Both of my parents have been in the military before I was even a thought. Once my mom and dad found out that they were going to have a baby, they had finished their time in the Navy and left. Once I was born, my mom did not go back to the Navy. However, my dad decided to go back. After a few months he had returned back to the Navy. My dad would be gone for about 3-4 months and return for 2-3 months. From that point on it was always my mom and I. My mom practically raised me by herself since my dad would always be away. I was always with her and had a closer bond with her. I would facetime my dad almost every weekend, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t there with me. When he was with me, it felt like my time spent with him would always fly by. We would watch cartoons really early in the morning, go swimming, or go out and eat after a long, fun day at the arcade. As I got older, it was hard to have a close relationship with my dad. He was practically gone for almost my whole childhood. It also didn’t help that my parents divorced when I was in sixth grade. As I got older, my dad finally stopped going out of the country. Even though it was too late to make up for lost time, we tried to find other ways to spend time together. I still love my dad, even if he wasn’t always by my side. I am proud to have parents that have served in the military. When it was near the time to apply for college, my mom would tell me that she has always wanted me to do better than she has. She knows that I am capable of so much more and that I will do great things. That being said, my educational goals are to finish college and eventually get my doctorate. I would be the first to attend and finish college. My mom’s dream is to see me finish college because she couldn’t. Her main focus was to take care of her two younger siblings, make sure that the house was clean, that dinner was finished, and on top of that, to make sure that she had time to do her homework. She also couldn’t afford to go to college so that is why she joined the military instead. After graduation, I am hoping to attend vet school to become a veterinarian.

My name is Kaylie DeLeon and I will be an undergraduate at the University of California Davis in September of 2024. I will also be a first gen student. I enjoy reading, watching TV shows/movies, listening to music and spending time with my family/friends. I had moved highschools in the middle of my sophomore year because my mom had gotten a higher paying job. We moved from southern California to northern California. However, it was a blessing in disguise because I would have been closer to my dream college. I knew that my grades would be on the line because everything that I do in high school would eventually lead up to me getting accepted from colleges. I knew that my grades wouldn’t be the problem; they were my motivation to do better than ever. It was my social life. I didn’t know anybody and whenever I would try and start a conversation, my peers would ignore me or not be interested. I was alone and would end up calling my aunt in a bathroom stall. Eventually though, I managed to make one friend towards the end of my sophomore year. From then on out, I had become myself again and had met amazing people that made the rest of my high school years worth it. I put myself out there and had joined a few clubs that interested me; book club, actions for animals, key club, and mock trial are just a few that I was in. I also got back into dancing to mainly focus on hip hop. It eventually led to me starting my own club my senior year. It was a dance club because I wanted to share with others the power of dance and what it does to our mind and body. I also volunteered at an animal shelter because I knew it would be a small step into my future career. Therefore, I want to attend college because I want to be able to have my dream career of being a veterinarian. I see how my mom pushes me and encourages me to do better than she ever did. I have had pressure from her because she knows what I am capable of. She wants me to be the very best and succeed well in life. She never attended college and went into the Navy instead. I want to make her proud and have her see me graduate college. She has sacrificed so much for me that I am beyond grateful for her. She has been my number one support system from the very beginning. My career goal is that I will graduate college and hopefully attend vet school. Hopefully, I am able to get in and achieve my goal to take care of animals. I think later down the line I would want to travel the world and take care of animals from different places. However, in the next few years that are coming up I am hoping to get a job, maybe something that has to do with animals, and just finish college. My life goal that I hope to achieve some day is that I will be with someone and would want to buy an apartment for the both of us to start off with. Along with that, I am hoping that with the money that I will have saved from my job, I can take my mom to Europe.

When Taylor Swift came out with 1989, it became the pop album of that year. Now with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) out, it became a very anticipated album that many Swifties were excited for. It’s very hard to choose one specific song from this album. The year that I had so far that would be my soundtrack would be Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version), I Know Places (Taylor’s Version), Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault), Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault), and Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault). All of these songs resonate with me because they describe a situationship that I had with a guy towards the end of my junior year to the beginning of my senior year in high school. Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version) talks about a person describing a memory that they want to keep alive from their past relationship. I had something going on with a guy that I really liked and it felt like a dream. He had become my best friend when I moved in the middle of my sophomore year and I had started to develop feelings for him. He was a really good guy. The song I Know Places (Taylor’s Version) then talks about how two people are trying to hide their relationship from paparazzi. I can relate to this song in a way because I was trying to figure out my feelings for the guy that I liked. He has never been in a relationship, so he was also trying to figure out what we were. At that time, our friend group was huge, so we were trying to keep it lowkey so nobody would know until we knew officially. It was definitely hard because our friends would always see that we were always together. Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) says it all within the title. It talks about how two people don’t talk anymore like they once did before. I can 100% relate to this song, especially the lyrics of “I call my mom, she said that it was for the best” and “I called my mom, she said to get it off my chest” because my mom knows how much I wear my heart on my sleeve; I had really liked this guy but it felt like he definitely led me on. That being said, the songs Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) and Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) felt like I had reached a denial stage. The song Is It Over Now? talks about an on-and-off relationship where the person doesn’t know where they stand anymore with their partner. I had a similar feeling to this because at times with this guy, it felt as if I didn’t know where we stood or what we were. As soon as I realized that what we had was coming to an end, the song Say Don’t Go was a song that I would listen to repeatedly. I was very sad and did not want to see my relationship with him end, even as a friend. The lyrics “Why’d you have to lead me on?,” “Why’d you have to twist the knife?,” and “Walk away and leave me bleeding?” perfectly described how I was feeling because I felt very blindsided by him and his actions. Even the lyrics of repeatedly saying “Say don’t go” shows that the person doesn’t want their partner to leave; they are in denial that they are really leaving. It felt as if it was talking about me.

I was looking for something to watch on Netflix because I wanted to get hooked and addicted to another show. I came across Love Island and it looked entertaining. At that time, Netflix started with season 3 and ever since then I wanted to watch the prior seasons. I found out that it was on Peacock and have been loving the show ever since. However, I noticed that most, if not all of the challenges are the same. I feel like at times it could be boring to watch the same challenges over and over; especially if the islanders rarely go outside of the villa. Therefore, I feel like a brand new challenge that Love Island can do is Adventure Racing. Now, I know that production may not want the islanders to go out in public due to it being a show and that fans can go crazy when they see them. However, production can create a specific route that is still secluded to the islanders yet open enough for them to go out and explore. All of the challenges that I have seen are always within the villa or close by. With Adventure Racing, the islanders can go out and explore a bit. The objective of the challenge would be how well a couple can communicate well with each other. Through the good, bad, and the ugly. It would put them to a test to see how well they are willing to work together through obstacles that they could potentially face in life. Usually an adventure race consists of hiking, navigating through trails, paddle boarding and/or maybe even rock climbing. The rules would be no usage of technology whatsoever. The islanders would need to use a map and mark their checkpoints that they need to find. They are allowed to bring snacks and water and rest for however long they need to. Seeing as adventure racing can range from hours to days, a comfortable yet challenging race could potentially be 3 hours for the islanders. This new challenge would add excitement for viewers because we would see how well the couples would strategically work together to overcome obstacles that they would be facing together. This challenge would require communication skills, working together, and even having fun. We would be able to see how each couple are with each other outside of the villa as they overcome this fun adventure together.

I had lived in Palmdale my whole life. However, my sophomore year comes around and my mom tells me that we are moving. My challenge was that I had gone from a big support system to just being my mom and I. I had moved in the middle of my sophomore year. My mom has talked about moving from Palmdale to Sacramento. She had told me that she wanted to get a better job and make more money. However, the real reason behind her drive to move was because she wanted to be closer to my dream college: UC Davis. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian and UC Davis is the number one school just for that. Ever since my mom and my dad divorced when I was in 6th grade, we have always been close. I knew that from that moment on that she would always have my back no matter what. When she told me that we were going to move, I knew that it was for the best. She wanted nothing but the best for me and I knew that I had to work harder than ever. When the second semester of sophomore year came, I was finally enrolled in the school. Comparing my old high school and my new high school, they were completely different. For example, my old high school had our classes outside, whereas my new high school had all my classes inside. I knew that I wouldn’t have a hard time with the classes because I was pretty good at staying on top of my work. I had to stay on top of my work because getting straight A’s would mean getting into UC Davis. I am so hard on myself that I will not let myself eat or use the bathroom until I am done with all of my homework/studying. My grades weren’t the problem, but rather my social life. Whenever I would go to my classes, I didn’t know anybody. I tried to talk to my peers about school work but they wouldn't be interested in talking to me. I felt very out of place and scared. I was a ghost. Once lunchtime came around, I felt lost on where to go. I would call my aunt during my lunch so that I would have someone to talk to. However, it wasn't always the case because she would be working. So, I would go to the bathrooms and eat my lunch in a stall. I felt so alone because I didn’t have anybody to talk to. I would cry myself to sleep every night. I just did not fit in. Although I was on my own for the rest of my sophomore year, I had gathered the courage to make a friend that I will always be grateful for. My challenge of moving to Sacramento in the middle of my sophomore year was rough. My mental health was really low and if it wasn’t for my grades that kept me motivated, I felt like I would have been lost. It helped me stay distracted. Almost two years later, I finally have friends that I can be myself around. I finally feel comfortable knowing that if I am alone again, I can be confident to go up to someone and talk to them. I finally am brave enough to be myself again. I know that there are going to be many bumps and pit stops along my life, but I know that I can overcome those challenges. I can make those obstacles come out into something good.

My name is Kaylie DeLeon and I am a senior at Inderkum High School. I moved to Sacramento in the middle of my sophomore year. My mom had gotten a better job offer that would help her make more money. However, the real reason for me moving up there is because I would be closer to my dream school: UC Davis. It was a struggle for me to get accommodated to the new school because it was completely different. For one, classes were held inside rather than outside from my old high school. However, mentally it was also a struggle because while I maintained my straight A’s with a breeze, I had a hard time being social. I was alone and did not know anybody. I would try and talk to my peers but they didn’t seem interested in having a conversation with me. Even though I was alone pretty much my whole sophomore year, I had managed to make a friend on the last day of school. On a lighter note, I enjoy reading, writing poetry, listening to music, dancing (specifically hip hop), anything Disney related and spending time with my friends. When junior year rolled around, I became more involved in many activities. I joined key club, actions for animals club (which is to promote awareness for animals in shelters), and book club. My senior year I created a dance club because I am so passionate about dancing that I wanted to try and get people out of their comfort zones. I have been dancing since I was 2 years old. I would dance ballet and tap. When I was about 4-5 years old, I danced hip hop. Ever since then, I have been passionate about solely dancing hip hop. I even dance after school at a studio that is across from my school. On top of my passion for dancing, I am also passionate about animals. I want to be a veterinarian. I had dipped my toe and started volunteering at the animal shelter. It not only gave me an opportunity to complete my 30 hours of community service, but it had opened the door of starting somewhere with being involved with animals. Therefore, I want to continue to get involved with animals as much as possible. My goal after high school is to hopefully attend UC Davis and then make my way to vet school to become a veterinarian. That being the case, I would want to start a charity that would help sheltered animals find a home. Animal shelters are always filling up quickly everyday, sometimes even overflowing. It can be overwhelming for workers because they want to make sure that every animal is comfortable and is getting the attention that they deserve. I would serve at my local animal shelter called Front Street Animal Shelter because I have volunteered there before. Volunteers would be giving an extra hand at the shelter, others can go door to door in their local neighborhood to ask for a donation, or a special event where the shelter hosts one day out of the year where the community can meet and play with the animals of their choice; of course, hopefully, with enough volunteers to overlook the animals to make sure no one gets hurt.

I have always wanted to volunteer at an animal shelter because that would get my feet wet to lead me to a path of becoming a veterinarian. Luckily, the opportunity was perfect when I had to volunteer for my senior project. I had volunteered at my local animal shelter and will continue to volunteer, if not locate somewhere else closer to the college of my dreams. Volunteering at the animal shelter had given me skills that I had strengthened and even gained. I have had experience of helping and cleaning after dogs, so it made things easier whenever I was asked to clean their kennels. Not only that, but it helped me get out of my comfort zone to not be afraid to ask for assistance. I did not like talking on the walkie talkie because I felt like I was making a fool of myself. However, I had the courage to talk on the walkie talkie because I needed clarification about a task that I was told to do. As I had continued to volunteer, it has shaped my life of communicating better and being more confident in myself; if I needed to get something done I needed to go after it. Life is too short to wait. Over time, I would volunteer almost every weekend to the point where my mentors knew what I was doing. They would even ask me to show new volunteers the ropes on what they can do to help around. They would ask questions and I would try to be as thorough as possible, clarifying to them so that it is easier for them to get. I am a very shy person, but I am not as scared as I was before; I am more confident to talk to people and help them in any way that I can. This has helped me develop my leadership skills. Animal shelters are always seeking help due to the overflow that they get from many animals that they take in. As I had continued to volunteer, it gave me insight on the struggles and stress that workers go through. They will try to take full responsibility all at once. Animal shelters help take care of the lost and abandoned animals. They also treat the injured and the sick. By helping as much as I can, it has made me realize that I could be the voice for animals and make them feel loved and comfortable as possible. Whether that is taking care of the animals, washing the dishes/doing laundry, or just advocating for the care that these animals deserve. There is a shortage of veterinarians especially at the shelter. This has increased my awareness that animal shelters will always need help. Therefore, it drives me to the path in wanting to help get as much experience as I can. My goal is to major in Animal Science and get more experiences with animals. We all start somewhere and eventually, I hope that I am able to go to vet school to get my doctorate. I want to take care of these animals just as much as there are doctors who are determined to take care of people.

My mom has talked about moving from Palmdale to Sacramento. She has told me that she wanted to get a better job and make more money. However, the real reason to move was because she wanted to help me get into the university of my choice. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian and UC Davis is the number one school just for that. Therefore, she wanted to move to Sacramento. I was then enrolled for the second semester of my sophomore year. My old high school and my new high school were completely different because classes were held inside rather than outside. It gave me the vibe from the show Saved by the Bell. I knew I had to stay on top of my work because getting straight A’s would mean getting into the university of my choice. The pressure was definitely on because my mom has always pushed me to go to college and have a high paying job to help me succeed. After all, I am an only child who is going to be the first to go to college within my family. For that reason, I have always put pressure on myself to get straight A’s. I was so hard on myself that I will not let myself eat or use the bathroom until I am done with all of my homework/studying. I knew that I could not afford to fail because that would mean I couldn’t get into the college that I wanted. The grades weren't the problem that I had when I moved. It was my social life. I would try to talk to my peers in my classes about school work or have small talk, but they wouldn’t be interested in talking to me. I didn't know anybody. Everyone knew each other because they had grown up together from elementary school. Once lunchtime came around, I would call my aunt in a bathroom stall so that I would have someone to talk to. However, it wasn't always the case because she would be working. I felt very out of place and would end up crying myself to sleep because I knew that I couldn’t talk about past memories that I had with others at my new high school. I just did not fit in. Even though I was on my own for the rest of my sophomore year, I had gathered the courage to make a friend by asking for his Instagram on the last day of school. Our friendship began to develop when he had offered me a concha and once I had texted him thank you, we had begun to talk more. I understand that there are going to be many bumps and pit stops throughout my life, but I know that I can overcome those challenges by adapting to a new environment and adjusting to setbacks. If someone was in a similar situation, I would not hesitate to be friends with them. I would let them know that they are stronger than they think and that they have come a long way to get where they need to be now. Life is a roller coaster; you won't know where you end up but you will eventually be where you are meant to be in your life. There are many obstacles in life that we overcome, but it helps shape us to the people that we are meant to be and challenge us on how much we can take.

While growing up I would have Disney movies out on DVD before Disney+, have a princess-themed room and princess-themed birthday parties, as well as going to Disneyland once a year. Even now as a young woman, I am still obsessed with everything that Disney has. From the movies to Disney trips to collecting souvenirs, I feel like I can be a kid again. It has brought me so much joy to the point where I will start crying whenever I see the original movies or hear their sing-alongs. However, if there is one thing that I love about Disney, it would be their movies and how we could connect and relate with the characters so easily. I love everything about Disney movies because of the sing-alongs. The sing-alongs are so catchy that I will randomly catch myself singing them. Not only that but the movies have such a meaningful lesson that will carry out into the rest of our lives. For example, in the movie The Lion King, Rafiki tells Simba that he can run away from his past or learn from it. It is easier said than done because throughout our lives there will always be something that will remind us of the past. However, we need to learn how to move from the past for us to live in the now. The past should not define us because it happened in the past for a reason. Another example of life lessons that Disney has shown is in the movie Beauty and the Beast. The lesson being shown throughout the whole movie is to not judge a person by their looks. It all depends on the personality of that person and how they are. A person can be very good-looking but be mean. However, if you have a nice personality then you can attract other nice people. That is why my favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. My mom has always told me that I remind her of Belle because of how similar we are. I love reading books, I am kind, and I am intelligent. Not to mention that we look very similar with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Ever since then, it has been implemented in my brain that whenever I see Belle, I get excited. She is like my twin and I love her. Even the movie, Beauty and the Beast gets me emotional because Belle sees the good in people no matter how they look. I am the same way because I am very optimistic and will not judge you based on your looks unless you have an ugly, mean personality. To me, she is like the older sister that I never had, so I look up to her character a lot. Once you connect with a movie that you enjoy, people tend to want to connect with a certain character that best replicates themselves. People will see their personality characteristics being reflected and will want to form a relationship just like we do with family and friends. People then tend to fill in any gaps that could have potentially been from their past. These lessons being presented in movies then give people an outer perspective of reality. Disney has touched hearts with the fun and crazy characters, the entertaining storylines, the nostalgic feeling of being a kid again, and many recollections of memories that generations have grown up with. The catchy sing-alongs within the movies keep the audience entertained and drawn in. It has brought many people close together because of that comforting feeling from our childhood.