I come from a small town in Texas named Port Arthur. It is the home of one of the world's largest refineries, where the population sits right at 50,000 people, Port Arthur is a very low-income town. To ride through the city is like riding through an abandoned amusement park. Most of the students in the school district get free lunches, waivers to help pay for college and tests, and lots of government funding to help support their families. So, if you were a high school student like me, who wants to get involved in things, it becomes a bit challenging. In my case, I am involved in many school organizations such as being involved in the band where I am the band captain, the treasurer of the student council, an active member of the National Honors Society, the vice president of the Top Teens of America Port Arthur Chapter, a peer mentor for our local community college, and an intern at one of the elementary schools in my town. From reading this list of things, anyone would think my community offers many opportunities, but anyone from within the city will know that these things are strictly school-based. There aren't many opportunities outside of educational purposes that help students gain knowledge and experiences to help promote their passions for the future. This becomes an issue when it's time for college and you can’t list any activities that you have been a part of the outside of the educational boundaries. The challenges of my community have shaped me to know how to adapt. Anything can change in the blink of an eye, and I believe that coming from such an inconsistent city helped me understand the importance of adaptation. The circumstance of Port Arthur, Texas influenced me to get more interested in philanthropy and giving back. In the future, I would love to start a non-profit organization that educates children about the city of Port Arthur and helps them find their light in such a dark place. The organization will show them how to properly invest, network, and overall continue what I hope could be a legacy of young people leaving Port Arthur, and coming back to help revamp it to its once "Golden Days.” I have learned to use conditions as a reason to do those important things and more. Normal things are known as "perfect things" in Port Arthur. I want to change those "perfect things" into normal things and set higher standards.