I will follow in the footsteps of my grandmother in being a trailblazer for women in business and inspire other women to do the same.

Math is the most important subject in school. I love math because I learn how to solve problems. For me, math class isn't about memorizing the quadratic formula or Pythagorean theorem, it's about learning new ways to approach a problem. I have also learned the importance of perseverance. Math class has not always been super easy for me. During 8th grade, I suffered from Chronic migraines. I was suffering so much that I would often miss math class. As a result, I feel behind drastically. Once I got to high school, I knew I had to work twice as hard to catch up to my peers. I would show up early to school every day to meet with my teacher and math tutor. At least once a week I would get math tutoring from my tutor. As a result of my hard work and perseverance, I was able to catch up and surpass my peers in math. Math has taught me to never give up, even when something is challenging and I will forever be grateful for it. The second reason why I love math so much is that it teaches me how to solve problems. During math class, I have learned that there are multiple ways to approach a problem and often there isn't one correct way. I learned that when something doesn't work out for the first time, it does not mean it is not possible, it means that I must approach it from another angle. This skill that I have learned in math class has helped me in life and having the ability to see a problem from multiple angles. One time I was trying to figure out how much paint we needed to cover a new section of wall. The equation that we created was not working so we thought of a new one that was able to work. Math has shown me a new way to see the world. I have learned so much from the amazing teachers that I have had in high school. I can use algebra skills in my everyday life. While working I am able to determine how much an item should be sold for compared to the price we bought it at. Math has allowed me to see the world in a new light and I will forever be grateful for that. Math is the most important class in all of the school because yes it does teach math skills that are needed for further levels of math and education, but it is amazing at teaching life skills. Without math, I would not have learned the importance of perseverance and problem-solving. I will forever be indebted to math and the wonderful teachers that I have had. I cannot wait for what the future holds and to be able to continue my love of math in my higher education.

I have always struggled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of pressure that I put upon myself. I thought this was normal and how everyone lived because I had dealt with this since Elementary School. My biggest challenge occurred when I got to high school. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Overcoming the amount of pressure that I put on myself and being able to reflect is life-changing for me. I never knew how genuinely happy I could be once I faced my challenges. I had always thought that positive self-talk is stupid, but now I share the importance of it. If any of my friends are struggling, I let them know that they can come to me, no matter the issue. I also tell them the importance of getting their feelings out of their mind and either speaking to someone or writing it down. Spreading the message that mental health matters is one of my biggest passion. At school, I work with the guidance department to brainstorm ways to help my classmates by creating things like safe spaces for talking or coloring. Working on my mental health has allowed me to be more present in my community. I have taken up volunteer work with various organizations like Cornerstone Graden and youth lacrosse and field hockey located in my town. When I see others struggling with anxiety I can speak on my experiences to help others. As I graduate high school and move on to college, I will continue my journey with my mental health challenges. I will continue to journal every day and use the resources available to me. I know that college will be very different and that makes me nervous, but I know with the resources that I have given myself, I will be able to overcome these challenges.

I have always prided myself on being the hardest worker while also being able to help those around me. I pride myself on being able to outwork my peers and keeping a positive mindset. In the classroom, I struggle with learning disabilities so school has been very challenging. I do not let my difficulties in reading and writing stop me. I make sure that I come to school early every day so that I can meet with a teacher to make sure that I am on track with my classmates. In doing this I have been able to form fantastic relationships with my teachers including Ms Vidmar and Ms Parker. I have been blessed to learn so much from these fantastic people. When I am not working hard in the classroom, I am giving my all on the field. I started playing field hockey freshman year and I was the worst player on the Freshman team. During the season I would stay after practice with my coach to work on my skills and endurance. By the end of the season, I was named MVP of the Freshman Team. This taught me that with hard work I can accomplish anything. Now I am committed to Trinity College to play field hockey. Trinity is a top 5 D3 field hockey team so this is a great accomplishment. The only thing that I love more than working hard in the classroom and on the field is volunteering. I work with Cornerstone Garden, a 501(c) nonprofit that grows food for people who are food insecure while also teaching people with autism life skills. I am so grateful for this organization because I can grow fresh fruits and vegetables for people in my local community who otherwise would be unable to afford them. During the growing season, I spend time weeding, planting, and watering the crops. I am also able to form strong connections with people who have autism. I can teach them social skills along with everyday skills like how to write a check, how to write an email and how to write and mail a letter. It brings me enormous joy to see the progress that these people have made in the time that I have known them. I am so fortunate for the positive impact I have made on my community and I look forward to continue being able to help my community.

Generational wealth means that my hard work will be able to inspire and enable my descendants to reach their dreams. I am extremely motivated to work hard to achieve my dreams and be able to one day provide for my family. I have been blessed to have been able to have parents and grandparents to show me the true meaning of hard work. All four of my grandparents are first-generation college students. They have been able to use this success to allow both of my parents to go to college and pursue and eduction. My grandparents have shown me that with hard work and determination, you can achieve anything. My grandmother was the first woman in her high school to graduate. She has laid the foundations for me to create generational wealth. My parents have worked tirelessly to provide great opportunities and I will be forever grateful for that. They have blessed me with the opportunity to be able to attend one of the best public high schools in the country. This has enabled me to receive a great education that will help me in the future. This has taught me the importance of having an advantage and how much it does help. Having been able to go to a great high school has allowed me to form great connections with teachers and help me get into a fantastic school like Trinity College. I look forward to being able to provide an advantage for my children in the future. I know how truly helpful it is. I am already working on creating generational wealth for me and my family. As of now, I work two jobs, retail at Audrey Road and assistant youth lacrosse coach. This is teaching me the importance of hard work. Once I receive a pay check I know the importance of saving my money. I divide my money into three parts, one into a Roth IRA account, another into a savings account for college and finally my personal spending account. This teaches me the importance of saving my money and creating good habits. With this, I am not tempted to spend money. I am also saving money for my retirement. Now I am at a young age so I will have ample time to save up for my future. This will allow me to create generational wealth. I am so thankful for learning hard work from my grandparents and for the amazing opportunity to go to Ridgefield High School. I look forward to creating generational wealth through hard work and saving my money responsibly.

From the first day of First Grade, I knew that school was going to be very challenging. On the first day of school, we had to spell out our names and I had no idea. I looked around and everyone could spell their name with no issue. What was wrong with me? My teacher came over and tried to sound out my name for me and it just did not make sense. I remember bursting out in tears when I released that I was the only person who could not spell my name. When I got home from school my mom told me that my teacher called and wanted me to go see a specialist. I went to Yale and did various tests. They told me that I have dyslexia and dysgraphia. From this moment on I felt like there is something wrong with me, and no matter how hard I try, I will never be as smart as my peers. Once back at school, I had to go to a special 1 on 1 class to work on my reading and writing skills. It bothered me that I would miss out on playtime becuase I couldn't read or write. I felt so lonely and like no one would ever understand how I felt, and that is when I met my best friend. Ashley and I were in the same extra help classes. We became fast friends and she was the first person that I felt like I connected to. She showed me that regardless of my disability, I am still smart. As time went on I was able to improve my reading and writing skills, but I always knew I would have to work twice as hard to stay on par with my classmates. Once in high school, I found classes that I enjoyed, like History Through Hollywood and World History. Finding classes that I enjoyed made me start to really enjoy school. Going to school felt like something I get to do, rather than half to do. I still struggled in school but found classes that I enjoyed. Once I got to junior year I started taking AP courses. Moving up to this next level of difficulty showed me that I am smart. On the AP exam, I got a 4 out of 5. It was the best feeling of my life to see my academic success. Having a learning disability is the most challenging thing in my life. It impacts me every day but I know that I am smart regardless of my disability and I will not let it stop me.

The sport of lacrosse has been the greatest teacher that I could have ever asked for. I have learned various skills like teamwork, discipline and the importance of dedication and commitment. I have played lacrosse since I was in kindergarten and I have loved every second of it. As 2020 began I knew that my first high school lacrosse season was coming up. It was my dream to make the varsity team as a freshman. Starting in September, I made a goal of doing over 1000 wall ball reps every day. I would work on my weak hand and wrist strength every day. I could see the improvement when I was playing but I was not satisfied. I would play in my back yard for hours regardless of the weather. During this time I learned the importance of discipline. I learned that with constant hard work and not making excuses for myself I would see real positive results. I use what I have learned from my freshman year in my everyday life because now I have a strict study and school work schedule. Even though I lost my freshman lacrosse season to the COVID pandemic, I will be forever grateful for the discipline that I learned from that season. During my sophmore season it was the first year that I made the varsity team. During this year I learned the true meaning of teamwork. Our team was not anywhere close to the best teams in our divsion. We have to go up against national powerhouses like the Darien, Wilton, New Canaan. When we played these national ranked teams we made it a point to work together to try to beat these teams. When we played Darien, at the time they were the number 1 high school team in the country. We arrived with a great attitude and we really believe in each other. During warm ups we were cheering each other on and uplifiting each other. Our commitment to each other and creating a postive enviroment payed off. All of our plays were working to perfection. We were talking on the field and cheering each other on. In the first five minutes we were winning 4-1. We had stunned the best team in the nation. As the game went Darien began to come back and eventually the game ended 12-8. Our team viewed this as a victory because we were within 5 goals of the best team in the country. This game tought me the true importance of team work. When we worked together and supported each other we are able to accomplish the impossible. On the second day of tryouts for my junior season, I tore my laburm. I was heartbroken to know that I could not play. Rather than to do the easy thing and quit the team, I decdied to take on more of a manager role. I would help my coach set of drills and give pointers to my teamates. During games I would record stats like goals and ground balls. This season I learned the importance of commitment. I did not miss one game or practice when I did not have to go to anything. This tought me that when you start something, you make a commitment to do it and do it to the best of your ability. I will be forever greatful to what I have learned playing lacrosse. Now I am going to Trinity College to play field hockey and I plan to walk onto the lacrosse team. I cannot wait to see what lacrosse contiues to teach me.

I have always struggled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of pressure that I put upon myself. I thought this was normal and how everyone lived because I had dealt with this since Elementary School. My biggest challenge occurred when I got to high school. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. My Family has always struggled with mental issues like anxiety and depression. I knew I had to take this seriously. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Overcoming the amount of pressure that I put on myself and being able to reflect is life-changing for me. I never knew how genuinely happy I could be once I faced my challenges. I had always thought that positive self-talk is stupid, but now I share the importance of it. If any of my friends are struggling, I let them know that they can come to me, no matter the issue. I also tell them the importance of getting their feelings out of their mind and either speaking to someone or writing it down. Spreading the message that mental health matters is one of my biggest passion. At school, I work with the guidance department to brainstorm ways to help my classmates by creating things like safe spaces for talking or coloring. As I graduate high school and move on to college, I will continue my journey with my mental health challenges. I will continue to journal every day and use the resources available to me. I know that college will be very different and that makes me nervous, but I know with the resources that I have given myself, I will be able to overcome these challenges.

I have always struggled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of pressure that I put upon myself. I thought this was normal and how everyone lived because I had dealt with this since Elementary School. My biggest challenge occurred when I got to high school. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. My inspiration comes from Kobe Bryant who said, “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change. I couldn't continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Overcoming the amount of pressure that I put on myself and being able to reflect is life-changing. I never knew how genuinely happy I could be once I faced my challenges. I had always thought that positive self-talk is stupid, but now I share the importance of it. If any of my friends are struggling, I let them know that they can come to me, no matter the issue. I also tell them the importance of getting their feelings out of their mind and either speaking to someone or writing it down. Spreading the message that mental health matters is one of my biggest passion. At school, I work with the guidance department to brainstorm ways to help my classmates by creating things like safe spaces for talking or coloring. As I graduate high school and move on to college, I will continue my journey with my mental health challenges. I will continue to journal every day and use the resources available to me. I know that college will be very different and that makes me nervous, but I know with the resources that I have given myself, I will be able to overcome these challenges.

I have always struggled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of pressure that I put upon myself. I thought this was normal and how everyone lived because I had dealt with this since Elementary School. My biggest challenge occurred when I got to high school. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Overcoming the amount of pressure that I put on myself and being able to reflect is life-changing for me. I never knew how genuinely happy I could be once I faced my challenges. I had always thought that positive self-talk is stupid, but now I share the importance of it. If any of my friends are struggling, I let them know that they can come to me, no matter the issue. I also tell them the importance of getting their feelings out of their mind and either speaking to someone or writing it down. Spreading the message that mental health matters is one of my biggest passion. At school, I work with the guidance department to brainstorm ways to help my classmates by creating things like safe spaces for talking or coloring. As I graduate high school and move on to college, I will continue my journey with my mental health challenges. I will continue to journal every day and use the resources available to me. I know that college will be very different and that makes me nervous, but I know with the resources that I have given myself, I will be able to overcome these challenges.

If there is anything that I can compare life to it is running. Running is not always easy, it makes you want to stop and never run again, but after years of hard work and determination, it always pays off. I have not always been the best student in the classroom or player out on the field, but I am always the hardest-working person there. I have struggled with chronic migraines from the stress and pressure I put upon myself to be better. During my 8th grade year, I could not get through a whole day of school without a splitting headache. I fell behind in all of my classes and it seemed like I was on a never-ending cycle of pain. I tried everything under the sun to help my migraines go away, and nothing worked. I went to so many different doctors and specialists and they could not figure out what was wrong with me. I knew that I needed to stay in shape so I began to run. Running allowed to me escape all of the worries in my mind and made me focus on being the best runner I could be. When I was running I was not thinking about all of my missing assignments or how my grades are below my standards. Slowly I was able to build up more and more endurance so I could go for longer and longer runs. As I continued to run every single day, I found that I became less stressed and my migraines began to go away. I began to be able to stay at school for a whole day without having a migraine. I finally found something that was helping me in the most unexpected place. When I was preparing for high school and playing high school field hockey I was nowhere near the best player. I was really bad but I knew that the endurance that I developed made me better. When I was in high school anytime I was worried about a big test, I would wake up before school on a run. I found that running brings me peace in the most unexplainable way. The skills that I have learned by running have thought me so much. I have learned breathing strategies that help me stay calm in stressful or hard situations. I have learned effective strategies for myself that calm me down and keep me centered and focused on my goals. I have learned how to set goals for myself, like my current goal of running a half-marathon. I can attribute all of my academic and athletic success to my love of running. I am extremely proud of myself that I was able to find a healthy way to overcome my anxieties and stressors. When I arrive at Trinity College I look forward to furthering my academic career and playing field hockey at a high level. I am happy that I have running to fall back on when I need time for myself and to destress.

I have always struggled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of pressure that I put upon myself. I thought this was normal because I had dealt with this since Elementary School. My biggest challenge occurred when I got to high school. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I'm the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication are intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving me all is the only option. My inspiration comes from Kobe Bryant who said, “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescriptions did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change. I couldn't continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Overcoming the amount of pressure that I put on myself and being able to reflect is life-changing for me. I never knew how genuinely happy I could be once I faced my challenges. I had always thought that positive self-talk is stupid, but now I share the importance of it. If any of my friends are struggling, I let them know that they can come to me, no matter the issue. I also tell them the importance of getting their feelings out of their mind and either speaking to someone or writing it down. Spreading the message that mental health matters is one of my biggest passion. At school, I work with the guidance department to brainstorm ways to help my classmates by creating things like safe spaces for talking or coloring. As I graduate high school and move on to college, I will continue my journey with my mental health challenges. I will continue to journal every day and use the resources available to me. I know college will be very different and that makes me nervous, but I know with the resources that I have given myself, I will be able to overcome these challenges.

Leaving home for the first time means that I am resopnsible for myself and my finances for the first time. I have been blessed to learn from my Dad how to make good financial decisions for myself. I work two jobs, sales at a small boutique in my town and as an assistant 8th-grade lacrosse coach. When I earn money I have good strategies to save it. I have started a Roth IRA account for long-term investments and an account to save up money for college. When I recive a paycheck I divide the money evenly and put one-third of my paycheck into each of these accounts. In doing this I am teaching myself delayed satisfaction. In forcing myself to learn these habits I am learning how to effectively save money for the future. This summer I have set a goal for how much money I would like to save up for my freshman year of college. I decided to set the goal for myself to save 3000 dollars. I have decided on this number based on talking with my friends who are already at college. Having a set number for myself to save up for will incentive me to work more to reach my goals. Working to earn the money for myself rather than asking my parents for it will teach me the value of the dollar. I will have a true appreciation of the money that I have earned and I will be less likely to spend a lot of money without thinking about what I am spending it on. Before I go to college I will establish a monthly budget for myself. This will make sure that I do not overspend my money so I do not go into debt. For my budget, I will save some extra money for emergencies. My budget will keep me honest and accountable for the money I am spending. It will force me to really think about what I am spending my money on. When at college I will create a chart that will outline how I am spending my money. I will separate the graph into things like food, shopping, Uber and other activities. This strategy will make sure that I am being thoughtful about how and where I am spending my hard-earned money. I believe that the strategies that I have developed for myself will help me when I am at college and throughout my future. I thank my dad for teaching me the importance of saving money and delayed satisfaction. I look forward to college and I cannot wait to see what the future holds because I know that I will be economically ready for it.

Climate change and global warming is the biggest challenge of my generation. There are various ways to fight climate change, but like most things, some ways are better than others. On a global scale, the best way in my opinion is to reduce the use of nonrenewable energy. The increase in the use of global warming and the use of natural gas and oil are directly related. The burning of these fossil fuels has a great impact on the world. In a place like China where the burning of fossil fuels is prevalent, the air quality has dramatically decreased. It is hardest to breathe good air. This polluted air has a horrible impact on people causing them to get sick. Fossil fuels have a large world impact on global warming. Global warming has the greatest impact on people in third-world countries. When large-scale environmental disasters like forest fires and hurricanes occur, they have a large are more dramatic impact. For example, as water temperatures rise, hurricanes become stronger and more dangerous. In Haiti after the hurricanes it becomes harder and harder to rebuild because of the damage that they cause. A great solution that would also slow global warming is the use of renewable energy sources. The best renewable energy source is solar energy. Solar energy is an abundant source that if harnessed can stop the burning of fossil fuels. If every home gets solar panels then the need for these unsustainable sources will greatly decrease. As we move to the use of electric cars, these cars can be fueled by solar panels which will greatly reduce the amount of fuel being burned. In our daily lives, there are various ways to contribute to the fight against climate change, such as reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste, eating a plant-based diet, and choosing eco-friendly transportation. We can also support policies and initiatives that promote sustainability and advocate for change at the individual, corporate, and governmental levels. The way that I think would have the greatest impact and the most likely that people would be able to do is to minimize energy consumption and waste. A simple way that people can reduce their energy use is to unplug appliances when they are not being used. For example, every day before I leave to go to school I unplug my lamps and hair drier in my room. By doing this I can save energy. This is a simple and effective way to save energy. Another way that I reduce my carbon footprint is by reducing my waste. I can do this by avoiding single-use plastics like water bottles and fast fashion. In doing this I can reduce my waste and how much I contribute to landfills. These methods are simple and very effective in helping the environment. By unplugging my lamps and other electronics when they are not in use I can reduce carbon emissions simply. Avoiding fast fashion means that my clothes are going to good use and I can save money and the environment at the same time. There is no quick fix to reducing climate change but, the methods that I have described and switching to solar power will make a great impact.

From as early as I can remember, gun violence has shaped my life. On December 12, 2012, an active shooter walked into Sandy Hook Elementary school and murdered 26 people. I remember this day as if it was yesterday. I am from Ridgefield Connecticut, a small town 20 minutes away from Sandy Hook. I was in my second-grade classroom, sitting in the corner of the classroom hidden under a coat. We were told that we must hide in our classrooms because they fear there would be more active shooters. I sat in the corner crying wishing for my mom to come and save me. Once my mom was able to come and pick me up I sat and cried with her until I fell asleep from exhaustion. I will never forget that horrible day. Every year I break down and cry on this horrible day remembering the destruction that guns bring to this world. In the weeks and months following this horrible day, I feared going to school. I have feared guns and the violence that they bring to communities. When other school shootings like the Parkland shooting and countless others. There is not one day before or when I am at school that I am not thinking about what could happen if someone entered my school with a gun. On the day I am writing this, there was yet another school shooting. It is so heartbreaking that this is still an issue and that legislation has not done anything to prevent this. I plan to use these horrible memories in my career to preventing this from happening again. I am going to Trinity College and I plan to either major or minor in political science so that I can pursue becoming a lobbyist. My career goals are to become a lobbyist that fights for greater gun control. It is my mission to make sure that no students will ever have to live in fear of going to school. I will change legislation to protect our school children so no one will have to deal with the horror I dealt with. I am a member of the National Honors Society and I play field hockey. I am going to play collegiate field hockey at Trinity College. I love to work out and spend time with friends. More than anything, I love to volunteer. I am a volunteer youth field hockey and youth lacrosse coach. I love being able to inspire young athletes to play sports and learn the importance of hard work at determination. When I am not volunteering to coach, I love working with Cornerstone Garden. Cornerstone Garden is a 501(c) nonprofit that grows fruits and vegetables for people who are food insecure in my community. Volunteering is my biggest passion in life and I feel so grateful that I have been able to volunteer and help my local communtiy so much. I cannot wait for what the future holds and I look forward to continuing my passion for volunteering and fighting for more gun control.

All of our decisions have an impact on the greater climate. Whether that be choosing to drive to school or take the bus, where to go shopping, or what to eat for dinner. We might not be thinking about the long-term impacts of our choices, but they have a real impact. In our daily lives, there are various ways to contribute to the fight against climate change, such as reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste, eating a plant-based diet, and choosing eco-friendly transportation. We can also support policies and initiatives that promote sustainability and advocate for change at the individual, corporate, and governmental levels. The way that I think would have the greatest impact and the most likely that people would be able to do is to minimize energy consumption and waste. A simple way that people can reduce their energy use is to unplug appliances when they are not being used. For example, every day before I leave to go to school I unplug my lamps and hair drier in my room. By doing this I can save energy. This is a simple and effective way to save energy. Another way that I reduce my carbon footprint is by reducing my waste. I can do this by avoiding single-use plastics like water bottles and fast fashion. By doing this I can reduce my waste and how much I contribute to landfills. I am encouraging my parents to get solar energy for our house. In doing this we would not only save money but save energy. By getting solar panels for our house my family would become more self-sufficient and less reliant on the greater power grid. Another way that I can help the environment is by changing my diet. Producing meat and other animal projects have a great impact on the environment. Cattle Feedlots take up a lot of space and produce a lot of methane. I have decided to stop eating red meat. This decision was hard but I knew it was the right choice. I have begun to eat more locally grown fruits and vegetables to reduce CO2 emissions associated with the transportation of food. These methods are simple and very effective in helping the environment. By unplugging my lamps and other electronics when they are not in use I can reduce carbon emissions simply. Avoiding fast fashion means that my clothes are going to good use and I can save money and the environment at the same time. There is no quick fix to reducing climate change but, the methods that I have described and switching to solar power will make a great impact. All of the decisions we make have a real impact on the environment. My personal choices to help reduce my carbon footprint include not eating red meat and eating locally grown food, unplugging appliances when they are not being used and encouraging my parents to get solar panels. While it might seem that my choices have no impact, I know that I am doing my part to be an envrionmentally aware member of the global soceity.

Climate change and global warming is the biggest challenge of my generation. There are various ways to fight climate change, but like most things, some ways are better than others. On a global scale, the best way in my opinion is to reduce the use of nonrenewable energy. The increase in the use of global warming and the use of natural gas and oil are directly related. The burning of these fossil fuels has a great impact on the world. In a place like China where the burning of fossil fuels is prevalent, the air quality has dramatically decreased. It is hardest to breathe good air. This polluted air has a horrible impact on people causing them to get sick. Fossil fuels have a large world impact on global warming. Global warming has the greatest impact on people in third-world countries. When large-scale environmental disasters like forest fires and hurricanes occur, they have a large are more dramatic impact. For example, as water temperatures rise, hurricanes become stronger and more dangerous. In Haiti after the hurricanes it becomes harder and harder to rebuild because of the damage that they cause. A great solution that would also slow global warming is the use of renewable energy sources. The best renewable energy source is solar energy. Solar energy is an abundant source that if harnessed can stop the burning of fossil fuels. If every home gets solar panels then the need for these unsustainable sources will greatly decrease. As we move to the use of electric cars, these cars can be fueled by solar panels which will greatly reduce the amount of fuel being burned. In our daily lives, there are various ways to contribute to the fight against climate change, such as reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste, eating a plant-based diet, and choosing eco-friendly transportation. We can also support policies and initiatives that promote sustainability and advocate for change at the individual, corporate, and governmental levels. The way that I think would have the greatest impact and the most likely that people would be able to do is to minimize energy consumption and waste. A simple way that people can reduce their energy use is to unplug appliances when they are not being used. For example, every day before I leave to go to school I unplug my lamps and hair drier in my room. By doing this I can save energy. This is a simple and effective way to save energy. Another way that I reduce my carbon footprint is by reducing my waste. I can do this by avoiding single-use plastics like water bottles and fast fashion. In doing this I can reduce my waste and how much I contribute to landfills. These methods are simple and very effective in helping the environment. By unplugging my lamps and other electronics when they are not in use I can reduce carbon emissions simply. Avoiding fast fashion means that my clothes are going to good use and I can save money and the environment at the same time. There is no quick fix to reducing climate change but, the methods that I have described and switching to solar power will make a great impact.

Throughout my life, I have always prided myself is being a feminist. To me, feminism is empowering women to have the ability and power to accomplish any goals that a woman might have for themselves. It is so vital for our society because, without women, we are nothing. The tremendous influence and importance that women have can never be overstated. I have grown up hearing so many stories of great feminist heroes. I love playing sports and I have so thankful for Title IX. My mother went to high school with the daughter of one of the people who wrote Title IX. She eventually met him and got to listen to the process of writing the Title IX legislation. This was inspirational for her because she learned about the dramatic difference that the legislation made. She told me that this was life-changing and she would do whatever she could to keep the story of Title IX alive. He was my mother's greatest feminine hero. To me, my greatest feminine hero is my grandmother. My grandmother was the first woman in her family to go to college the first woman to be on the executive board of a very influential insurance company and was able to save hundreds of lives. My grandmother spent her career breaking barriers that prevented women from gaining promotions. She told me countless stories of women coming up to her and thanking her for what she has done. They told my grandmother that because of her, they were able to get the job that they had always wanted. These stories are so inspiring to me to know that my grandmother made such an impact. She shared with me that yes it was scary to stand up to men to get what she wanted, but she knew it was the right thing to do. I love my grandmother so much, but the most inspirational story that she has is about when she leads hundreds of people to safety. My grandmother was working on wall street when the planes hit the twin towers on 9/11. She was working in a building adjacent to the Twin Towers and said when the second plane hit the tower. On that day, she was the highest ranking person in the building and thus she was responsable for evacuating and getting people to satefy. She organized an evacuation of the building and was able to find a cloth for every single employee. She gave them water and a cloth and told them to walk towards the water. Once they saw the water she instructed them to head uptown. She did not leave Ground Zero until every single person was out of the building and away from danger. This story has shown me that women can do incredible things and make a real impact on the world. My grandmother has greatly impacted my view on women and has shown me that nothing is impossible. I work to carry on my grandmother's legacy by working as a volunteer coach. I coach girls in field hockey and lacrosse. I teach them lessons about always believing in themselves and that they can do anything if they put their mind to it. I inspire them to participate in athletics and work together. It is so rewarding seeing their skills and most importantly confidence improve over the season. Feminism is one of my core beliefs and I am so thankful to have learned stories of Title IX and my grandmother. I will work to share these stories and inspire women to work together.

My greatest mentor is my Grandmother. My grandmother is the greatest definition of a leader. Grandma was the first member of her family to go to college, she was the first woman on the executive board of a major insurance company, and she lead thousands of people to safety on 9/11. I love my grandmother and I try to spend as much time as I can with her to learn how to be a great leader. She had told shared her story of how she was in charge of a building on Wall Street when the planes hit the twin towers. She walked me through her decision-making process and how to safely evacuate the building while ensuring that thousands of people had a cloth covering for their mouths and water to drink. She organized ways for her employees to get uptown and into safety. Her outstanding leadership skills have inspired me to be the best leader that I can be. During my time in high school, I have taken countless opportunities to develop my leadership skills. I am a volunteer field hockey and lacrosse coach. While coaching I can share my love of athletics while teaching these girls the importance of sportsmanship and respect. It is a great honor to know that I am a role model and a mentor to these young girls. It is so rewarding when the parents come up to me a personal thank me for coaching their children because I have been able to teach them life skills. I love coaching youth athletics and I have learned how to lead groups for a common goal and how to better inspire people. Before my senior year, I applied for the role of captain. I was heartbroken when I did not receive it, but it taught me how to deal with disappointment. Rather than let my discontent stop me from being a good teammate, I worked even harder to be a leader on the field. I became the leader of the defense. During defensive corners, I would highlight places and people to guard. I also helped the offense determine the best pass to make. While I had no formal leadership role, I made it a mission to create one for myself. I learned that everyone can be a leader, regardless of their title. Leadership is not always easy. During my senior year field hockey season, tragedy struck. A junior at our high school passed away due to unknown medical complications. On the day of her passing, my team had a field hockey game. When we arrived at the field I saw every single person on the team crying and sitting in silence. I was very heartbroken to see my friends in so much pain. I took it upon myself to make sure that everyone is ok. I went to each person, hugged them, and asked if they were genuinely ok. Some people did not want to talk and others did. When I talked to my teammates I was able to start a positive conversation about how they were doing. This day I learned that to be a great leader, I must be compassionate and know how to best deal with people's feelings. It was a heartbreaking but learning moment for me which I will remember for the rest of my life. The leadership opportunities that I have had and learned about during my high school years have been so influential for me. I learned how to act as a mentor and that you can lead without an official title. I look forward to leading in the future.

I have always struggled with anxiety and a tremendous amount of pressure that I put upon myself. I thought this was normal and how everyone lived because I had dealt with this since Elementary School. My biggest challenge occurred when I got to high school. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. My inspiration comes from Kobe Bryant who said, “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Overcoming the amount of pressure that I put on myself and being able to reflect is life-changing for me. I never knew how genuinely happy I could be once I faced my challenges. I had always thought that positive self-talk is stupid, but now I share the importance of it. If any of my friends are struggling, I let them know that they can come to me, no matter the issue. I also tell them the importance of getting their feelings out of their mind and either speaking to someone or writing it down. Spreading the message that mental health matters is one of my biggest passion. At school, I work with the guidance department to brainstorm ways to help my classmates by creating things like safe spaces for talking or coloring. As I graduate high school and move on to college, I will continue my journey with my mental health challenges. I will continue to journal every day and use the resources available to me. I know that college will be very different and that makes me nervous, but I know with the resources that I have given myself, I will be able to overcome these challenges.

I am very excited to meet new people have to have new experiences at Trinity College. I am looking forward to playing field hockey there but I have some anxiety about it. I am worried about the new level of academic rigor. During high school, I struggled with the amount of pressure that I would put on myself and I know that this will be a challenge for me at Trinity. When thinking about how I will overcome this challenge, I think about what I had to overcome during my junior and senior years. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. My inspiration comes from Kobe Bryant who said, “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. When I arrive at college I will continue to use my Madhappy Journal to help me recenter myself. If I need more help I will reach out to my grandmother, the strongest woman I know. I will listen to what she says and take her advice to heart. Another resource that I will have is the Mental Health resources at Trinity College. These resources have a strong reputation and I know they will be able to help me. I am unsure about what the future holds, but I am excited. I cannot wait to go to college and I feel confident in the resources that I have to help me on my collegiate journey.

Early Monday morning, my reminder texts appear. Buzz… Don't forget to talk to Mrs. Smith about the 92 on the last quiz. Not happy. Buzz… The A in math is unacceptable. I need an A+ in math this quarter. Talk with the teacher. Buzz… Must go to the gym to improve core strength before practice tonight. Needs improvement. Buzz… Volunteer Saturday at 11 am for the National Honor Society coat drive. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. My inspiration comes from Kobe Bryant who said, “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Early Monday morning, my reminder texts appear. Buzz… Remember to breathe today before the AP exam. Buzz … Before practice tonight, spend 20 minutes meditating. Buzz… You got this! The math test will be a piece of cake! Buzz… Don’t forget to write in your journal before work. Buzz… I will be better tomorrow than I was the day before. Thank you Grandma and Kobe Bryant.

Early Monday morning, my reminder texts appear. Buzz… Don't forget to talk to Mrs. Smith about the 92 on the last quiz. Not happy. Buzz… The A in math is unacceptable. I need an A+ in math this quarter. Talk with the teacher. Buzz… Must go to the gym to improve core strength before practice tonight. Needs improvement. Buzz… Volunteer Saturday at 11 am for the National Honor Society coat drive. Although my entire family has extremely high expectations of me, I am the one who puts great pressure on myself to be perfect in everything that I do. In the classroom, anything below 95% is unacceptable because that means I did not work hard enough. On the field, anything less than perfection and pure dedication is intolerable. At work and volunteering, giving my all is the only option. My inspiration comes from Kobe Bryant who said, “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday and better tomorrow than you were the day before.” Last year, while taking my AP United States History test, I felt a sudden rush of agonizing pain in my temples. The constant stabbing only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. Advil and prescription medication did not help. I was a victim of the pressure I had put upon myself. I knew that something had to change, and I could not continue to live like this. I could no longer endure the physical pain; the migraines had become a daily occurrence that took me out of school. My grades suffered, my on-field performance declined, and my personality and drive for success dulled. It finally hit me: I needed to prioritize my well-being. If I was going to “try to be better than yesterday,” I must take care of myself. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I began journaling every day. I soon incorporated meditation and deep breathing exercises into my daily routine. I used positive self-talk to ignore my head pains and to motivate myself. I immediately felt an increase in motivation, and my migraines occurred less frequently. Early Monday morning, my reminder texts appear. Buzz… Remember to breathe today before the AP exam. Buzz … Before practice tonight, spend 20 minutes meditating. Buzz… You got this! The math test will be a piece of cake! Buzz… Don’t forget to write in your journal before work. This new way of thinking has been life-changing. I can focus on the positive and make sure that I keep my perspective. As I go to college I know how important this skill will be. I will continue my journaling and my breathing practice. I know that these activities really help so there is no reason to stop doing them. If when at college I begin to struggle again, I will reach out to my grandmother or my school resources. My grandmother is the wisest person that I know and I have tremendous respect for her. My resources at school will be able to give me immediate in-person help.

As time has gone on I have learned so much from other people. I have learned patience from my mom, organization from my dad, and kindness from my grandmother. But the quality that I have found to be the most important is hard work at determination which I found out myself. My whole life I have participated in athletics. Right before my freshman year, I decided I wanted to play field hockey. Hard work is one of the most important life skills that a person can have. I have always heard the saying hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. I thought that was just a saying and held no real value. I began playing field hockey going into my freshman year of high school. I knew I was the worst player on the team and I hated it. In every single drill, I would repeatedly get beat. One day before our first game I decided by the end of the season I was going to be the best player on the team. I would go to practice early and stay late. I would make time to work with my coach and learn new skills. By the end of the season, I was voted MVP by my coaches and peers. This was so rewarding to have my improvement recognized by others around me. This journey has tough me the value of determination and never giving up. I could have done the easy thing and given up or decided to try and play lacrosse in college, a sport I had been playing since kindergarten and I knew I could play in college, but I didn't. I loved the challenge that was before me. My teammates told me that this would be impossible, but it isn't. Now, I am committed to playing field hockey at Trinity College. This is an amazing accomplishment because Trinity is one of the top three division three teams in the country. This is a representation of my hard work on the field and I am excited to continue my hard work once I arrive at Trinity. Not only do I see the importance of determination on the athletic field, but also in the classroom. Math class has not always been super easy for me. During 8th grade, I suffered from Chronic migraines. I was suffering so much that I would often miss math class. As a result, I feel behind drastically. Once I got to high school, I knew I had to work twice as hard to catch up to my peers. I would show up early to school every day to meet with my teacher. At least once a week I would get math tutoring from my tutor. Right before Midterms I wanted to give up. I wanted to drop down into a lower math class that would not be as challenging, but I knew I couldn't. I have always been taught to face a challenge head-on and never give up. That is what I did. I got an A on my midtem and this showed me that with some determination, I can accomplish anything. As a result of my hard work and perseverance, I was able to catch up and surpass my peers in math. High school has been a challenging yet amazing experience for me. I have learned the great value of hard work and I cannot wait to continue outworking my peers on the path to success.

Math is the most important subject in school. I love math because I learn how to solve problems. For me, math class isn't about memorizing the quadratic formula or Pythagorean theorem, it's about learning new ways to approach a problem. I have also learned the importance of perseverance. Math class has not always been super easy for me. During 8th grade, I suffered from Chronic migraines. I was suffering so much that I would often miss math class. As a result, I feel behind drastically. Once I got to high school, I knew I had to work twice as hard to catch up to my peers. I would show up early to school every day to meet with my teacher and math tutor. At least once a week I would get math tutoring from my tutor. As a result of my hard work and perseverance, I was able to catch up and surpass my peers in math. Math has taught me to never give up, even when something is challenging and I will forever be grateful for it. The second reason why I love math so much is that it teaches me how to solve problems. During math class, I have learned that there are multiple ways to approach a problem and often there isn't one correct way. I learned that when something doesn't work out for the first time, it does not mean it is not possible, it means that I must approach it from another angle. This skill that I have learned in math class has helped me in life and having the ability to see a problem from multiple angles. One time I was trying to figure out how much paint we needed to cover a new section of wall. The equation that we created was not working so we thought of a new one that was able to work. Math is the most important class in all of the school because yes it does teach math skills that are needed for further levels of math and education, but it is amazing at teaching life skills. Without math, I would not have learned the importance of perseverance and problem-solving. I will forever be indebted to math and the wonderful teachers that I have had. I cannot wait for what the future holds and to be able to continue my love of math in my higher education.

There are no words that can describe the wonderful impact that athletics has had on my life. I have learned so many skills like the importance of hard work at determination. I have made the best friends in the world that I can not imagine my life without. They have taught me the importance of confidence as well as being able to stand up for yourself. I will forever be indebted to athletics for all of the amazing skills that I have learned. Hard work is one of the most important life skills that a person can have. I have always heard the saying hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. I thought that was just a saying and held no real value. I began playing field hockey going into my freshman year of high school. I was by far the worst player on the field. In every single drill, I would repeatedly get beat. This only inspired me to work harder. I would go to practice early and stay late. I would make time to work with my coach and learn new skills. By the end of the season, I was voted MVP by my coaches and peers. This was so rewarding to have my improvement recognized by others around me. Now, I am committed to play field hockey at Trinity College. This is an amazing accomplishment because Trinity is one of the top three division three teams in the country. This is a representation of my hard work on the field and I am excited to continue my hard work once I arrive at Trinity. Athletics has also given me my best friend in the world. During 8th grade, I suffered from some friend issues. I felt alone and that no one liked me. This was a really hard time for me but I turned to a girl on my lacrosse team. We had always known each other but we weren't very close. Over time we began to talk more and more. Now I can proudly say that she is my best friend and I tell her everything. We talk almost every day and I love having someone I can connect to about my love of sports. My athletic journey has not always been an easy one. For about two years I played for a mentally abusive coach. He would yell at us for what felt like hours and would turn the girls against each other. In playing for him I was scared of being yelled at. I lost all of my confidence as a player and even worse as a person. During games and practice, I was not playing for myself. Finally, I worked up the nerve to stand up for myself and leave the program. I told the coach about how hurtful the words he repeatedly said to me were like "If you ever want to be good you need to lose weight". After leaving his program I found a new team with a supportive coach. Over time I was able to regain my confidence. In leaving the team I was able to grow dramatically as I player. In the months after finding my confidence again I was able to commit to Trinity College. Being able to play sports have been the best experience of my life. I have learned countless lessons like the importance of confidence, friendship and hard work. I hope that I can inspire more young girls to participate in sports one day and teach the lessons that I have learned.

I have been blessed to have had so many great role models in my life. I have looked up to my wonderful parents, my older neighbors and the local leaders in my community. I have learned so much from these amazing people, but no one can compare them to my Grandmother. My grandmother is the hardest-working and strongest woman in the world. She is the first person in her family to graduate high school and college. This alone of one of the greatest achievements in her life. She was able to work her way up to becoming the first woman on the executive board at a large life insurance company. This teaches me that I can do anything that I put my mind to, regardless of being a woman. This year I have faced a lot of pressure from my parents and myself. The immense pressure was beginning to give me horrible migraines. I went to multiple doctors and eventually, I knew I could no longer suffer anymore. Nothing was helping me and I was lost on what to do. The only person that I can turn to is my grandmother. She was the highest-ranking person at an insurance company when 9/11 occurred. The building that she ran was a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero. She was in charge of making sure that all of her employees were safe and evacuated from the financial district, and that they made it out of Manhattann. As a result of this tragic day, she has suffered various medical issues including numerous complications with her lungs. Safe to say, she knows a thing or two about stress. I called my grandmother, a special person in my life who embodied the definition of success and mental stamina, and with tears in my eyes and a shaky voice, I told her about my situation and asked her for help. Her very wise advice was that I must find time every day to disconnect and breathe. She bought me a Madhappy journal and instructed me to write in it every day; she said that expressing my feelings on paper would start the healing process. I took her advice and began to journal every day. I began to focus on my well-being, and not the pressures from the outside world. As I began to start to feel better I called my grandmother and told her that she is my biggest role model. She was able to help me overcome my medical challenges and has inspired me to be the best person I can be. I thanked her for being a female trailblazer in the corporate world and how much it inspired me to pursue my dreams. She has shown me that anything is possible. She is my biggest role model and one day I hope I can be half as successful as her. I owe my happiness in my life to her and I will forever be indebted to her.

Math is the most important subject in school. I love math because I love learning how to solve problems. For me, math class isn't about memorizing the quadratic formula or Pythagorean theorem, it is about learning new ways to approach a problem. I have also learned the importance of perseverance. Math class has not always been super easy for me. During my 8th grade year, I suffered from Chronic migraines. I would get a migraine every single day for about nine months. I was suffering so much that I would often miss math class. As a result, I feel behind drastically. Once I got to high school, I knew I had to work twice as hard to catch up to my peers. I would show up early to school every day to meet with my teacher and math tutor. At least once a week I would get math tutoring from my tutor. As a result of my hard work and perseverance, I was able to catch up and surpass my peers in math. It was so rewarding to see my hard work pay off. Math has taught me to never give up, even when something is challenging and I will forever be grateful for it. The second reason why I love math so much is that it teaches me how to solve problems. During math class, I have learned that there are multiple ways to approach a problem and often there isn't one correct way. I have learned that when something doesn't work out for the first time, it does not mean it is not possible, it means that I must approach it from another angle. This skill that I have learned in math class has helped me in life and having the ability to see a problem from multiple angles. One time I was trying to figure out how much paint we needed to cover a new section of wall. The equation that we created was not working so we thought of a new one that was able to work. Math is the most important class in all of the school because yes it does teach math skills that are needed for further levels of math and education, but it is amazing at teaching life skills. Without math, I would not have learned the importance of perseverance and problem-solving. I will forever be indebted to math and the wonderful teachers that I have had. I cannot wait for what the future holds and to be able to continue my love of math in my higher education.

Losing someone who is like family is something I would never wish upon my bigest enemy. When you love friends so much they become family. I felt like family with John Smiths' family. I grew up with the smith family. Every holiday my family would make sure to see and spend time with the Smith family. John lived his life believing that he was the best at everything he did. he taught me what it meant to have confidence and never waiver in it. His confidence gave him the ability to outwork everybody and be successful. I loved hanging out with him and learning everything I could. We would go on vacations together whenever we could. That's why it was so Earth-shattering when he passed away. On July 29 I woke up outside of Boston to my mom telling me that we needed to leave right away. I was so scared and didn't know what happened. My heart dropped and I knew something was wrong, but I never could have imagined it would have been John. Once we got home she broke the news to me and my younger brother. Nothing can explain the pain I felt. I thought that my life could not go on, but it did. Every day I thought about him and how I could make him proud. I spoke to my dad and I told him how I wanted to honor his memory. My dad told me that the best way to share his memory is to follow what he said by giving my best effort in everything I do, no matter the adversity I have to fight through. John always told me to be confident in myself and that no one is better than me. Now it was time to listen to what he said. When I was at my tryout for my new club team I was nervous and the competition was really good. I was nervous and didn't know what to do. Then I thought back to what my dad said and think about John and what he would say. I listened to that and gave the tryout everything that I had. I didn't care who I went up against and how good they were because I knew that no one is better than me. I am still recovering from the loss but finding ways to channel his spirit has helped me recover and make him proud. Whenever I feel sad I remember the message he spread about being confident and hard work. The sadness will always be there but I have learned how to channel my pain in a way that would make John proud every day.

In my life, I work to go above in beyond in every area of importance to me. I work my absolute hardest in the classroom, on the field, and in volunteering. To me, there is no such thing as taking the easy road and only partially completing a task. In school, when I get an assignment, I create a plan of attack. I plan before for tests in quizzes to make sure that I plan accordingly. Whenever I have questions in the classroom I make sure to either come to school early or stay after to make sure that my questions have been answered. I play both lacrosse and field hockey. During my seasons I give everything to the team. I sacrifice so much to be successful on the field. I play club field hockey and I often have to be away on the weekends. I am ok with this because I made a commitment to my team and I must follow my commitment. Missing out on social events is super hard but to be the best, I must go above and beyond to be successful. While in high school season, I show up to practice early to get extra conditioning in. Now I am preparing to play field hockey at Trinity College. The team is very competitive and I know that I must do everything I can to be prepared for my next season. Now I follow a strict workout schedule consisting of running, lifting and plyometrics. I plan to go above and beyond to ensure my success at Trinity College. While volunteering I ensure that my work is making a positive impact on my community. Over the summer of 2021, I became very involved in the Cornerstone Garden in Ridgefield Connecticut. Cornerstone Garden is a 501(c) nonprofit organization that feeds people who are food insecure by growing fresh fruit and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables would be handed out to those who need them every other week between June and August. Every morning in the summer, I would come to the garden and do various tasks, such as weeding the garden. Other times, I would plant seeds and harvest food. The most meaningful part of working with Cornerstone garden was seeing my hard work help the community. I truly feel that the work I have put in is bigger than myself, and I feel such joy when I see the results of my work. In my family, hard work and determination is the only thing that matters. In applying for this scholarship I hope that it will help me achieve my future goals. I have outworked my peers in the classroom and on the field. My hard work ethic will continue to motivate me to go above in beyond in all aspects of my life and I hope that this scholarship can help me achieve my goals.

Money controls the world, and that is why I love working. I love being able to earn money and being able to do whatever I want with it. When I first began working I would almost run out of money before my next paycheck arrived. I would spend my money on silly things like clothes, food, makeup and other items that any teenage girl would want. It didn't bother me that I wasn't saving money and why would it, having savings accounts is for parents and I am a high schooler. My dad is my biggest role model and mentor in my life. I look up to him and he values hard work, so it made me happy once I got a job and was earning my own money. He saw that I was working hard and I was super happy that I was earning my own money for the first time in my life. He was happy for me but knew I was making a mistake. He told me that I need to learn about delayed happiness. While yes, I love going shopping with my friends but long term, it is not what is best for me. We watched a youtube video explaining delayed satisfaction. In the video, they described how learning delayed satisfaction is an important life skill if you have to be successful in the future. It described compounding interest in investments and the idea of putting your money in the market, letting it be, and seeking the results later. After the video I still did not completely understand what he was getting at. I asked him why I, a 17-year-old girl, needs to worry about that. He showed me a graph showing the benefit of compounding interest while investing. Seeing the data on the graph showed me how beneficial compound investments are. I saw how the more money that you invest earlier in your life, the better off you will be. I learned about where I can invest my money in safe avenues that over time will grow my money. I learned about the benefits of large funding like the S&P 500. I never knew that the money I was earning now could help me so much in the long run. After this conversation with my dad, I created a new plan for ways I can put money away for my future and to have the money that I love to spend. We came up with a plan for ways that I can put away my money. Together we decided that I will put about 50 percent of my paychecks into a Roth IRA account. We created some long term and short term goals for myself. I have found for me that having money-saving goals has been a good way to motivate myself. I set big goals for myself like by the end of the year, having 2,400 dollars in my Roth IRA account. This is a goal of mine because I want to take advantage of compounding interest. I have come up with a plan that every month, I need to put at least 200 dollars into the account to reach my goal. On average I get paid about twice a month and I average 250 dollars a check. For each paycheck I receive, my goal is to put at least one hundred dollars into my Roth IRA account. This small goal helps me stay on track and reach my larger saving goal. It might seem like a small goal, but I know that over time it will help me achieve my dreams in the future. Another thing that my father has taught me is once you get paid, move the money right away from your spending account into a savings or investment account. When he first described this to me it didn't make much sense. He told me that moving it right away will not tempt me to spend the money. If you cannot see the money that you have in your account, you will not spend it. This has already helped me so much because when I am out shopping I do not have to worry about the money I am going to put into my investment accounts, it is already done so the amount of money that I see, I can spend it. Saving money is not easy. Before talking to my dad I thought that saving money and making smart investments isn't important for me, but now I understand how valuable it is. I thank my dad every day for the outstanding advice that he has given me and I look forward to using his methods in the future.

My favorite thing to do is to find many different ways to give back. I work with a variety of organizations including Cornerstone Garden, a local organization that grows food for people who are food insecure. I also volunteer with youth Lacrosse and Field Hockey. Over the summer of 2021, I became very involved in the Cornerstone Garden in Ridgefield Connecticut. Cornerstone Garden is a 501(c) nonprofit organization that feeds people who are food insecure by growing fresh fruit and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables would be handed out to those who need them every other week between the months of June and August. Every morning in the summer, I would come to the garden and do various tasks, such as weeding the garden. Other times, I would plant seeds and harvest food. The most meaningful part of working with Cornerstone garden was seeing my hard work help the community. I truly feel that the work I have put in is bigger than myself, and I feel such joy when I see the results of my work. During the spring and fall when I am not practicing lacrosse or field hockey, I am volunteering with the youth programs. Some of my fondest memories come from working with these girls. I truly feel that so many lessons we learn on the field, transfer to real life. My love for lacrosse has driven me to share that love with younger girls. The moment I step on the field as a coach I am aware of the immense responsibility that I possess as their role model. As I sat next to Ashlee, holding her hand as her tears fell, I knew my role as a coach for the 8th-grade field hockey team had taken on a lot more than conditioning and skills practice. On the field, like in life, if we don't support each other emotionally and understand each other's differences, we can't be successful. I decided as their coach to implement a sense of unity, trust, and support within the team Being able to volunteer in my community has taught me so much. I have learned how to inspire those who are younger than me and share my greatest passions in life like lacrosse and field hockey. I have been able to participate in harvesting food for those in need. Through my work with cornerstone garden, I have been able to directly see the impact of my hard work on the world around me. My favorite thing in life is seeing the joy that my volunteer work brings to my community. As I go grow and go to college I will continue my passion for volunteering and share my love for the world.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is Mamma Mia! As a child, I would watch it every time I went to my grandparent's house. I would sit on the couch with the excitement building up inside of me, just waiting for her to hit play. Once the first song began playing, I began to sing my heart out. After years of watching this movie with my grandmother, I eventually learned every word of it. Nothing would compare to when my favorite song of the whole movie came on, Dancing Queen. I couldn't stop myself from standing up and dancing my heart out with my grandmother. As time went on things in my life began to change. I started to see my grandmother less and less due to family issues. It was really hard on me not being able to see her. Every day I would ask my parents when I could go to grandma's house to watch Mamma Mia. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I was able to go to grandma's house and watch my beloved movie. It finally gave me peace to be back with my grandma. As I began to grow up I learned about the meaning of true friendship. During the movie, Donna is met with a crisis as her daughter, Sophie, is getting married. Sophie doesn't know who her true father is, so she invited all three men that it could be. This is very stressful for Donna as she is confronted by her past life decisions that she ran away from. Rather than calling off the wedding, she leans on her long-time friends. This taught me that whenever something is going on in your life, your friends will always be there to support you. During high school, I pushed myself academically and I found it to be very stressful. I learned to lean on my friends when I faced challenges. Another lesson that I learned from this movie is that love is not always perfect, but it is worth it. Donna used this time to reconnect with the men she had once loved. Donna pushed them away in the past because she wasn't ready for marriage. Now that she was reunited with the man she once loved, she was able to fall back in love with Sam. Sam had loved Donna for over 20 years. This showed that love lasts forever and that you should never give up on it. Sam could have forgotten about Donna, but he still loved her. I look forward to one day finding a love as strong as theirs. This movie has impacted every part of my life. It is the foundation of the strong relationship that I and my grandmother have formed. It has taught me the importance of friendship and being able to have people around you that you trust. I learned about love, and how everlasting it should be. This movie has influenced me so much that when I do find my true love, I would love to get married on the Greek Island it was filmed on.