In this class, I learned to keep working through struggles and difficulties, and that giving up simply wasn't an option. I learned that I did not have a fixed potential; instead, I had the potential of however hard I was willing to work. I learned that motivation is key for anyone looking to excel in their field. Without it, a person's work will only be so good. I learned about growth mindsets and fixed mindsets, and how we were in that class because we had growth mindsets. Challenge Class was a weekly occurrence until the end of 8th grade. Then, my classmates and I took what we had learned into high school.

Patience has never come easy. In fact, it has always been a quality that I list as one of my faults. I think I get it from my mother, because she always wants the world to operate on her timeline. I am the same way, I'm ashamed to admit. I find myself checking the clock every half-hour throughout the day, especially at school or sports practices. I'm always thinking about the next task or event on my schedule, and willing the minute hand to spin faster. Perhaps it is because I struggle at remaining patient that I recognize the immense importance of it. I feel guilty when I check the clock, because it feels like I am not appreciating where I am in that moment. I feel guilty because there are people out there who do not have time to check the clock, because they will miss the last few moments of holding their loved one's hand. They don't have time to think about the next event on their schedule, because they won't live long enough to see it. During the pandemic, my patience improved quite a bit. There were no events on my schedule, and every day in lockdown was the same. I learned to appreciate where I was in that moment, instead of always looking forwards. As my english teacher would call it, I experienced a "moment of clarity." It dawned on me that I didn't know how long we would be in lockdown, and therefore there was no way of knowing how far to look ahead. Years might be wasted if I tried, so I decided to try my best and appreciate where I was in the present. When I am old, I hope to look back on fond memories, and not a rushed and impatient life.

The largest life lessons I have learned are self-love and self-validation. I have always been known as a perfectionist, someone who goes above and beyond to be the best. For most of my life, I felt that my successes were the only way to achieve praise, popularity, and even love from those around me. If I failed, I was immediately embarrassed and ashamed, and worried about how others would react to my failure. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I was often alone. School was moved to online instruction, sports were nonexistent, and social gatherings were prohibited. I had no one to witness my successes and failures, and therefore no one to judge them. I was the only person who could provide any criticism. At first, I was worried that this would mean my skills would drop, because I had no one to hold me accountable. However, I found that I was able to persevere through failure easier, because I was the only one who had witnessed the setback. I was able to accomplish activities and tasks that I was previously terrified of, because failure was no longer the enemy. After a time, the only validation I cared about was my own. These habits have continued as the pandemic has become more controlled. I no longer shy away from my imperfections, and instead embrace them as a stepping stone to success. My goal is to achieve my highest potential in life, and the only way I can do this is by failing countless times.

My mother is likely the most optimistic person I have ever met. With her, life is nearly always sunshine and blue skies, because that is how storms always end. Having this positive influence in my life has taught me to also be optimistic, and focus on the good things. My optimism served me especially well during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We were hearing about deaths, mask mandates, businesses closing, and stay-at-home-orders, and it was very difficult to find any positives in the world's situation. However, I was hopeful that the crisis would not last long, and life would soon return to normal. Unfortunately, as everyone remembers, things only got worse. Throughout the entire pandemic, my (former) boyfriend and I were constantly separated and reunited. Our families were taking slightly different approaches to handling the pandemic, and our parents regularly changed their decisions about visiting opportunities. We spent months apart, in several different blocks throughout the year. We would often part without having any idea when we would reunite, even though we only lived 40 minutes apart. This was a very difficult period in my life. I was depressed, angry, and in emotional pain. I was not able to see other friends, due to the recommended Covid-19 protocols. I felt guilty for feeling this way, since countless others were suffering from financial loss, illness, or death. My problems didn't begin to compare to theirs. However, after dealing with these unfortunate circumstances for a time, I began to see how they were negatively impacting me. I decided to stay optimistic, and reassure myself that the loneliness was only temporary. I started new hobbies, spent time with family, and found joy again. Optimism and hope brought me happiness, and I was again able to focus on the positives in life.

One thing that I love about myself is my adventurous spirit. I love taking risks, embracing challenges, and pushing past limits. I can't sit still for long! I definitely wasn't always able to say this, though. When I was younger, I was obsessed with being perfect. Obviously, if I tried something new, this wouldn't be possible, so I stuck with the activities that I was good at. However, during the pandemic, I was able to see how exhausting it was to try and be perfect at everything in my life. Being unable to go to school, sports, or see my friends and family was very stressful, and maintaining perfection on top of everything was impossible. As a result, I was able to relax my self-expectations, and try new things. For example, I started weightlifting, and it is now my favorite part of the day. I love that I am able to see and experience new things every day. I love that the world and my life is exactly what I make it. I believe that self-love is something that most people forget about, and don't prioritize enough. It is impossible to provide love and caring to others, if it is not first given to ourselves. Self-love was not something I used to care about, but again, with the stress and pain that came with the pandemic, I can confidently say I now have a healthy self-esteem.

I remember long car rides with my mother, beginning when I was five years old. During these, we would have long conversations about the world's problems. The issue that she addressed most frequently was climate change, and I would spend hours listening to her talk about the Earth. As a result of these talks, anytime someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say, "I want to be a world-saver." I believe that climate change is the result of many different human choices from many different areas of life. Therefore, making daily environmentally sustainable choices is a good way to handle the growing problem. My family has always strived to have a "green" household, and now, I have adapted many of these habits into my daily life. The main environmentally friendly choices we make are in the kitchen. To start, we eat locally-sourced food as much as possible, buying produce from farmers' markets, grocery stores that support local farmers, and growing our own food. We limit our use of dairy in the household, meaning we often opt for plant-based beverages. We also do not eat much red meat, primarily buying only fish, poultry, and the occasional pork. When my family is done eating, we compost. Another habit that my family has is donating. We will donate clothes, books, toys, and other items to Goodwill. We will also recycle anything we can, avoid plastic, and walk/bike whenever it is logical for transportation. Lastly, we will save leftover food, avoid running the washer/dryer/dishwasher until there is a full load, and turn off the faucet while brushing our teeth. I believe that if everyone in the world put a little more thought into their daily activities, the race to stop climate change would progress a little quicker.

The quality that I value the most in myself is my perseverance. I feel that this trait has played a major role in helping me achieve my goals and get to where I am now. I am at the top of my class academically, and have maintained a 4.0 GPA my entire life. I participated in Running Start this past year, and I will continue throughout my senior year, with the goal of graduating with my AA. Athletically, I am a varsity basketball player and former varsity cross country runner. My current labels and achievements were only goals not that long ago. I grew up dreaming of basketball fame and trophies, and of honor roll certificates and a high school diploma. However, I was taught very young that these goals are not handed out. They must be earned through hard work and dedication, something my parents never let me forget. I learned to read when I was just three years old. All I can remember is being angry every day when "reading time" rolled around. My mother would sit me down and help me learn the alphabet, how to form words and sentences, and punctuation rules. She would never let me quit, or perform at any level other than my best, no matter how many fits I threw. When Kindergarten began, daily tasks seemed easy, and I quickly excelled. Years later, I realized how much of a role my mother had played in my early education, and that I owe my first experiences with perseverance to her. Another early memory of perseverance is my experience with basketball growing up. I began playing as a toddler, since my dad was a high school coach. When I entered elementary school, I started playing in little leagues, and by age nine, I was playing on a competitive team. Over the years, my dad would constantly use the phrase, "If you want to make the varsity team...". He spent countless hours in the gym with me, training my skills and athletic abilities. I played 50 weeks out of the year, and soon basketball grew from a fun past time to a passion. I trained through all the setbacks and obstacles that a sport can bring, and when I entered high school, I made starting varsity my freshman year. A year later, I led my team to the first title game appearance in program history. In my experience, quitting is one of the worst acts a person can do. Stopping an activity because one does not enjoy it is one thing, but giving up just because the road gets rough is something entirely different. Quitting becomes a habit, and soon a person finds themself unhappy and feeling a sense of failure. Perseverance is the quality I value most in myself because it has taught me how to work through things. It has taught me how to continue with the activities I love, and how to push myself to be better every day. I have had successes in the past, and I owe my grit and determination to it. But, I am just getting started. I trust myself not to quit, and to surround myself with other determined people. Perseverance has gotten me to where I am today, and it will take me so much further.

Beginning at around five years old, my mother would often sit me down and talk to me about the world's problems (as well as she could to someone my age). As a result, my first dream career was a world-saver. I wanted to save the Earth, nothing less. While there are countless problems causing issues for the world, I believe the largest and most time-sensitive is climate change. As sad as it may seem, homelessness, lack of food and water resources, and poverty have been issues since the beginning of human life. They are still very present today, but they aren't necessarily time-sensitive issues. In contrast, climate change has been on a continued upward surge over the last century, and scientists predict it will continue to worsen. It is predicted that if changes are not made by 2030, climate change will be irreversible. Therefore, climate change is the biggest problem facing the world right now, because there is a deadline, and it is approaching fast. The majority of the recent changes in the climate are human-caused. The high concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels, and thus, has an obvious solution. But eliminating fossil fuels from our society is much easier said than done. Humans have followed the same path since the beginning. If something is easy and convenient, it will be chosen over a rougher, more difficult option. Therefore, in order to eliminate fossil fuels, we need to put forth replacements; something that is more environmentally-conscious. A few quick examples include solar panels, locally-sourced food, and electric cars. Humans make daily contributions to the climate crisis, and if we can bring awareness to the situation and provide easy alternatives, this will be a positive step to solving the problem.