Hey! I'm Katelyn. I'm from a small town called Troy, TN. The town itself is much like me. We both tend to go unnoticed but are charming in our own ways. I may not seem that way at first, but once you get to know me, I become an outgoing, bold, and confident person. I'm also pretty funny if I do say so myself. Like most students applying to this scholarship, I am passionate about animals. I am also passionate about taking naps and playing video games. I'm also involved in FFA and am president of my school's HOSA chapter. My favorite animal would have to be a hammerhead shark. This is mainly because of how similar I think I am to them. Hammerhead sharks, much like me, are a bit goofy and awkward on the surface. Despite their goofy appearance, the far-apart eyes of hammerhead sharks actually give them the huge advantage of being able to see in 360-degree vision. This is similar to my personality, because my unassuming nature leads many people to overlook me at first. This means that I have the advantage of finding friends who are more likely to be genuine and who are patient enough to allow me to reveal more of my true personality on my own time. I am most influenced by animals when I see them in captivity. Whether it's going to the zoo or an aquarium, I feel a certain connection upon seeing all the animals in their exhibits. Seeing the animals interact with the other animals in their exhibit, or even the people observing them stirs a deep desire within me. They are truly intelligent creatures with more depth that we could ever understand. They deserve to have the best possible care in captivity. We owe it to our planet itself to keep them safe and protected. This is exactly why I chose to pursue a career centered around animals. If I truly want animals to receive the treatment they deserve, I must take it upon myself to provide that care. I'm dedicated to protecting their welfare and ensuring that others are educated about these beautiful creatures. In order to see change in the world, I have to step up and start making the change. This is exactly the reason why I am so dedicated to pursuing a career in the veterinary field so that I am able to achieve my dreams of ensuring that our world is a safe haven full of love and admiration for such amazing creatures.

My dream version of my future self would be a veterinarian working with either zoo animals or small animals who would passionately be dedicated to animal welfare.

At some point in their lives, K-Pop stans dream about being a K-Pop idol. Most fantasize about rising to stardom and having millions of adoring fans scream their name. For most people who want to pursue a career in the K-Pop industry, it's all about fame. But for some, it goes beyond the fame. My favorite group Cignature falls into this minority. For Cignature, it's all about making people happy with their music and creating something that unifies people all around the globe. Debuting in 2020, Cignature brought a unique sound to K-Pop that truly challenged the market at the time. Their music was fresh, energizing, and joyful. This was very different from the powerful, charismatic, and dark concepts that were rampant among girl groups at the time of their debut. Despite their unique concept, the seven-member girl group's debut went unnoticed by fans of K-Pop. This, however, did not stop the girls from reaching their dreams and creating music that put a smile on people's faces. I found the group one June day in 2023 while I was browsing the YouTube Music app looking for new K-Pop songs. I came across their song "Boyfriend" and fell in love instantly. The song, despite having relatively superficial lyrics, brought an instant sense of calm and happiness to me. At the time, I was deeply struggling with my OCD and depression and their song brought me a much-needed moment of silence in my head. No other group had genuinely made me feel happy with their music like this one did. I instantly decided to get to know the members more. The group includes seven members: Chaesol, Seline, Jeewon, Belle, Chloe, Semi, and Dohee. After getting to know these girls more, one can see how much music means to them. They come from a small company that does not have a very big budget, so comebacks are spread out quite far. However, this has never deterred the girls from continuing to be idols and continuing to spread joy. No matter how long hiatuses are between comebacks, Cignature always returns to the K-Pop scene bringing a refreshingly unique sound to the world. The group also has established a dedicated fanbase that has members all over the globe. Their music has united the small amount of people who do listen to them and many members of the fandom have met lifelong friends because of their shared interest in the group. The group has given something in common to many people who otherwise would not have met and connected with each other. While they may not be known by many, Cignature continues to deeply impact and touch the lives of those who do know them. No other group can bring smiles to peoples' faces like the girls can. No other group could have pulled me out of my depression like they did. Even if they go unrecognized by the K-Pop community for the rest of their career, the fans of Cignature will continue reiterating just how different this group is and how pleasant their impact on their fans and the K-Pop community truly is.