Becoming the operator of an animal sanctuary is just one of my many dreams, along with becoming a stronger, smarter, and more generous person. Like Stelios, I want to use what I've learned to help other people and animals. This is why, after taking a few horseback riding lessons, I applied to Lockwood Park as an Equine Camp Counselor. But this isn't the first time I've done something like this. In the past, I've organized a food drive and fundraisers even when I was as young as nine. My experiences from volunteering, whether it was packing sack lunches with a local shelter or Christmas shoe boxes with Samaritan's Purse, have shown me how badly I want to have a career that focuses on giving. This is where my dream of being an entrepreneur comes into play. All my life, I've known that while I work well under leadership, I can't imagine myself not being an entrepreneur. As a kid, I organized both personal and school events and helped lead my friend groups. By doing this, I realized that I can give more of myself to the world by serving in a position of leadership. So, with my endless creative ideas and passion for animals, I want to be a leader in the animal sanctuary community. Some of my ideas are to partner with local shelters to help animals get adopted, earn my pilot's license so I can aid animals in areas impacted by natural disasters, and even start a small equine therapy school. I realize that these dreams of mine are big, and I've even had people laugh at them to my face. But just because something is hard doesn't mean it's impossible or not worthwhile. Life has taught me this over and over again. I have moved seven times, and even though it was difficult, I've made some incredible friends and have had once-in-a-lifetime experiences. My education has also taught me perseverance. Some of my courses in these past two years of high school pushed my limits. Since my schooling is online, if I don't understand something, I have to go search for the answer myself instead of just asking someone for it. This was especially true for my science and math courses, which at times made me feel like I was broken and stupid. Yet, I overcame these challenges! I ended up being nominated for the National Society of High School Scholars, and I have a 4.0 GPA. Another example of how I've done what feels impossible is overcoming social anxiety. I know that to some people, sitting in an in-person classroom is very easy, but not for me. Despite this, I've continually pushed myself to participate in youth group activities and go to events where I don't know anyone else. By continually doing this, I've reached the point where I'm going to an in-person college in the fall. Like Stelios, I hope to make a positive impact on the people around me through my ambitious dreams. Even though my goals may seem out of reach as of right now, I have proven to myself that I can reach them if I choose to show up each day.

My full name, Riva Kalei Day Peterson, means, "creative servant of the king," so helping others is literally a part of who I am. I grew up overseas because both of my parents were missionaries. I have had the opportunity to serve at a local food shelter in my community, knit hats for the homeless, organize my first food drive with my sister, volunteer at a college theater for a summer, and help fill shoeboxes with Samaritan's Purse for kids in third-world countries. Although I love serving people, animals are a big part of my identity. I want to make an impact on the world by operating my animal sanctuary. Through this, I want to train dogs and horses for therapy and to be used as service animals. Having dealt with spinal scoliosis and social anxiety, I would like to give private riding lessons to those with disabilities and mental health issues, so they can have the opportunity to bond with animals and be inspired to conquer their struggles. At my animal sanctuary, I would like to invite local schools out for field trips. In this way, younger kids can combine their passion for service and animals. This would give me the chance to teach others about leadership and God’s creation. Lastly, I would like to mentor a few students each summer to give them the general day-to-day of what running an animal sanctuary looks like. I think it is important for people to share the knowledge that they have learned with others. If I do not share my knowledge, what is the point of continuing my education? How am I supposed to then empower the next generation to help the world? Besides this, I have been inspired by Panda Paws Rescue to rescue animals in need. To do this, I plan to obtain my pilot's license. This would allow me to fly throughout the country and to help animals from overfilled shelters. I would also start a social media platform so that my rescue's community could reach out to overfilled shelters, and gain volunteers and donors. Even though both of these dreams are very ambitious, I am not afraid of a little bit of hard work, as my GPA and acceptance into the National Honors Society of High School Scholars have proven. By having a sanctuary and a rescue, I hope to help both humans and animals and inspire others to do the same.

My name, Riva Kalei Day Peterson, means "creative servant of the King," so naturally serving is something I enjoy getting involved in. Recently, I had the chance to volunteer with Samaritan's Purse's Midwest Ministry Center in Aurora, IL. There, volunteers of all ages came together to pack shoe boxes filled with toys and essential items for underprivileged kids in third-world countries. This opportunity meant a lot to me because I grew up overseas and saw the effects of poverty on families. In a way, by packing and praying over boxes that were sent out to countries I had never visited, it was like I had the chance to give back to the communities I once lived with. Even though I did not lead my group, the leadership that I observed while volunteering was incredible! Everything was very systematic and well thought-out. The leaders themselves were kind, encouraging, and led by example. While I love volunteering as a participant, one of my favorite service projects allowed me to become an organizer and leader. My sister and I held this event in the spring with the intent of collecting food donations from our neighborhood. The first phase of our mission involved figuring out what we would collect, when, where, and who would donate. Once this was decided, I made a mock-up of a flyer. From there we posted the finalized flyers on our neighbors' mailboxes and then collected the donations from their doorsteps that April. All of the donations went to our local food bank. What I loved most about this project was that some of our neighbors who at one point in their life relied on that same food bank, chose to support our project and give back. Even though any project requires good leadership, service projects especially do. This is because their goals always have an important purpose, which usually revolves around providing a need for someone else. Without having a responsible and organized leader, nothing would get done (or at least done well). Teams need a leader who can assign them tasks and manage the group's time efficiently and effectively. Leaders should also plan with their group before they start a project. By planning ahead of time, anything that could fail gets revised and solved. Planning with a group and not just by yourself, allows new and better ideas to be presented. This shows that the leader is thoughtful, and respects other's ideas. When other people's ideas can be heard it makes them more involved and engaged in the whole service project too. Lastly, a leader who serves by being an example shows their heart for the people they are serving for and with.

All my life I've been around animals: dogs, cats, tortoises, chickens, and terrifying geese. It's from these experiences that my love of animals stems from. Growing up, I used to think that I wanted to be a veterinarian, but as I slowly discovered, it is a disgusting and brutal career. I naturally felt a bit lost after I moved away from that dream, but I learned that I have surprisingly fallen head-over-heels for the Small Businesses class I am currently taking. Even though I respect the people I've worked under for school projects, service opportunities, community theater, and at my job with a pet lodge, I can't see myself working for someone else in the long run because I am quite independent. I feel that I would be missing a part of myself if I decided to follow a career path that prevented me from becoming my own boss. While I want to be an entrepreneur, I still love animals even if that means I don't become a veterinarian. For these reasons, I've decided to pursue a career involving both business and animals. When I first heard about the Asher House and Panada Paws Rescue, I immediately knew that I wanted to help animals find homes that would appreciate them as much as I love my pets. I idolized the idea of starting an animal sanctuary a few years ago. Since then, I've realized that with a career in animal care, I can do more than just help rehome animals. As wild as it may sound at first, with my animal sanctuary I want to have a private plane that can travel across the country to provide relief to pets in disaster areas. Earning my pilot's license has been another dream of mine and with it, I can also aid dogs and cats in getting rehomed by transferring them from overflowing shelters to my sanctuary. While I know supporting an animal organization is tricky, I have some ideas to keep my finances afloat. I want to open a dog cafe so that some of its proceeds go directly back to the sanctuary, and so that people will have a way to see the dogs that are available for adoption. Not only this, but I can support my sanctuary by giving school tours to promote proper animal care. One day down the road, it may even be possible to build little cottages on site so people can come, stay, and have private tours of the facility. I want to chase after a career focused on animal care because it's something that I can see myself enjoying every day. Knowing that I can help people and animals through one of my greatest passions, is something I know I will never regret. Animal care is important to me as more people pursue careers in other important fields of life like engineering and nursing. While the world couldn't possibly function without people in those jobs, I know that because animal care is not as popular, I have a higher chance of making a positive impact in that community. The reason I want to get into animal care is because I want to do something with my life where I can continually put others before myself, and be an example in what taking care of animals and others should look like.

Social anxiety has profoundly impacted the way I view myself and my goals after going through COVID-19. The coronavirus drove many of my friends to live in other states without giving me the chance to say goodbye. After returning in person to school, I faced rejection from some of the only friends I had left. I consider this to be the triggering point when I began to feel incapable of being around other people in small and quiet areas. I didn't understand what I was going through at the time, and often felt no one else understood what was going on in my mind either. Most nights I cried myself to exhaustion, and even had suicidal thoughts because life seemed too choking and not worth the effort to live. Simple things like walking around in a grocery store felt like a huge win if I managed to survive them. Before being diagnosed with social anxiety, I used to be more extraverted and dive into new situations. I used to also think that people who had social anxiety chose to be fearful and not outgoing. Now I realize it's not a choice of being afraid but a choice of being brave, and persevering. I have often thought of social anxiety like a cage, and I am the bird. The only person who can set me free is myself because I hold the cage's key. Opening the cage's door though is the most challenging part because who knows what's on the other side? However, I must open the door, because otherwise I become the person I hate the most: my own captor. Although I still have dreams of traveling and pursuing an entrepreneurship college degree, those dreams can sometimes become nightmares when seen through the lenses of fear and uncertainty. Social anxiety, makes making choices feel impossible and daunting. Fear cripples you until you feel stuck like you're sinking into quicksand without anything or anyone to grab onto to save you. Despite social anxiety, I have decided to chase after a college degree because I know that if I live my life in fear, I would never truly be living. I am going to focus more on God's plans for my life, and less on what I think I am capable or incapable of accomplishing. I know that with Him I can overcome all of life's challenges, and college is just one of them. I have seen this reality by the fact that I am getting better and stronger everyday. After wrestling with social anxiety for four years, I can now comfortably talk to strangers in public, and confidently be who I am without wondering what other's think about me. I am chosing to open my cage's door by going to youth group again and connecting with more people, even if it makes me uncomfortable. I am choosing to focus more on my victories and less on my failures. I am choosing to be brave and recognize even the smallest of wins that I gain each day, because maybe one day I will realize that my wins and my struggles can help me relate and encourage other people who face anxiety as well.

Kalei Peterson 3 Oct, 2023 To be honest, my favorite Spiderman is neither Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland. The Spiderman that has inspired me the most is Miles Morales. I have nothing against the original Spiderman, but Miles is my favorite because his character is a breath of fresh air. Miles Morales isn't a rewritten Spiderman that has only been slightly adapted by Hollywood over the years. To me, what makes his character special is the fact that he is so simple and ordinary. Examples of this are the challenges he faces and his home life. Some changes that Miles faces are the stress of his coursework from his private school and death in his family. I think especially after Covid-19, stress and the death of loved ones is something that the majority can relate to. From his home life, the audience gets a glimpse of his mixed heritage, which is something that has become increasingly celebrated in the United States. I also appreciate Morales' originality. He puts his own spin on his homemade Spiderman suit, by using his passion for graffiti art. I feel that this is a good example to others, to stay true to what we like, and not change based on other people's opinions. Another plus about "Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse," is that unlike the other Spidermans, this one contains less language. I believe that this is a good role model for younger kids and teenagers alike, as we should be mindful of how we treat others, and ourselves. Miles is also inspiring because he does everything he can to protect those he loves, no matter what the other people in his life say or how tough the villains look. Another thing that makes Miles Molares' Spiderman more interesting is the fact that the storyline is brand new. In his character's life, he meets other Spidermans! By doing this, the writers of "Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse" make diversity and new characters possible in the second movie, "Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse." I think this is very important because the Bible states that everyone is special and that there is no one else in the universe like you. With these new characters, the classic Queens New York, Spiderman is no longer repeated and made dull. By making new Spiderman some might argue that the original Spiderman is no longer special with all of these "copy-cats." I however disagree, because I think everyone is wonderfully unique, and should find someone to inspire them, no matter if they are white or black, boy or girl. Lastly, my favorite Spiderman is Miles Morales, because he inspires me to be the best version of myself. Despite all of the setbacks and family problems he faces, he always gets back up to fight another day. Even though he lost his uncle, who turned out to be the Prowler, and his father dislikes Spiderman, Miles, does not let that stop him from fulfilling his destiny. Miles Morales is a good inspiration to everyone by reminding us to never give up and fight for what is right, in times of darkness.

Riva Kalei Day Peterson 8 September, 2023 One of my favorite things to do with my mother and my sister is to get wrapped up in solving detective movies; so naturally, I fell in love with the Netflix movie series "Enola Holmes." This movie series takes place in the late 1800s, and is centered around the sister of the one and only Sherlock Holmes! Like her famous brother, Enola (played by Millie Bobby Brown) has incredible detective skills, which have been improved upon by her mother, who has taught her all that she knows. Enola is also a little different than the rest of society. She has a passionate, fighting spirit and does not see the sense in being sent to finishing school, to become a boring young lady. In the first movie, the audience is introduced to the Victorian era which is filled with witty and historically accurate elements, that no doubt continue throughout the sequel. Staying true to the mystery genre, the plot is carefully crafted and centered around a string of mysteries, all in need of being solved. The main noticeable one is Enola's mother, vanishes on Enola's sixteenth birthday. As Enola seeks to find her mother while hiding from her brothers who want to send her to finishing school, a new, handsome Lord runs away, right before a crucial vote takes place in London. In a world of corruption, high political stakes, and not knowing whom to trust, it is up to Enloa, to solve these puzzles, before it is too late. Some recognizable characters throughout this movie series are Enola's family: Sherlock Holmes and her strict other brother Mycroft. Among these characters, are some new faces, which really make this series its own; unlike the recreated Sherlock Holmes movies, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. In the first movie, the audience meets Enola's well-rounded, wild mother Eudoria Holmes. Another character is Eudoria's good friend, as well as Enola's fighting instructor, Edith. Lastly, an essential character, the young Lord Tewkesbury, becomes not only Enola's partner in crime but love interest, as they navigate the world of London in hiding together. "Enola Holmes" is full of not only mysteries but action, comedy, and most beautiful of all, a heart-warming romance. In the first movie, the audience sees parts of Enola's childhood, and how they have shaped her into the clever person she has become today. They are displayed through the action scenes which involve, her knowledge of jiu-jitsu, and chemistry, as well as educational flashbacks with her mother Eudoria. Besides the action pact train jump, and fight scenes, the comedy and sincere care that Sherlock displays towards his younger sister lighten up the plot, making it a family-friendly movie. Enola inspires other women to be brave and take risks, as well as to fight for what is right, the right way. Lastly, the movie series, "Enola Holmes," depicts racial, gender, and political tensions from a historical perspective. So what are you waiting for (my Netflix account)? Lay back, relax, grab a friend and some popcorn, and enjoy diving into the world of Enola Holmes.

My full name, Riva Kalei Day Peterson, means, "creative servant of the king," so helping others is literally a part of who I am. I grew up overseas because both of my parents were missionaries. I have had the opportunity to serve at a local food shelter in my community, knit hats for the homeless, organize my first food drive with my sister, and volunteer at a college theater this past summer. Although I love serving people, animals are a big part of who I am. After college, I want to make an impact on the world by operating my own animal sanctuary. Through this, I want to train both dogs and horses for therapy and as service animals. Having dealt with my own problems, I would like to give private riding lessons to those with disabilities and mental health issues; so, they can have the opportunity to bond with animals, and be inspired to conquer their struggles. At my animal sanctuary, I would like to invite local schools out for field trips. In this way, younger kids can combine their passion for both service and animals together, and learn more about God’s creation. Lastly, I would like to mentor a few high schoolers or college students, over the summer, to give them the general day-to-day of what running an animal sanctuary looks like. I think it is important for people to share the knowledge that they have learned with others. If I do not share my knowledge, what is the point of learning? How am I supposed to then empower the next generation to help the world? Besides this, I have been inspired by Panda Paws Rescue, to want to rescue animals in need. To do this, I would obtain my pilot's license. With a pilot's license, I can fly throughout the country and take care of the animals from overfilled shelters. To also achieve this dream, I would start a social media platform so that my rescue's community could reach out to overfilled shelters, and gain volunteers, as well as those who would be willing to donate. Despite the fact that both of these dreams are very ambitious, I am not afraid of a little bit of hard work; as my GPA and acceptance into the National Honors Society of High School Scholars have proven. By having a sanctuary and a rescue, I hope to help both humans and animals and inspire others to do the same.

Being the child of two missionaries has forever changed my life. I have met people from all over the world, and have moved multiple times. My family has been on crazy adventures while living overseas, many of which we would have most likely not made out alive if it wasn't for one person: Jesus. If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, it would be the Bible. I choose the Bible because it is full of life-changing messages. Knowing that God loves you, has a purpose designed just for you, and that with Him, nothing is or ever will be impossible, is absolutely incredible! The thought that the creator of the world knows me by name, showed me that I have value. Besides this, the most crucial message, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth, died on a cross, and then rose from the grave, just so that I could be with Him in heaven, is forever glorious news that I believe the world needs to hear. Without reading the Bible, and learning about Jesus, my family would have never heard from Him that we needed to move to Africa. Without Jesus, I would have never met some of the most wonderful people in my life. Without Jesus, I would be extremely stressed about my future, because I would not know if there was any light at the end of the tunnel. Without Jesus, I would have given up on life a long time ago while I was struggling with anxiety and health issues. Lastly, without Jesus, I would have no hope for eternal life or miracles. Therefore, because of the hope, joy, and truth I have found in Jesus, I think everyone should read the Bible.