As I stood at the edge of Wyoming's Wind River Wilderness with a forty-pound, hand-me-down red Gregory backpack, I was at war. I was at war with my potential, with my body, and with my mind. I had a broken knee and would spend most days in bed watching movies I’d seen before, feeling sorrow about the world, humanity, and my own life being finite.    At night, I started watching a YouTube channel called Vlogbrothers. It was a half-serious channel where two of my favorite authors, John and Hank Green, would make four-ish-minute videos once a week: John's on Tuesday and Hank's on Friday. They’d explore big ideas and whatever else they were thinking about lately. Most videos concerned topics of substance: religion, political issues, and my favorite, the fact that the world will end. The night before I left for my backpacking trip, I was watching a John Tuesday video when he said, “We don’t live in the Grand Scheme of things, we just live in the scheme." When I first thought about this idea I was angry. We should just ignore the big picture and live unremarkably awaiting death? I was appalled that even one of the greatest minds alive seemed unbothered by the fact that everything he knows will be gone someday. I felt isolated; I thought I was the only one in the world who could think deeply enough to be scared of death.     When I got to camp, I was in withdrawal. I longed for my days rotting in bed, reading the same comforting poetry over and over. But I wasn’t in my bed, and I didn’t have my poetry, so instead I thought. I thought about what Mr. Green said and I realized he was right. He didn’t say to ignore the big scary ideas; he said that is not the level of concern we live in. We don't need to ponder the nature of existence because there are simpler but more fulfilling tasks to do.     As I set off on the trail, I had a mission to spend the trip trying not to ponder and grieve things that are still right in front of me. I planned to live in the moment and simply be and do the things I had to be and do. The Wind River Wilderness provided the ideal opportunity to either sink or swim with this mission. The endless stars that I gazed at each night tempted me to wonder and spiral, but the walking, cooking, and chores that always needed doing grounded me and reminded me that I don't have to worry about the stars because I live on Earth. I was free to lose myself in the stars, but instead I enjoyed the shock of swimming in an ice-cold river after an eight-mile day, preparing oatmeal for the fifth day in a row, and the idle bantering with new friends while huddled up in wool hats. These days taught me that the world isn't ending yet; we have to be curious and work and feel and live before it does end.     So, after spending two weeks in the middle of nowhere, I learned that I’m not the smartest person ever, and that my concerns can be of today and not doomsday. Like my favorite literary figure, Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, I crossed the Wind River guided by a ferryman and an experience that helped me find joy in “living in the scheme.” I am confident and willing for these lessons to continue to guide me as I move forward in making the most of my college experience.

Ten years of Catholic school gave me a lot, including a strong aversion to plaid skirts. Growing up I never questioned why I attended a different elementary school than the other neighborhood kids; Catholic school was just what we did. I cherish the people, memories, and values that were instilled in me during those years. In particular, my school’s commitment to community service has helped me develop deep empathy for those who are suffering, in all ways. However, my Catholic upbringing has also come with difficult choices. As I grew older and learned more about the Church’s rules, I was forced to take a step back and revisit what I’ve been taught. The Catholic Church’s dogma regarding the LGBTQ+ community, women in leadership, and other doctrines, are anathema to my core values. Can I fully participate in an institution that teaches views contrary to my morals? While I wrestle with this ethical dilemma, it also illuminates the worldview and lens through which I will attend college. Coming in shaped by a traditional Catholic background, education, and family tradition means I hold certain beliefs and understand a certain perspective. But I also come with a healthy skepticism of dogma and power. My willingness to listen and form ethical opinions shaped by evidence, others’ experiences, and even religious teachings will enrich my personal growth and will provide a unique perspective to others. The Church is not perfect, but I am beyond proud to be a Catholic. The problems with the Church come from the people, and not the religion. In 2026, I made it a mission to grow closer to Jesus through improving myself morally. I resigned to go to confession as often as I can, a big difference from my usual habits. Even though I am only a month into 2026, I am noticing a big difference in my daily habits and I am very proud of myself. By growing closer to God, I now realize that He is truly good. Catholicism is one of the most, if not the most, important identities I carry, and as a Catholic, I strive to represent the Church, my confirmation saint, St. Sebastian, and Jesus in the best possible light. To do this, I want to protect God's beautiful creation through advocating for climate literacy and spending as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors through outdoor recreation. College will give me a great launch pad to achieve these goals and I hope to make my community proud.

Most people advise against writing about a sports injury on an application essay, but I am going to politely disregard this advice and tell you about the time I tore my ACL because this experience has been instrumental in my development, and to not acknowledge that is to not get a complete picture of who I am. I tore my ACL on Mother’s Day in a club basketball game, one of the more unique gifts I’ve ever got my mom for Mother’s Day. I spent that day in urgent care, where they told me that my knee was probably strained, at worst I had a partial tear. I was relieved that I did not have a career ending injury and planned to play again the next weekend in a tournament in Arizona as I was not in too much pain. However, while boarding my plane I got a phone call, they told me that my MRI showed that my ACL was split in two, requiring surgery. I was beyond upset that the multiple professionals I saw were unable to accurately conclude the health of my knee, so I started researching women’s knee health. I had two options for surgery, I could either get my knee repaired right before summer, missing all that the Rocky Mountain summers have to offer (including a two week long backpacking trip), or get surgery right before school starts and be on crutches while navigating the halls of East High School. I decided the latter, and I don’t regret that decision. Even though hiking the Wind River mountains with a torn ACL was not the smartest and could be very dangerous if my knee gave out like it had prior, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. After surgery, I committed myself to the gym and painful physical therapy everyday, but that is not the experience I want to tell you about. During this time, my friends and I founded a club called Female Athlete Wellness Club. We were dedicated to providing female anatomy information as it relates to sports and knee health. five of the six leadership members of the club had torn their ACLs, not very surprising numbers for female athletes. Women’s knee health and the epidemic of ACL tears is a severely under-researched and underfunded field of study. There is a drought of female-specific shoe wear such as cleats or basketball shoes, which I was wearing when I tore my ACL. Through hard work, fundraisers, collaboration with other clubs at East, and community outreach, our club managed to receive enough donations of equipment and funding to send sports supplies for young girls to undeserved communities abroad. This community I have fostered created a change, no matter how small. I am happy to do my part so that more young girls can experience the joy of sport without going through what I and so many others went through.

As a child, my days were spent out in the sun, snow, or streams, staining my white socks the color of the dirt. I was fascinated by the interconnectedness of ecosystems. I remember learning about the Continental Divide: snow on one side would travel to the Pacific Ocean and snow just a mile away would end up in the Gulf of Mexico. Mind blowing to an eight year old, and deeply spiritual. That was the spark that ignited more than my interests, but my entire worldview. Exploring nature is the singular most important thing people can do for their physical and mental health. But that’s becoming challenging as access to public lands has been threatened, species have been endangered, and my peers seem more interested in screens. Studies are showing that young adults in particular are recreating outdoors less frequently and most who visit our national parks are over age 55. We need my generation to love our natural spaces, or we risk losing them. This is my calling. Academically I’ve furthered this interest by taking AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, and focusing my senior thesis on how outdoor access among under-served communities improves mental health and academic performance, and lowers obesity rates. Outside of class, I’ve pursued several paths that enrich my understanding of environmental science. I was selected for an outdoor leadership program in which I lived, breathed, and worked to better understand mountain ecosystems and human impact on them, and I also volunteered with Adam’s Camp, a sleepaway camp in the Colorado mountains for special needs teens and adults. I’ve also regularly volunteered with We Don’t Waste, an organization that helps reduce food waste and its negative environmental effects. My personal time is also spent exploring. I make it a point to spend time in nature and challenge myself to learn more about the environment in which I’m lucky enough to call home. In this world, where everything is so complex and things as simple as buying groceries can have a negative effect on the environment, it is important to know what you can do to reduce this. Carpooling, thrifting, walking, and public transportation all reduce carbon emissions, and these are things I live my life doing. The use of Chat Gpt has gone up immensely with my peers, if we want to protect the environment and humanity we must stop using AI as it wastes tons of water with every use. My worldview is this: God created this extraordinary planet and it’s our job to steward it for all of humanity. We must start by knowing it, protecting it, and appreciating it