Thinking about my future college and career, I can not help but brim with excitement, hope, and positivity. My life is so full currently with clubs, field hockey, lacrosse, and spending time with my family and friends that I can not wait to envision my life when I have even more opportunities in front of me. While I am waiting to hear back from a few of my colleges with decisions, I fully can picture myself on all the campuses, making the most of this wonderful experience. While I am in college, I plan to take advantage of every opportunity. Something that drew me to large, well-established colleges was the breadth of activities they have. I would immediately want to get involved in student government, political organizations, environmental clubs, and club field hockey. These are all topics that I feel extremely passionate about and want to get more experience and involvement with. I would also love to take my love of travel to a semester abroad where I could experience new cultures and become a more compassionate person. I believe that travel is the most invaluable gift that somebody can experience since it opens a person’s eyes to different ways of life. In today’s world, people need to be more considerate of other’s customs, even if they do not understand them, something travel establishes in people. I also hope to gain work experience while pursuing an internship in college. Ideally, I would love to work on a political campaign or administration in Washington, D.C.. This would be irreplaceable if I decided to pursue a career in politics after college. Growing up, my family was highly involved in local politics and instilled in me how important it is to help others whenever possible. Having positive, efficient people in government roles can have a huge impact on communities. This is pushing me to follow my dreams of becoming a politician so I can help create the same positive impact that my family created in their roles. In college, I plan to major in political science with a minor in business or public administration. This major will support me post-college whether I decide to go into law or politics. If I take the law path, I hope to end up in criminal law, helping people who are wrongly accused or do not have the financial resources to defend themselves. After reading, “Just Mercy”, I was surprised to find out that the American justice system had so many flaws that led to the less fortunate being taken advantage of. If I became a lawyer my main goal would be to help as many people as possible. If I decide to become a politician, I would start working on issues that have impacted my community immediately. No matter if I am a local mayor or the president, changes can be made. The issues I would tackle first would be the environment, infrastructure, and protecting American industry and small business. These are the issues I believe need to be addressed first due to their dire state. I am so enthusiastic about my future to begin in the upcoming months and can not wait for the next chapter in my life!

This past November, while babysitting my 6-year-old cousin, she asked me why all the “big kids” cared so much about the election. I was very taken aback that she would ask that since she usually only talked to me about the new episode of “The Lion Guard” or what her favorite princess was that week. But mostly, I was taken aback that I did not have a concrete answer to give her. After trying to explain it to her, she got bored and returned to whatever picture she was coloring. I was not able to forget the question as quickly as her. I had no idea how to explain to a 6-year-old how caring about and voting in elections is one the biggest responsibilities a citizen of this great nation holds. So much of a person’s life lies in the hands of the people who win local, statewide, and national elections. Being able to control who is in charge of your community is a unique experience that people should not take for granted. As a senior in high school, I know multiple people who were able to vote in the last election. After talking to them, I often was shocked at how passionate I got when they told me that they “weren't planning on voting” and “didn't really care”. It further instilled in me that being a part of the democratic process was something I envisioned in my future. I believe that being a good citizen is doing the research, questioning opinions, and being respectful of differences during election cycles and life altogether. No matter what you believe, having strong morals and well-informed opinions about topics is what makes the “American experiment” so impactful. Being able to vote is a right that people fought for throughout decades and fulfilling this duty means you are doing your part in continuing the fight. Without voting, We The People would have no voice. I understand this because I have been a part of student government since middle school. Despite it being on such a small scale, I understand that every election I won for officer roles in the National Honor Society, Student Council, and Renaissance Club is a direct result of the democratic process. Voting has been an integral part of American society since kindergarten when the class would vote on whether we wanted Pizza or donuts for the holiday party. The Constitution is the epitome of all of these ideas. Our guiding principles. Our outline to uphold. Our directions to keep and maintain “A More Perfect Union”. Having the chance to defend the Constitution in an elected office is my biggest goal. Even since I was a little girl, I was infatuated with the grace and wisdom of the officials given the responsibilities of advocating for their community. With my Uncle Rob, as we lovingly called him, being a Freeholder in my county, I understood the impact that putting the right people in power could have on communities. Seeing this at such a young age, I imagined what could happen if the whole country had similar people elected who were devoted to creating better lives for their constituents. I wanted to be a part of these people in the future and inspire little girls similar to me to follow their passions. Our democracy and rights were earned, not given, and I intend to continue fighting for these values throughout my life.

Mental health was never a topic of conversation in my family. Every hardship that my cousins, friends, and family went through was followed by "they are so strong" and "look at how well they overcame their obstacles". Nobody ever asked how being perpetually strong and brave weighed on their mind, or how it was even possible to handle. We were a family of strong, independent women, capable of anything. When it was time for me to overcome my first obstacle, it was harder to be fearless than it sounded. My dad was always my best friend and partner in crime. So when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, it felt as though a part of my body was chopped off, leaving me paralyzed in fear. Freshly ten years old, I had no idea how to deal with this. An amorphous villain crept into my life and implanted itself, leaving deep roots that I could not dig out. A chronic control freak, I had no idea how to handle this major life change that I had no say over. So I dived into what I could control, my school. Despite only being in 5th grade, I dedicated everything to studying and schoolwork, since I could be a different person within my middle school than I was at home. Trying to balance two lives on a silver platter was not sustainable. I pushed away family and friends and did not talk to anyone. I started to have debilitating anxiety as I could not keep up my facade much longer. I was so scared to be known as the girl with the sick dad that I would flinch anytime family was brought up in class. My English teacher, Ms. Thurston, knew what I was going through and talked to me. She hugged me when I cried and was there for me. She gave me a journal, which I still keep to this day, to help me get my thoughts out and stop bottling up my emotions. I knew that I had to trust people close to me to feel better, and she was one. She was there at his funeral and held me when I cried. I am forever grateful to her for showing me how vulnerability is a strength. I am no longer scared for people to know about my dad, instead I want them to know. His life was full of joy, laughs, and love, and that is something to be shared, not kept secret. I still have anxiety, but I use journaling, along with taking walks, doing puzzles, and reading to help me manage it. The stress of school is still strong, but I now love dedicating time to studying and do not look at it as an escape. My life does not hang in whether I get a 100 or not. I am now an officer in my school's Morgan's Message club, helping to break the stigma of mental health in athletes, and love showing people how mental health is important and should be shared. Everyone has things they are scared of, but letting others in makes fighting battles in your mind less daunting. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and I want everyone to know they are not alone, a message I will continue to spread in college.