The ability to connect with people became my driving force to join new clubs, specifically Teen Court. Teen Court is a program where students are given the opportunity to hear real juvenile cases and even have the chance to represent them. They train you on the weekend and then give you a binder to study at home before court sessions start. I was in the 10th grade when I first got a case. I sat in the hallway trying to be as comfortable as I possibly could be. I was waiting for the judge to send out the girl whose case I would be looking at. My palms were sweating as I glared at the binder full of questions I would have to ask her. The girl was being called to court for assault which is a Class l offense. The manual states that this offense was considered a crime that indicated a lack of character and morals. I remember thinking it wasn’t exactly fair for the manual to assume one has a lack of morals depending on their offense especially when the jury is looking at that manual when giving their verdict. The doors of the court opened and I was met with a young girl who was 12 years old. She was one of the youngest defendants I had seen in court. Before jumping into questions surrounding the incident, I tried to talk about things that didn’t have anything to do with the case. Teens in teen court are usually very nervous and super shy when talking about the incident surrounding their case so you have to get them to feel comfortable talking to you before hearing their side of the story. The shyness was 10 times stronger with the young girl. I remember bringing up school, fashion, and even TV shows. After getting her to relax, I was able to hear about the incident. Her case was very different from other assault cases heard in the courtroom because of her age and how she wasn’t at fault for the attack. She was having issues with her friend before the incident and thought they squashed it. She went to hang out with her friend at their place when the friend locked them inside the gate and had her older sister attack her. After hearing her case, I knew I could get the jury to give a sentence lower than the minimum for her offense. The only thing I couldn’t understand after talking to her mother was why the friend’s older sister wasn’t charged as well. Her mother said the cops arrested only her on the scene and did not give her the chance to explain the situation in full. Although I felt upset about the young girl going to court, I was happy to defend her. I’m touched to know that I helped her be heard. After her case, I wanted to help others be heard. I wanted to be the voice for the voiceless. With this in mind, I plan to attend Grinnell College where I will be majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Statistics. I plan to be pushed to the limit and pushed some more, exceeding my potential. After Grinnell, I want to go to law school and get my Juris Doctor before working at a law firm where I can help others be heard. At the law firm, I will work towards helping the underdogs and even protecting the big dogs when they need my help. I want to defend those who can't protect themselves. That's the mark I want to leave.

He was new, spectacular, and all mine. I named him Shutter. Shutter is an EOS Rebel SL3 also known as a Canon camera. When my parents bought me the camera after begging for weeks, this was the start of the incredible journey of Shutter and Katelyn: A Duo That’s Trying to Take One Photo at a Time. In middle school, all students are required to take art as an elective. My 6th grade year was a time of discovery as I wasn’t only learning about puberty but also that I really suck in art. If you wanted me to stare at something and try to draw it, I wasn’t too shabby at it. But with art that involves imagining something in your head and transferring it to the paper, I could never get it right. When I learned that there was an opportunity to take photography as a replacement for art class, I quickly signed up for the course. An easy choice especially since one of my idols, Peter Parker, was a photographer. Through this class was where I learned that drawing isn’t the only form of art there is in the world. Through my photos, I could create different scenes that I had in my head and take the picture, making fantasy a reality. To have that kind of power, the power to create a story, was really mind blowing to me especially since I was never able to do that when drawing. Having my camera in high school has led to many experiences. Although the first year of high school was spent online, I did spend a lot of time shooting images outside of school which is where I learned what my style of taking images was: candid photos. When I was allowed to go inside the school building the following years, that was when I was really able to grow my photography skills. Being really into photography I joined the Newspaper, where I get to take pictures for the school paper. This became really important to me because I not only took pictures for the paper but made real world connections. In order to write good stories, you have to be able to talk to people, which ignited a flame within me. I wasn’t always comfortable talking to strangers about their life, but in doing this I learned the true meaning of “A Picture is Worth One Thousand Words”. Looking at a picture that I took, connecting with the subjects, and being able to craft a story is an unmatched experience. With the help of Shutter, I was able to join FIRST Robotics where I take pictures of the team as they work to build the robot. After all the hard work is done, the team typically chooses one place to settle and have dinner together. This is where I get to have lasting conversations with the team such as cartwheeling in heels counting as a talent and maybe have Shutter take some shots. Robotics was never something I saw myself being apart of but I was given the opportunity to and I’m glad for it. Through this experience I’m learning how to make a robot and about the personalities behind the robot. Moments like these, where I get to make memories with people is why photography is so important. I get to take pictures of life happening in front of me and show the world what I see. Connecting moments and people feel surreal and sometimes too good to be true and I love it. Due to this feeling, I want to pursue photography in college.