The awkward thing that makes me stand out is that I'm dyslexic. Now, I don't think that having a disability is awkward because people can't control it. Me being dyslexic has led to some awkward and funny situations. Examples of this include instances where a word is written on the board or in a sentence that I misread, and when I ask a question about it, people look at me as if I'm crazy. They then explain what the word is, and they laugh about me being dyslexic. The same applies to learning games as well. We were asked to read the question, and the team raised their hand first to answer it. I had read the question wrong, but I had told my friend that the reason why you can't drink salt water is that it's too salty. Which wasn't even part of the question, but when he said it, the whole class laughed, and he made fun of me for the rest of the class. Now it might seem that everyone is being mean, but they're not. It's really only light teasing and just them laughing while I laugh with them. It’s also made funnier by the fact that I’m ranked fourth in my class, so they still come to me if they need help with classwork. They always tell jokes for fun. I even make fun of the stuff they do back at them. We have been classmates together since we were in preschool, so everyone knows everyone super well. The only time someone at my school has made me feel weird about being dyslexic is when I was talking to a new student, and I was explaining that it takes me longer to understand assignments because I'm dyslexic. After, he said I can tell just from talking to you. It honestly made me feel bad and has made me a little self-conscious when talking because I already struggle talking to people because of my social anxiety, then to be told that someone can tell I'm dyslexic just from talking to me, made me double-think everything I say after talking to someone. The only time I was made to feel bad about it was before I was diagnosed. This is because, before I was diagnosed, when I tried to explain to adults that reading was hard for me because the words would blend together and wouldn't make any sense. I would be told that I was lazy and that I just didn't want to read. I was often told by teachers that I wasn't trying hard enough, that it was my fault I wouldn't read or write. However, in the fifth grade, my teacher listened to me and recommended that my mom get me tested. Once my tests came back, it changed everything. My fifth-grade teacher stayed with me after school to help me read and spell words. However, because my school is so small, they didn't know how to help me, so on my own, I found ways to reteach myself how to read and spell in a way that I understood.​ Even with this little awkward thing that held me back for years, I don't let it get in my way and work towards doing the best I can. I've learned that challenges can help us grow stronger. Instead of focusing on what I can't change, I choose to channel my energy into my studies and growth. This has allowed me to stay positive and motivated. I remind myself that setbacks are part of the journey, and with determination, I can overcome anything.

The reason why I am so passionate about getting my degree in forensic science is that I want to be able to help people the best way I can. This is due to the fact that, with advancing technology, forensics has been able to assist many people in numerous ways. For example, being able to solve entire crimes from the tiniest piece of evidence, to solving cold cases. With continuous advancement in this field, it has been able to help so many people in so many different ways. When technology was not as advanced as it is today, so many cases were left either unsolved or took longer to figure out. This is due to the fact of how long it would take to piece together the evidence, or we did not have the technology to be able to solve the different crimes. This is why so many cold cases are being looked at again, because now that we have the technology and means to be able to help solve the crimes, cold cases are able to be solved and brought to justice instead of being forgotten on a shelf. That is why I want to be involved in this field so badly, because not only are we able to help people now, but we are also able to help people in the past. Not only that, but I have seen how much good it can do and has done for people. It is due to the fact that I know what it can and has done for people, because without it, any crime that is committed would not be solved, because they would have no one to examine the evidence. This leads to criminals getting away with the crimes they have committed and being able to walk free without punishment. I know what it is like to feel the loss of a loved one, but I could not imagine the pain of losing someone who lost their life due to someone else simply wanting to take it. That is why I want to be able to help by being able to help prevent cases from going cold. Helping the loved ones of the victim be able to sleep a little easier at night, knowing that someone out there is looking out for them, and the loved one that they lost won't be treated as just another case number, just as a person whose life was taken from them far too soon. That is why I am passionate about getting a degree in this field so that I will be able to help others who have suffered a tragic loss to the best of my abilities. With this degree, I will not only be able to help people who have suffered a tragic loss, but I will also be the first in my family to get a degree. This means so much to me because I will be the first in my family to go to college and be able to help the future generations of my family by knowing what to look for when applying to college and finding scholarships to be able to help pay for college.

Earning my college degree will be a turning point in my life, allowing me to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a forensic scientist. Since the fifth grade, I have been inspired to pursue this path after seeing how forensic scientists positively impact the lives of others through documentaries. My goal is to help solve crimes, bring justice to victims, and prevent cases from becoming forgotten. Driven by personal experience with loss, I want my work to assure families that their loved ones matter and will not be forgotten. ​ Being the first in my family to attend college, I believe getting my degree will also change the path of future generations in my family. My experience navigating college with no family guidance has been stressful, but by earning my degree, I hope to lead and support younger relatives through their own journeys. I want to show them how to choose colleges, apply for scholarships, and lessen their anxiety about higher education. ​ Getting my degree would mean so much to me, not only to achieve my lifelong dream but to be able to be the first of my family to go to college. Not only that, but I will be able to prove everyone wrong because throughout my life, people told me that I wasn't good enough or smart enough for college. It didn't help that the odds of my going to college were stacked against me because no one in my family has gone to college, and because I am dyslexic, so I often have a hard time reading and writing, which takes me much longer to complete assignments. However, being able to get my degree will not only show that I am good enough but also show that my hard work has paid off. ​ I have worked so hard to pursue my passion for forensic science by teaching myself how to read and write in a way that I am able to understand. I work hard to save up for college, so that I won't have to go into massive amounts of debt to go to college. I have also strived to get good grades so that I would be able to go to my dream college, which I was able to get accepted into, and I am attending this August. I am nervous about going to college, especially because it is clear across the country from where I live. However, I am determined and excited to be able to do this to be able to achieve my dreams and show that I can do it.

Hi, my name is Kinzee Ranft. I attend Horseshoe Bend High School, where I have lived in my small town for my entire life. I was raised in a single-parent household by my mother and with the help of my grandparents. When I first heard of this scholarship, the only thing that came to mind was that attending college was my biggest dream, which I worried wouldn't be good enough or long enough for this essay. However, when I kept seeing this scholarship keep popping up while looking for others, I realized that I had achieved a lifelong goal that I wanted since I was a kid. The reason why I wanted to go to college so badly is that all my life I have been told that I wasn't good enough for college or that I wasn't smart enough for college, and so I wanted to be able to prove them wrong that I could do this. The reason why I was told that I wasn't smart or good enough for college is that I had the odds of it happening against me. First, growing up in a single-parent household, being raised by my mom because my mom had to work so hard, but to get by, there wasn't any money set aside for college. Second was the fact that I will be the first person in my family to go to college, so I had no one to guide me on what to do when looking at and applying to college. Third and finally, most importantly, why I was told I wasn't smart or good enough for college was because in fifth grade, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. When I got diagnosed with dyslexia, everything started to make sense because before, people and my teachers just assumed that I wasn't paying attention in school. Even when I told them that I was paying attention and was trying, they didn't believe me. I remember this one instance that sticks out to me when it all made sense, and it was the first time that I tried telling people something was wrong. I told one of my family members that when I tried to read the lines blend into each other, and the words get jumbled. What was I told when I tried telling them something was wrong, that I was making it up because I don't like reading? However, after my diagnosis, nothing really changed because my school didn't know how to help people with dyslexia. So instead of giving up, I did my own research, and thanks to my fifth-grade teacher, I was able to read and write. To be honest, without her, I wouldn't be able to go to college because she was able to help me learn different ways to read and write in a way I would understand. From that day forward, I worked hard to get good grades to get my honors diploma, and work towards going to college. Another dream that I achieved was that I wanted to go to my dream college. I knew it would be hard to get into because it is a private college. I knew that the chances of getting in were low, even my own mom thought that it was impossible, but she still pushed me to apply because she said there was no harm in trying. However, when I got in, I was shaking when I read the acceptance email. That, despite everything, I was able to get into my dream college, which is one of the hardest colleges to get into, I couldn't believe it. During this time, my senior year, I managed to achieve my two hardest dreams: getting into college and getting into my dream college, but I did it. Going to college means I will also be able to achieve another one of my dreams, which is becoming a forensic scientist. The reason why I want to be a forensic scientist is that I have seen how much they are able to help people, and I want to be a part of it. Even though they don't get the recognition they deserve for solving crimes, I don't mind because I just want to be able to help people who have suffered the death of a loved one. Knowing that I will be able to help people is enough for me, knowing I'm helping people's cases from going cold, and that the loved ones will be able to sleep a little easier knowing the criminal who took away their loved one is brought to justice.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world in the future by working hard to earn my degree, which will enable me to help others. My journey begins with a deep passion for forensic science—a field that plays a critical role in society by seeking truth and justice. The reason I will be able to help people is that I want to pursue a degree in forensic science. With this degree, I will be able to help individuals who have suffered a tragic loss. My motivation to follow this path comes from a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by crime and tragedy. What I will be able to do is help solve crimes by looking at the evidence that was collected, and be able to piece together what happened and help figure out who did it. I am excited by the opportunity to work alongside law enforcement professionals and use my expertise to analyze physical evidence, conduct laboratory tests, and reconstruct events. The reason why I want to be able to help people this way is that losing a loved one is a horrible tragedy. It is made even worse knowing that someone else took their life. That is why I want to be able to help bring justice to those who have had their lives lost due to another person. I believe that everyone deserves to have their story heard and to have someone advocate for the truth. By dedicating myself to this career, I aim to be that advocate and support system for victims and their families. While I am in college, I will work hard to get my degree, knowing that I will not only achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a forensic scientist but also I will be able to help people. With this degree, I will use what I have learned in college in the field and work as hard as possible in order to bring justice to those who have been wronged. I am committed to continual learning and professional development so that I can remain up-to-date with the latest advancements in forensic science. By doing so, I will be better equipped to handle complex cases and apply innovative techniques that can make a difference in the outcome of investigations. With those being brought to justice, the loved ones of the victims will be able to sleep a little easier at night knowing that the person who took the life of their loved one has been punished for their crimes. Along with knowing that their loved one was never forgotten about and that people were working hard to make sure that their case didn't go cold. It’s my hope that my work will not only result in justice for victims but also provide comfort and peace of mind to their families. In short, the way I will be able to leave a positive impact on the world is by working hard to get my degree in forensic science so that I will be able to help people who have suffered a tragic loss and make sure that the person who committed the crime is brought to justice. I am determined to approach each case with compassion, diligence, and integrity, always striving to uphold the highest standards of my profession. Through my dedication to this important field, I hope to inspire others to pursue careers that make a positive impact on society as well, creating a ripple effect of hope and justice for generations to come.

A meaningful relationship that has shaped who I am today is the one I had with my grandma. This is because not only has it shaped how I build connections with others, but she has also made me into the person I am today. My grandma was an amazing role model in life and has inspired me so much with everything I do in my life. She taught me how to be a kind, caring person, accepting everyone with open arms. She not only taught me how to be a good and kind person, but she also taught me crucial skills that I will need in my life, such as cooking, cleaning, and how to look for savings when shopping. ​ She meant too much to me when growing up. This is because she raised me while growing up. This was because after my mom had found out she was pregnant with me, and she told my dad she was pregnant, he left, not wanting me. So my mom had to move back in with my grandparents so that she could have help. After I was born, my mom had to work three full-time jobs just to make sure that I was taken care of, so the only time that I got to see my mom was on Sunday morning before work. Meanwhile, my grandma had been the one taking care of me during that time, which created a strong bond between us. Even after my mom was able to get a place of her own, she still needed my grandma to take care of me because she could not afford normal daycare. After I started school, I would still go down to my grandparents' in the morning so she could get me ready for school and take me there. She would even pick me up from school until my mom got off work and could take me home. ​ Sadly, on December 21, 2022, she passed away due to stage four colon cancer. Losing her took a massive toll on me. It didn't help that we lost her so close to Christmas, so getting through the holidays was rough with the constant reminder that she was no longer with us. However, losing her taught me a valuable lesson, that I should make the most out of life with the people I have with me because they won't be in my life forever. This changed how I build relationships with people. I should make the most out of the limited time I have with them and make sure that every person I care about knows just how much I truly love and care for them. This is because losing my grandma showed me that not everyone will do anything around forever, that I need to make the most out of the limited time I have with my loved ones, and not let it go to waste. Even though she is no longer here, I know deep down that she is here with me in spirit, looking over me. I also know that no matter what I do with my life she will be proud of me no matter what I choose to do with my life.

The person who has supported me on my educational journey is my mom, because not only has she supported me on my journey, but she has also pushed me to chase my dreams. How I plan to honor her while striving towards my dreams is by doing my best and working my hardest while in college, and not stopping until I achieve my dream of becoming a forensic scientist. How I will build on her support as I work to succeed in my goals is by constantly reminding myself why I want to achieve my dreams. This is because I want to be able to make her proud because she has sacrificed so much for me while being a single mom supporting all on her own. I want to be able to make her proud of me and show her that I can achieve my dreams. The reason why her support has been instrumental to me as a child growing up in a single-parent household is that she never made me feel like a disappointment or ever regretted having me. Because of how much she has shown how much she loves and supports me, I have never felt that I was unwanted or made to feel as if I am a disappointment. This is because I sometimes wonder if she ever regrets having me because she had to raise me all on her own at a young age of twenty one years old and had to make major sacrifices and miss opportunities with her life just for me. She went through so many hardships while raising me from becoming a single mother at twenty one, working three full time jobs just to be able to support me, only being able to see me on Sunday morning before she had to go to work and having to leave me with my grandma so she could work, to missing many of my milestones while growing because she had to work so much just to support us on her own. However, even with all these sacrifices, she has never shown once that she has had any regrets about having me. Which is why I want to strive so hard to make my dreams come true is because I want to be able to make her proud and be able to show her that I can achieve my dreams through hard work, as she has shown me.

Hi, my name is Kinzee Ranft. I attend Horseshoe Bend High School, where I have lived in my small town for my entire life. I was raised in a single-parent household by my mother and with the help of my grandparents. Thanks to them, they have helped shape me into the strong, hardworking, caring, kind, and helpful person I am today. Some of my interests include softball, baking, solving puzzles, cooking, and caring for my pets. The extracurricular activities I participate in include playing softball on my high school softball team. The position that I play in during the game is every position; it is my favorite sport, and it is the first sport where I have been able to thrive and grow. Living in a small town, everyone knows everyone, and they all help out and look out for each other. I also work at one of my town's local restaurants: Sonora Mexican restaurant, which has given me a strong, hardworking, and good work ethic. Not only that, but I babysit for local families from time to time, which has given me a good understanding of childcare. What I have personally done to help out my community is help out our local Optimist youth sports program. What I did to help out was refereeing the games, working the concession stand, and keeping score during the games. Not only that, but I also help out with the high school volleyball team by keeping score during the games and being a line judge for them. Growing up being raised only by my mother was difficult to say the least. This is due to the fact that while I didn't notice anything different in my living situation because I didn't know anything different. However, the other kids in my school who grew up in a two-parent household noticed this very quickly. One moment that sticks out to me was when my friend asked me why I didn't call my brother's dad, dad but instead called him by his real name. That was when I first realized that my life was a lot different from everyone else. However, still to this day, it doesn't bother me that much that I don't know my real dad; that is because of the way I look at it. If he didn't care enough to want me around, why should I care about him or think about him at all? My mom also taught me to be a kind and hardworking person, even working three jobs while I was a baby, just to make sure I was taken care of and didn't go without. ​ An event that made me have a new understanding about myself was during my junior year I was stressed out with school work and home life, I couldn't stop freaking out. So my student counselor suggested that I drop out of getting the honors diploma so that I could take easier classes. At first, I was relieved, then dreading that something I worked so long and so hard for could go away within minutes, and I didn't want it to go down the drain just like that. I went back to my counselor and asked if I could still be qualified for the honors diploma, which he said yes. That day, I learned that even though I could take the easy road and graduate that way, I learned that I wanted the honors not just for scholarships or colleges. It would be for me so that I knew I could do it no matter what, even if things get hard.

Hi, my name is Kinzee Ranft. I attend Horseshoe Bend High School, where I have lived in my small town for my entire life. I was raised in a single-parent household by my mother and with the help of my grandparents. Thanks to them, they have helped shape me into the strong, hardworking, caring, kind, and helpful person I am today. Some of my interests are softball, baking, solving puzzles, cooking, and my pets. The extracurricular activities I participate in include playing softball on my high school softball team. The position that I play in during the game is every position; it is my favorite sport, and it is the first sport where I have been able to thrive and grow. Living in a small town, everyone knows everyone, and everyone helps out and looks out for each other. I also work at one of my town's local restaurants: Sonora Mexican restaurant, which has given me a strong, hardworking, and good work ethic. Not only that, but I babysit for local families from time to time, which has given me a good understanding of childcare. What I have personally done to help out my community is help out our local Optimist youth sports program. What I did to help out was refereeing the games, working the concession stand, and keeping score during the games. Not only that, but I also help out with the high school volleyball team by keeping score during the games and being a line judge for them. My plans for post-high school are going to college and getting a degree in forensic science, and being able to help people with what I have learned. The reason why I want to become a forensic scientist is that when I was younger, and to this day I watched documentaries about what forensics can do for people, and I want to be able to help people with it. Being able to solve crimes and give justice to those who were wronged and taken from their loved ones way too soon. I want to be able to help prevent cases from going cold, which would lead people to be forgotten about, just another case number, nothing else. Adversity that I had faced was being diagnosed with dyslexia and how I was treated going up with it. This was because, before I was diagnosed, people would make fun of me. Teachers would often tell me that I was lazy and not smart for not understanding the material. Adults outside of school would tell me I was lying when I would say that reading was hard for me, and the words would shape together. However, after I was diagnosed with dyslexia and extreme anxiety in the fifth grade, I was able to shape how I learned so that I was able to understand the material. While at times it is still hard for me to grasp things, at times I am still able to look at the problems in a different way so that I am able to learn and work out the material. With being told my entire life that I wouldn't be good enough, my dream is to go to college and get my dream career of becoming a forensic scientist.

A family member that I had lost was my grandmother which has been not only hard on me but hard on my entire family. On December twenty first, twenty-twenty one, I lost my grandmother. She had died due to colon cancer. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer, it was already too late. The doctors had told my grandma and grandpa that it was stage four. This death had been hard on me because she was like a second mother to me; she had raised me in my early stages of life. This was because after my mom had found out she was pregnant with me, and she told my dad she was pregnant, he left, not wanting me. So my mom had to move back in with my grandparents so that she could have help. After I was born, my mom had to work three full-time jobs just to make sure that I was taken care of, so the only time that I got to see my mom was on Sunday morning before work. Meanwhile, my grandma had been the one taking care of me during that time, which created a strong bond between us. Even after my mom was able to get a place of her own, she still needed my grandma to take care of me because she could not afford normal daycare. After I started school, I would still go down to my grandparents in the morning so she could get me ready for school and take me there. She would even pick me up from school until my mom got off work and could take me home. So losing her took a toll on me. It didn't help that we lost her so close to Christmas, so getting through the holidays was rough with the constant reminder that she was no longer with us. Every day, I still miss her, while the days have gotten easier; however, some days are harder than others, and those days are hard to get through. Every now and then I will think about how much I miss her and wish she was here with me. However, I know that she is looking down on me and is proud of how far I have come with my education, as a person and how I am working hard to achieve my dreams. I know no matter what I do in life, she will be proud of me, and deep down, I know no matter where I am in my life, she is with me in spirit.

My passion for STEM is in forensic science. This is due to the fact that, with advancing technology, forensics has been able to assist many people in numerous ways. For example, being able to solve entire crimes from the tiniest piece of evidence, to solving cold cases. With continuous advancement in this field, it has been able to help so many people in so many different ways, when technology was not as advanced as it is today, so many cases were left either unsolved or took longer to figure out. This is due to the fact of how long it would take to piece together the evidence, or we did not have the technology to be able to solve the different crimes. This is why so many cold cases are being looked at again, because now that we have the technology and means to be able to help solve the crimes, cold cases are able to be solved and brought to justice instead of being forgotten on a shelf. ​ That is why I want to be involved in this field of STEM, because I have seen how much good it has done for people. It is due to the fact that I know what it can and has done for people, because without it, any crime that is committed would not be solved, because they would have no one to examine the evidence. This leads to criminals getting away with the crimes they have committed and being able to walk free without punishment. Although it is heartbreaking to lose a loved one, especially if their life was taken by another person, it is even more heartbreaking to hear there is nothing more we can do. There is just not enough evidence. That is why I want to be able to help by being able to help prevent cases from going cold. Helping the loved ones of the victim be able to sleep a little easier at night, knowing that someone out there is looking out for them, and the loved one that they lost won't be treated as just another case number, just as a person whose life was taken from them far too soon. That is why I want to seek out an education in the STEM field so that I will be able to help others who have suffered a tragic loss to the best of my abilities.

Hi, my name is Kinzee Ranft. I attend Horseshoe Bend High School, where I have lived in my small town for my entire life. I was raised in a single-parent household by my mother and with the help of my grandparents. Thanks to them, they have helped shape me into the strong, hardworking person, caring, kind, helpful person I am today. Some of my interests are softball, baking, solving puzzles, cooking, and my pets. The extracurricular activities that I take part in are playing softball on my high school softball team. The position that I play in during the game is every position; it is my favorite sport, and it is the first sport where I have been able to thrive and grow. Living in a small town, everyone knows everyone, and everyone helps out and looks out for each other. I also work at one of my town's local restaurants: Sonora Mexican restaurant, which has given me a strong, hardworking, and good work ethic. Not only that, but I babysit for local families from time to time, which has given me a good understanding of childcare. What I have personally done to help out my community is help out our local Optimist youth sports program. What I did to help out was by refereeing the games, working the concession stand, and keeping score during the games. Not only that, but I also help out with the high school volleyball team by keeping score during the games and being a line judge for them. My plans for post-high school are going to college and getting a degree in forensic science, and being able to help people with what I have learned. The reason why I want to become a forensic scientist is because when I was younger and to this day I watched documentaries about what forensics can do for people, and I want to be able to help people with it. Being able to solve crimes and give justice to those who were wronged and taken from their loved ones way too soon. I want to be able to help prevent cases from going cold, which would lead people to be forgotten about, just another case number, nothing else. This scholarship will help me with furthering my dreams of going to college and will help me be able to afford it. With this scholarship, I will use it to help pay for the expenses that come with college so that I will be able to not go into my adulthood with massive amounts of debt.

Softball has had a positive impact on my life by giving me a positive outlook on life. I had never been the best at sports, although I'm not the worst. I'm certainly not the best. So this caused me to be in this constant limbo with sports too good for JV but not good enough for varsity. It also doesn't help that I have a cousin who is constantly better than being in any new sport she tries. She automatically is amazing at it, which caused me to develop a dislike of sports and jealousy towards my cousin. So through my elementary and middle school years, I was stuck, not wanting to play sports and not enjoying them; however, I was forced to play them because my mom said I had to. So without giving another choice, I continued to play sports up to my high school years. I was still not great, but not good. ​ However, this all came to a head when I played softball my freshman year, where, for the first time in my life, I was amazing at a sport. Where I didn't even have to try very hard to be good, in fact, I was one of the star players. I even won defensive player of the year and got 5th in my state for defense, and I wasn't even the pitcher but the second baseman. This had changed my outlook on sports, where I thought that I would never be good at a sport or even care for one. However, after playing softball, I finally found a sport that I could call mine; it taught me how to love a sport that you care about no matter what. This is due to the fact that for the last three years, the coach has made me want to give up softball altogether. However, the thought of not playing softball made me more depressed than playing for the coach. ​ While I’m not sure if I will go on and continue to play softball in college, I will still play softball outside of school. How I will do this is that our community has an adult summer league slow-pitch softball game. Where a bunch of people get together and have fun while playing softball. That way, I will still be able to have fun while playing softball, but not have to worry about winning, just worry about having fun.

My experiences growing up in a single-parent household have had their ups and downs. Growing up being raised only by my mother was, to say the least, difficult. This is due to the fact that, although I didn't notice anything different in my living situation, I didn't know anything was different. However, the other kids in my school who grew up in a two-parent household noticed this very quickly. One moment that sticks out to me was when my friend asked me why I didn't call my brother's dad, dad but instead called him by his real name. That was when I first realized that my life was a lot different from everyone else. However, still to this day, it doesn't bother me that much that I don't know my real dad; that is because of the way I look at it. If he didn't care enough to want me around, why should I care about him or think about him at all? Another challenge of this was not getting to spend as much time with my mom when growing up. This was because after I was born, my mom had to work three full-time jobs just to make sure that I was taken care of, so the only time that I got to see my mom was on Sunday morning before work. Meanwhile, my grandma had been the one taking care of me during that time, which created a strong bond between us. Even after my mom was able to get a place of her own, she still needed my grandma to take care of me because she could not afford normal daycare. After I started school, I would still go down to my grandparents in the morning so she could get me ready for school and take me there. However, because I grew up this way, my mom and grandparents have taught me to be a hard-working person who never gives up on their dreams. I will be able to use my talents and do good, is in the world of forensics so that I can help people. The reason why I want to become a forensic scientist is that when I was younger, and to this day, I watched documentaries about what forensics can do for people, and I want to be able to help people with it. Being able to solve crimes and give justice to those who were wronged and taken from their loved ones way too soon. I want to be able to help prevent cases from going cold, which would lead people to be forgotten about, just another case number, nothing else.

What being a first-generation student means to me is that it is a great honor to be the one who can break the cycle. This is because not only is there a ton of pressure to be the first one to attend college, but it comes with its enormous amount of challenges. For example, the challenge of trying to figure everything out by yourself is due to the fact that you don't have anyone in your family who knows what they have done and what you should do. Another challenge was the fact that, coming from a single-parent household, everyone expects you to fail. I have been told on multiple accounts that I should shoot for a small dream. Another challenge that I am currently overcoming is the price of college. This is because, due to the fact that there was never an expectation of my going to college, there was never a college fund set up for me, so I am going through the motions of saving up money and applying for scholarships. Another challenge that I have faced is with scholarships and applying for financial aid. This is due to the fact that again I have no help from my family because they have not done it, so I have no one to ask for help on how to do it, what to put in it, and how it all works. How this scholarship will move me closer to my goals is that I will be able to not have to go into as much debt with college. Which will help me not go into adulthood without the stress of massive amounts of debt. Not only that but I will also be able to create a budget better able to fit my needs so that I won't have to spend all the extra money that I have into paying my debts so that I have have a better impact on my savings account so that I will be able to buy my own place and vehicle so that I can get to my job. My dream is to go to college and achieve my dream of becoming a forensic scientist. What drives me to accomplish this dream is not only to get my dream job but also to be able to make my mom proud. She has been my rock, my whole life, supporting me with everything I have done with my life. Another thing that drives me is being the first one in my life to attend college and being able to break the cycle. That is why these scholarships will help me achieve this dream, so that I will be able to afford college and be able to get my dream job, and be able to make my mom proud.

The reason why education is important to me is that not only can it help people understand material that people can use in their field of career, but it can also help multiple people for multiple different reasons. For example, it can help people get a better understanding of how the world works. This is due to the fact that education doesn't have to be for a career, but to better oneself. Let's take, for example, personal finance people who can take a class in it to learn how they can better spend their money. Where they can learn skills such as investing, saving, spending habits, and so much more. Not only can education be used to better themselves, but people can also use it to accomplish their dreams. Whether that be to get into their dream field, job, or achieve their goals. Another amazing thing about education is that it will also be there for people to come back to. Take, for example, someone who wants to go to college but can't afford it at the time; they can come back later once they are fully ready to attend college and get the degree that they have always wanted. Another example of this is learning skills in the medical field, such as a CPR class, learning how you save someone's life, which is a skill everyone should learn at some point in their life. ​ The kind of legacy that I want to leave behind is that just because you come from a small town that you don't have to dream small. This is due to the fact that, coming from a small town, the people who live here don't have the desire to dream outside of it. Even when applying to college, a lot of people choose to attend college close to town, online, or not go at all. This then causes no one in town to go out and see what the world has to offer outside of town. While yes, it is an amazing town to live in and I love it here, I want to be able to go and explore outside of it. So I want to be able to show other students who go to my school that they don't have to just stay in town, that there is a whole world out there to explore. In summary, just because you come from a small town does not mean you have to stay there.

My name is Kinzee Ranft. I attend Horseshoe Bend High School. I have lived in my small hometown all my life. How I plan on making a positive impact on my community through youth sports is by helping out with our local Optimus Youth Sports Program. I have helped out with our local youth sports program by refereeing the games, helping out in the concession stand, doing chains for the football games, and keeping score during games. ​ With our local Optimus Youth Sports Program, they have been able to help so many kids. It is also run by my member of the community who knows the kids personally. The coaches are also members of the community, which helps build a bond between the coaches and kids. Not only has it helped kids be able to play and understand the sports they play, but also taught valuable life lessons. Through the Optimus, the kids learn teamwork, working together, hard work, dedication, a love for a sport, good sportsmanship, learning that it is okay to lose, learning to win without bragging, lifting each other up, and so much more. ​ With all the reasons that are stated, that is why I love helping out with our local Optimus. This is due to the fact that not only do they teach kids valuable lessons that they will use throughout their lives, but they also help out with the community. How they help out through the community is by donating to local businesses and the local school. They also every year on the 4th of July they rent the park and put on events there for people to enjoy. The only thing that they ask in return is for donations to the Optimus so that they can keep being able to help out in the community. Not only do they put on events for people to enjoy, but they also sell fireworks for people to buy to be able to light off when it becomes dark. Not only that, but they also put on the car show every year so that people from all over can come and show off their classic cars. They also rent out the hall where they have meetings so that other members of the community can use it. Last but not least, they also do a scholarship every year for our local high school seniors so that they can use the money to further their education.

The learning disability that I have is dyslexia and of course this has come with its challenges. The challenges that I have faced with having dyslexia are many because it does not just affect my school life, but also my life outside of school. The first challenge that I faced was that even before I knew that I had it, it was because, coming from a small town where learning disabilities were not as common, people thought I was just lazy. Teachers would tell me I would need to pay attention more and that I was lazy. However, when I tried to explain what was happening to an adult one time, I said that when I read the words didn't make sense, and the lines would go over each other, and I got told I was just making it up because I did not want to read. It wasn't until the fifth grade, when I was diagnosed with dyslexia and severe anxiety, that was when I was able to get extra help. However, even with teachers being fully aware of this, they still believe that nothing is wrong with me and I'm just being lazy and not understanding the material. However, because our school didn't know how to help kids with dyslexia and my mom didn't know how to help me, I had to teach myself to look at things differently. How I taught myself to read and understand what was going on was by reading simple children's books and slowly moving up. I would also sound out the word before spelling just to make sure that I was spelling the word right, and double-checking the spelling to make sure that I didn't spell any words wrong. However, of course, there are still slip-ups, such as not being able to read certain sentences, misreading words, and leading to miscommunications. The main thing that motivates me in my education is not only getting my dream job as a forensic scientist but also being able to say to those that had doubted me that I did it. This is because all my life I have been told that I wouldn't be able to do anything with my life because I couldn't even understand how to read. I would often be told that I wasn't smart enough for college and that I should look at doing something easier to do with my life. However the main reason why I am a good candidate for this scholarship is because, each and everyday I work hard to not only better myself and thrive in my education despite my setbacks.

A family member that I had lost was my grandmother which has been not only hard on me but hard on my entire family. On December twenty first, twenty-twenty one, I lost my grandmother. She had died due to colon cancer. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer, it was already too late. The doctors had told my grandma and grandpa that it was stage four. This death had been hard on me because she was like a second mother to me; she had raised me in my early stages of life. This was because after my mom had found out she was pregnant with me, and she told my dad she was pregnant, he left, not wanting me. So my mom had to move back in with my grandparents so that she could have help. After I was born, my mom had to work three full-time jobs just to make sure that I was taken care of, so the only time that I got to see my mom was on Sunday morning before work. Meanwhile, my grandma had been the one taking care of me during that time, which created a strong bond between us. Even after my mom was able to get a place of her own, she still needed my grandma to take care of me because she could not afford normal daycare. After I started school, I would still go down to my grandparents in the morning so she could get me ready for school and take me there. She would even pick me up from school until my mom got off work and could take me home. So losing her took a toll on me. It didn't help that we lost her so close to Christmas, so getting through the holidays was rough with the constant reminder that she was no longer with us. Every day, I still miss her, while the days have gotten easier; however, some days are harder than others, and those days are hard to get through. Every now and then I will think about how much I miss her and wish she was here with me. However, I know that she is looking down on me and is proud of how far I have come with my education, as a person and how I am working hard to achieve my dreams. I know no matter what I do in life, she will be proud of me, and deep down, I know no matter where I am in my life, she is with me in spirit.

The teacher who has deeply influenced me was my fifth-grade teacher. This is due to the fact that she was the one person who believed in me and taught me how to read correctly. Before, her people thought that I was just lazy and did not want to understand the material that was being taught to me. Even when I tried to explain what was going on when I read, such as it was hard, the words didn't make sense, and that the sentences would overlap each other, I got told I was lying and just didn't want to read. I also got told that I needed to talk to myself and not just keep to myself, to ask questions, and engage with my other classmates. However, when I got to fifth grade, she noticed this and saw how my grades were and how I acted in class. So she scheduled a meeting with my mom. When it first started, my mom said I don't know why she does not understand anything and is so shy. I don't know what to do. However, my teacher said no, this is something different. I think something else is going on, and you need to get her tested for a learning disability. Along with that, I don't think she's shy; I think she has anxiety, so she can't engage with others and why she won't ask for help when she needs it. So my mom went and took me to go and get tested, and as it turned out, I had dyslexia and severe anxiety. From that moment on everything changed and it clicked to why I couldn't read words right or spell things correctly it was because I had a learning disability. After we found out my teacher worked with my mom and would have me stay after school so I could work with her one-on-one on reading and spelling. She would let me go at the pace that I wanted to go so that I could fully understand the material without being rushed to get it done quickly. Without her, I don't think I would be where I am today; that's due to the fact that she was the only one who would listen to me when I said it. The words didn't make sense, and they would jumble together. Without her, I don't think I would even have the drive to further my education and pursue my dream job.

The challenges that I have faced with having dyslexia are many because it does not just affect my school life, but also my life outside of school. The first challenge that I faced was that even before I knew that I had it, it was because, coming from a small town where learning disabilities were not as common, people thought I was just lazy. Teachers would tell me I would need to pay attention more and that I was lazy. However, when I tried to explain what was happening to an adult one time, I said that when I read the words didn't make sense, and the lines would go over each other, and I got told I was just making it up because I did not want to read. It wasn't until the fifth grade, when I was diagnosed with dyslexia and severe anxiety, that was when I was able to get extra help. However, even with teachers being fully aware of this, they still believe that nothing is wrong with me and I'm just being lazy and not understanding the material. However, because our school didn't know how to help kids with dyslexia and my mom didn't know how to help me, I had to teach myself to look at things differently. How I taught myself to read and understand what was going on was by reading simple children's books and slowly moving up. I would also sound out the word before spelling just to make sure that I was spelling the word right, and double-checking the spelling to make sure that I didn't spell any words wrong. However, of course, there are still slip-ups, such as not being able to read certain sentences, misreading words, and leading to miscommunications. The main thing that motivates me in my education is not only getting my dream job as a forensic scientist but also being able to say to those that had doubted me that I did it. This is because all my life I have been told that I wouldn't be able to do anything with my life because I couldn't even understand how to read. I would often be told that I wasn't smart enough for college and that I should look at doing something easier to do with my life. However, each and everyday I work hard to not only better myself and thrive in my education despite my setbacks.

Cancer has significantly impacted my life because on December twenty first, twenty-twenty one, I lost my grandmother. She had died due to colon cancer. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer, it was already too late. The doctors had told my grandma and grandpa that it was stage four. This death had been hard on me because she was like a second mother to me; she had raised me in my early stages of life. This was because after my mom had found out she was pregnant with me, and she told my dad she was pregnant, he left, not wanting me. So my mom had to move back in with my grandparents so that she could have help. After I was born, my mom had to work three full-time jobs just to make sure that I was taken care of, so the only time that I got to see my mom was on Sunday morning before work. Meanwhile, my grandma had been the one taking care of me during that time, which created a strong bond between us. Even after my mom was able to get a place of her own, she still needed my grandma to take care of me because she could not afford normal daycare. After I started school, I would still go down to my grandparents in the morning so she could get me ready for school and take me there. She would even pick me up from school until my mom got off work and could take me home. So losing her took a toll on me. It didn't help that we lost her so close to Christmas, so getting through the holidays was rough with the constant reminder that she was no longer with us. Every day, I still miss her, while the days have gotten easier; however, some days are harder than others, and those days are hard to get through. Every now and then I will think about how much I miss her and wish she was here with me. However, I know that she is looking down on me and is proud of how far I have come with my education, as a person and how I am working hard to achieve my dreams. I know no matter what I do in life, she will be proud of me, and deep down, I know no matter where I am in my life, she is with me in spirit.

The movie that has impacted me the most as a person would have to be Marley & Me. The movie came out on December 25, 2008 starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. In summary, Marley & Me is about a journalist John Grogan, his wife Jenny, and their chaotic but lovable dog, Marley. Through their life they have experienced love, marriage, and family, highlighting the everyday joys, challenges, and lessons learned from their dog. Not only that, but after trying for a baby, they end up having three children, two boys and one girl, so they experience the joys and challenges of juggling work, family, and their crazy but lovable dog. At the end of the movie Marley's health is declining and they decided that instead of him suffering that they would put him out of his misery, teaching them about unconditional love and appreciating life. Ever since I watched this movie, I have never been able to watch another sad movie. This is because when I first watched the movie, I thought it was a full comedy; however, the ending changed everything. When Marley gets sick and has to be put down, that was the first time I cried while watching a movie because it was sad to see that dog pass away. It also made me relate to my past pets that died; however, it wasn't too personal because they were only goldfish and lizards. This is because, unlike cats and dogs, you can really create a personal, deep bond with them. However, after watching the movie again years later, it was far more heartfelt after losing my first dog. I also never realized the sense where Jenny had a miscarriage, which I now was able to understand why this sense had been so heartbreaking for others. Especially after it came out that Jennifer Aniston has actually faced the struggles of miscarriage. So seeing those moments on TV, it most likely wasn't acting but instead her showing what she has gone through herself. Still years later, after watching the same movie, I still cry every time I have to watch Marley be put down. This is why I can never watch a sad movie again, because the main reason I watch movies is to escape the harsh realities that the world throws at us. So I use comedy movies to do that. However, after being tricked into thinking that Marley & Me was just a comedy, I can't trust another sad movie again.

The reason why motivated and high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve opportunities such as scholarships or grants is that just because they have been dealt the short end of the stick in their lives due to their situation. That they can not control, it does not mean they should be treated differently from those who had advantages in life. Some of my own obstacles that I have had to overcome were growing up in a single-parent household. Growing up being raised only by my mother was difficult to say the least. This is due to the fact that while I didn't notice anything different in my living situation because I didn't know anything different. However, the other kids in my school who grew up in a two-parent household noticed this very quickly. One moment that sticks out to me was when my friend asked me why I didn't call my brother's dad, dad but instead called him by his real name. That was when I first realized that my life was a lot different from everyone else. However, still to this day, it doesn't bother me that much that I don't know my real dad; that is because of the way I look at it. If he didn't care enough to want me around, why should I care about him or think about him at all? My mom also taught me to be a kind and hardworking person, even working three jobs while I was a baby, just to make sure I was taken care of and didn't go without. Another obstacle that I had to overcome was being diagnosed with dyslexia. This was because, before I was diagnosed, people would make fun of me. Teachers would often tell me that I was lazy and not smart for not understanding the material. Adults outside of school would tell me I was lying when I would say that reading was hard for me, and the words would shape together. However, after I was diagnosed with dyslexia and extreme anxiety in the fifth grade, I was able to shape how I learned so that I was able to understand the material. While at times it is still hard for me to grasp things, at times I am still able to look at the problems in a different way so that I am able to learn and work out the material. With being told my entire life that I wouldn't be good enough, my dream is to go to college and get my dream career of becoming a forensic scientist. However, with this dream and college being expensive, getting this grant would help me support my dream and be able to achieve my dreams.

Hi, my name is Kinzee Ranft. I attend Horseshoe Bend High School, where I have lived in my small town for my entire life. I was raised in a single-parent household by my mother and with the help of my grandparents. Thanks to them, they have helped shape me into the strong, hardworking person, caring, kind, helpful person I am today. Some of my interests are softball, baking, solving puzzles, cooking, and my pets. The extracurricular activities that I take part in are playing softball on my high school softball team. The position that I play in during the game is every position; it is my favorite sport, and it is the first sport where I have been able to thrive and grow. Living in a small town, everyone knows everyone, and everyone helps out and looks out for each other. I also work at one of my town's local restaurants: Sonora Mexican restaurant, which has given me a strong, hardworking, and good work ethic. Not only that, but I babysit for local families from time to time, which has given me a good understanding of childcare. What I have personally done to help out my community is help out our local Optimist youth sports program. What I did to help out was by refereeing the games, working the concession stand, and keeping score during the games. Not only that, but I also help out with the high school volleyball team by keeping score during the games and being a line judge for them. My plans for post-high school are going to college and getting a degree in forensic science, and being able to help people with what I have learned. The reason why I want to become a forensic scientist is because when I was younger and to this day I watched documentaries about what forensics can do for people, and I want to be able to help people with it. Being able to solve crimes and give justice to those who were wronged and taken from their loved ones way too soon. I want to be able to help prevent cases from going cold, which would lead people to be forgotten about, just another case number, nothing else. If I could start my own charity, my mission would be to help people pay for medical costs. This is because I have firsthand seen people straight refuse to go to the hospital because they can't afford it. I have also seen people get turned away from treatment because they couldn't afford it and/or their insurance refused to pay for it. The volunteers would go out to spread the word about what the charity would be able to do for people and go out to find people who want to donate money to the cause.