I feel like I’m the wind in the trees, the splash of rain, I am nature’s soul, and I’m trapped inside the cage of humanity and the inherent emotional turmoil. I feel like a pretty boy, I feel like a rugged girl, I feel like a little kid with no gender attached, just the freedom of imagination and childhood. I’d consider myself genderfluid, which is a subcategory of being transgender. Personally, I came out with my name more than I did with self expression. Since I’ve always been who I am. I think being a female at birth (AFAB), makes it a lot easier to be who I am. With aesthetics and fashion being so malleable and more widely accepted when it does come to the more alternative styles. However, despite the decorative aspects of having a different gender identity, being seen as anything more than a silly girl, is a much more difficult feat. I feel misunderstood by most, many people presume that anyone who identifies different will be fickle, stubborn and mean. “That you HAVE to use the pronouns I want, or you’re a bigot!” Which, I think is a complete mischaracterization of the entire trans-community. I’m genderfluid, so I don’t usually mind what pronouns people use. However I normally just say, they/them. Since it’s easier to assume they wouldn’t accept me being so fluid with who I am. I have this fear, that I’m walking on eggshells in my community, that if I make a wrong move, then I’ll be considered one of the bad ones. Worse, that I’ll be one of the many who’ve been lost, due to the world’s unkindness. My gender identity makes me feel content, proud, and ultimately connected with others due to our solidarity to one another, that we’ve overcome the obstacles we’ve faced. Souls intertwined. The world scares me. It makes me feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff; that if I step a little out of line, I step off of the ground, away from stability, and plummet. I feel held back by the world, not by who I am. This ultimately, made me want to change the world: I’ve done a lot of advocacy work for things that I could. Often, being LGBTQ+ goes hand-in-hand with mental health, so I’ve done as much advocacy as my high school allowed. I want to make the world a place where not only I can be safe, but everyone can. I want to be proud of the earth, the people on it. I want people to strive to be the most lovely, and true to who they are, version of themselves they can be. Even helping others in that process. I make myself want to connect with others, to help uplift them into who they are. My relationships, overall, I feel are so emotionally deep and connected. They’re safe and healthy, I make them that way. We have to communicate, be clear, be able to open up, consider, and tolerate. My relationships are close to my heart. Closer than anything else. I don’t take anyone in my life for granted, or at least try not to; I know how fickle this life can be. This passion I have in my relationships extends to my career goals of being a pediatric psychologist specializing in art therapy. I want to help the future, and the future is our children. They need support, stability and encouragement more than ever. My weapon of choice in the betterment of our world is art. I think art is a powerful tool, and it needs to be utilized, to inspire and communicate. My parents, friends, community, teachers, and partner, have definitely influenced my career choice. My parents and teachers thought my capabilities with my imaginative thinking and creativity, would lead to focus in more artistic avenues. Whilst my closest friends and my girlfriend, also note my ability to understand, and to effectively help and communicate with others. I think taking who I am into account, I’ll be able to reach the inner voices of many children; of many people. I plan to do this by going to Carlow University, and to get my PsyD (doctorate) in psychology, and minor in Art Therapy. It’s a woman-founded institution, that amongst touring I was nervous, since it’s a catholic school and that’s not normally associated with the most tolerant of LGBTQ+ people, however they had a club for us. They had a resource table for us, they included us into the conversation of education. Which means the world to me. However, the cost of education is high, and I worry I won’t be able to meet the tuition requirements. I’m hoping as a first generation graduate, with a learning disability, that regardless of the monetary setback, that I’ll be able to achieve my dreams, and truly help others.

A Silent Voice. A story about empathy and communication, about admitting your wrongs, and actually making amends. It tells a nuanced narrative of bettering one’s self, a deep understanding of how those with disabilities are treated, and the financial struggle those who experience it have to go under. The mental health side effects related to a disability, and the psychological side effects of bullying. It really is a story that looks at the question of “is redemption possible?” and takes an earnest, emotional, and driven attempt into answering it. Not only do I personally find the art work incredible, but the story is relatable and heartfelt as well. Shoya, the main character, had bullied a new student, Shoko. Shoko is deaf, and the bullying is extremely serious; Shoya is shown as a child, yanking her hearing aides out, to the point they bleed. The story makes a concerted effort to show Shoko using hearing aides but also Japanese Sign Language (JSL), which is important for disability representation. It shows that once, Shoko’s mother gets involved with the school, trying to intervene with the bullying, and Shoya’s friends who once encouraged the torment now distanced from him. He felt the shame, isolation, and most of all, the guilt that arises with the act of bullying. The story skips to their high school years, showing Shoya, the former bully, struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Rather than ending his own life he decides to go through the strenuous and complicated path to making amends with Shoko. I won’t spoil the entire movie, however the plot is rich with deep and intense concepts. This captivates me more than anything. A cute story is great for a feel good movie to put on, however the nuance and depth of this plot requires the focus and media literacy only few have. I love being able to dissect and analyze every silent and sporadic moment in this film, every breath and glance leaves you with a certain feeling that is captured through beautifully expressive art and imagery. I think this movie is an important watch to truly understand the real life impact that bullying, redemption, and living with a disability have. To truly grasp and appreciate the art, time, and value went into such a meaningful film, I do believe it requires a double-viewing at the least to concretely capture it’s beauty.

Personally seeing the effects of untreated mental illness and the lack of diversity in my current community. Since having moved from my lower income community in Ohio, that had a lot of diversity with the students, mostly BIPOC students. We moved when I was just five years old to Pittsburgh, into a more white area that had rich kids, and families, at North Allegheny. Where a mockery was made of my indigenous culture every time November came around, parading cultures and traditions they had no understanding of. Then moving again around the age of twelve to another white community in Pittsburgh, that being Shaler Area Township, which is slightly lower income. I noticed the lack of mental health awareness, the lack of empathy and social considerations, and the strict enforcement of traditionalism. I wanted to be productive, to break this mold. I have done a lot of mental health advocacy through programs like Stand Together at Shaler Area high school, that was scraping by as a club, barely having ten students including myself. However, even as the other members slowly stopped attending meetings and ventured on to other things, I tried to lead the program and have a true impact upon my school’s community. These experiences of trying to truly outreach and make a significant change, has helped me to realize my love of advocacy work. I have given my community resources and a shoulder to cry on. I have given my all to this mental health advocacy program, because I knew my community needed it. This advocacy work I have done was partially influenced by my ultimate career goals, which is to be a Pediatric Psychologist specializing in Art Therapy. Additionally, I am attending Carlow University to Major in Psychology, and hopefully get my PsyD. I plan to enter the Best Buddies program once I’m attending college, as well as the LGBTQ+ Club, and hope to find more voices to uplift and celebrate, including myself. I hope I can connect further with my Cherokee background and lineage to further know my culture and support my people. Not only this, but I hope to branch out and learn more about other’s cultures and experiences, and I hope to uplift them in their lives. However, with the benefits of going to such a community outreach inspired school that’s diverse and inclusive, I worry the influence that I am able to achieve will fall flat if I’m still hindered by financial worry. I hope that not only can I achieve my ultimate goals academically and career wise, but uplift the voices and dreams of the underrepresented communities that need to be heard and celebrated.

I have always had strong women in my life, such as my mother who worked whilst my father stayed home and took care of me. From further life experience I have had the pleasure of not only befriending but also getting to fall in love with my partner, who is a transgender woman. I have seen her overcome obstacles and self-doubts. Yet, she is the strongest woman I know today. Since then, characters like the ones from Stranger Things, are ones I have always idolized to a degree. When Eleven used her powers to scare off the bullies in the first season, I immediately fell in love with this show. I would choose Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, and Eleven/Jane Ives. I would choose Robin since she is definitely the most relatable to me, we are both queer in some way, so I would feel at ease, she is also a very funny character and seems reliable, kind, and laid-back. Whereas Nancy would be the most intellectual of the group and be able to keep us safe. She is rational, quick-witted, and resourceful. In addition, I think with her being so hyper-focused and strong she could keep us out of trouble easily. Lastly, Eleven/Jane could easily use her gifts and powers, but not only that, she is empathetic and emotional. Which is always an appreciated trait. She is still learning how to be herself with the circumstances she is under and with many other strong women to guide her, I think she would be at ease in this group. With myself being in the group I’d be able to bring a unique perspective and solution for any given situation. I would describe myself as dependable, pragmatic, and amiable in any group I may find myself in. I would love to be in a group with such powerful women in such incredibly challenging situations. The influence these characters have had on me as a person are nothing short of phenomenal. Any supernatural threat could not withstand the power of women like these girls from Stranger Things. Strong independent women supporting one another through any threat that may come their way. This ”squad” would not only be able to have fun outside of these dangers, but also be able to bounce off one another’s strengths and support and uplift when they find their team feeling down.

There have been many people who have greatly impacted my life, and made me realize certain things about myself and who I could ultimately be. However, my little brother truly made me realize my full potential. He is only 11 years old as of right now, and yet I know how important it is to have a strong female role model for any child. For me, knowing I could be something so grand to him has inspired me to do so much more than I ever would have before. I did not have to stay locked in my own misfortune. Rather, I could advocate not only for myself, but others. I do advocacy work related to mental health and substance abuse, and the de-stigmatization of it. I advocate in my community about the arts program, and education. I do it for myself, my community, but I do it especially for Jonah. He will be able to follow in my path of going to college, and graduating. He will be able to experience the beauty and heartache of life with me by his side, that my legacy can shine through him too. He has made me strive to do all that I can and more. He makes me believe in myself, and for that, his impact will be in my heart forever. I am so lucky to be the first person in our family that will finish college. I have even been accepted into the honors program of Carlow University, A Women-founded, private Catholic school. I graduated from Shaler Area high-school, cum laude. I was in the National Art Honors Society (NAHS), and Stand Together, a mental health advocacy organization. At the same time I was attending a vocational school for their Early Childhood Education program to further my career goals for pediatric psychology in any way I could. I graduated from A.W. Beattie Career Center having been in the National Technical Honors Society (NTHS), Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and Beattie Assistance Team Student-Voice (B.A.T). Furthermore, my community outreach has been exhibited in a few areas. I worked with the PA Youth Advocacy group, which operates out of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to advocate and discuss youth mental health and awareness. I also worked with the Millvale community with the Shaler Area School District’s sustainability program, to help design a mural, and the park sign for a sustainable playground that will benefit this eco-district through play and environmental awareness. I even got the honor of naming the park, “Rainbow Raccoon Park” whilst developing the design. That is all to say that my impact on my school and community will always be here. A piece of me will live in Millvale and in my brother. He has made me strive to do great things, and I will only continue to do this work. Because I know, that my little brother is watching, and he will do amazing things.