My experience with mental health has influenced me to be more open and caring with those I am surrounded with. Throughout my later years in high school, I began to struggle much more with my mental health and keeping healthy boundaries in place. This led me to engage in some self-destructive behaviors, which didn't help the situation as a whole but did alleviate my feelings in the moment. As I continued through high school, I realized that my coping mechanisms were not helping me heal in any way, shape, or form and that I needed real help if I was to get better. This led to being more open about what I was going through with my closest friends, and building a support group that I knew I could rely on no matter what. In addition to forming a better foundation for the people I was spending time with, I also began looking for outside help. Although my friends and family were great and helped where they could, I realized I needed help beyond what they could provide. This led me to begin looking for a therapist, and I eventually found one who was able to help me far more than I even have words to describe. My therapist showed me the importance of slowing down in life, setting boundaries, and sticking to them no matter what. She showed me that someone constantly on the edge of burnout wasn't something that I should be and that taking care of myself and my mental health took priority over everything else in my life. I am a person who is constantly seeking to please those around me, and this is what initially led to the intense flare-up of anxiety that I experienced. However, I quickly learned that there aren't enough hours in the day to appease everyone else constantly and that this lifestyle of people-pleasing would hurt more than help me. It took me longer than I would like to do something about this, though, as I felt that I was struggling through this anxiety alone and that no one truly understood my head. It quickly spiraled out of control, and I felt like I was constantly on the edge of drowning in a sea of emotions that I had no idea how to process. People are more observant than I often think, though, and one of my teachers reached out on a particularly awful day and asked how I was doing. This one conversation opened the door for me to seek the help I needed. Later down the road, this experience changed my belief from "we are all only in it for ourselves" to a more caring and compassionate outlook on life. This experience with my mental health rollercoaster has led to more genuine relationships, in which both sides are invested in the other's well-being. I have learned that it is essential to bring people along for the ride and that surrounding yourself with people who care and have your best interests at heart are the ones who will help when it feels like you're drowning. The people I have in my life now will be with me for the rest of my life, and I now believe that we are placed on this earth to support and love each other through any ups and downs that life is sure to bring.

Teaching is something that has captured my interest throughout my high school career as I have discovered what I enjoy and what my passions are. I have learned that I love teaching younger children, from kindergarten through mid-elementary years. These are such formative times in a child's development, as they are not only learning math and reading but also social cues and how to correctly behave outside of their homes. I love seeing the moment when a child finally understands something that they have been struggling to learn and watch as they learn how to form friendships. I also find it extremely rewarding to be able to form bonds with children as I teach them and also learn from them. Children value and trust those who show up for them day after day, and as a teacher, I would be able to form this kind of relationship with them. My family has had the strongest influence on my decision to become a teacher. I come from a family of educators, with all of my grandparents being involved in teaching and administration of some form. I saw how much they truly loved their jobs and the impact that they had on the kids they taught, and this is what first started my interest in teaching. For the past year, I have worked at a daycare, which has given me firsthand experience of the impact that teachers can have directly on children’s lives. Each child is unique in their learning style, and I have loved getting the opportunity to discover what each child’s is and helping them grow and develop in that particular way. Having this experience has only cemented my desire to become a teacher and have this kind of positive impact on many other children who would cross through my classroom. I have run cross country through all four years of high school, and I have learned how much I enjoy being part of a team. The bonds I have formed with my teammates will last a lifetime, because we have learned the importance of hard work and perseverance no matter what. Cross country has a generally positive environment, which has also shown me the importance of surrounding myself with people who will lift me and encourage each other. Being able to form relationships with people over the work and energy that we each invested into the sport and ourselves showed me the kinds of bonds that can be formed when we all persevere together. I valued every year of being able to run cross country, and the lessons of strength as a team and positivity are something that I will continue to apply throughout my life.