I am Kristine Head, a senior at Pike County High School in Brundidge, Alabama. Since my tenth-grade year, I was taking dual enrollment classes at Troy University. I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my high school years and was placed on the Chancellor’s List each year at Troy University. I am currently attending The University of Alabama (UAH) in Huntsville. I am majoring in Art, specifically sculpture. During my time at Troy, I discovered Additive Manufacturing or 3D Printing. UAH offers the best chance for me to explore this career field and will even help me find a career in it. During my time in UAH, I hope to join the Disney College Program. I want to be involved with the arts because I want to make a difference in people’s lives, but not in a traditional way. Post-college, I want a professional career with the Walt Disney Company. More specifically, as an Imagineer. I have grown up with Disney all my life and have been to the Walt Disney World Resort many times. I have always been fascinated by how it seems like I am on a different planet or inside an animation. I love the parks' atmosphere, and I have always wanted to help create it. When I learned of the Disney College Program, I knew that this career choice was the one for me. Even though with participation in the program, I may discover that I do not enjoy the parks or the “magic” as much, it would still be a good experience and a great learning opportunity for any future career. I've also always known I didn't want an office job or a boring career. The Arts give me a way to express myself and to feel free. I often do this through video creation, 3D Printing, and theater. A lot of what inspires me is my mental health struggles. I've always struggled with anxiety, and since starting college, I've also started to have some depressive episodes. Where music fails, I can take those emotions and pour them into my works of art. I want to positively influence somebody’s life like how Disney has done to mine. I want to give someone else the confidence to express themselves in any way they choose. But I cannot do it without help. Something I have learned throughout my life is that you should not refuse help, no matter how embarrassing it could be. This scholarship is the help I need to further my education and help others.

My name is Kristine Head. I'm a young lady who is hardworking, kind, & loyal. I enjoy reading young adult fiction and playing video games. In my tenth-grade year, I began Dual Enrollment classes at Troy University. I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my high school years and have been placed on the Chancellor’s List at Troy University. I love archery, ice skating, and soccer. Ice skating is an unusual sport in the South, and I love the reaction I get when I list it as a hobby. I've been skating for over 7 years now. I love the feeling of flying across the ice and expressing myself in different ways. I love performing to songs that I grew up listening to. I enjoy skating with my friends and working together as a team. There have been many obstacles along my frozen journey, but I’ve never backed down. This sport is so special to me, I could never give it up. I have also been playing soccer since I was five years old, and I've loved every minute. I was on the very first soccer team at my high school and was one of only three girls who were on the team. The pandemic cut my first year of high school short, and since I was a dual enrollment student I am rarely on my high school campus. Being a part of the team added benefit of keeping me in touch with what happens at school. At 5’2” I was one of the smallest on my team, but I'm tough. Even though we are a co-ed team, all my high school games have been against all boy teams, so I have to make up for my small size with lots of effort and fighting back. Both of my parents’ careers are in education. My mom is a Media Specialist/Librarian. My dad recently retired after 30 years in special education and is now working with KidsFirst. While both my parents have advanced degrees, and our immediate family does well, there have been several outside factors that have prevented us from building a financial standing for college. Not to mention that furthering one’s education is very expensive in general. I need this scholarship because I want to make a difference in people’s lives. Post college, I want a professional career with the Walt Disney Company. More specifically, either working inside the parks as a cast member or as an Imagineer. I've grown up with Disney all my life and have been to the Walt Disney World Resort more times than I can count. I've always been fascinated by how it seems like I'm on a different planet or inside an animation. I love the atmosphere that the parks provide, and I've always wanted to do the same thing in any career that I choose. When I learned of the Disney College Program, I knew that this career choice was the one for me. With participation in the program, I may discover that I do not enjoy the parks as much, but it would still be a good experience and a great learning opportunity for any future career. This is why I feel like I need this scholarship. I want to change somebody’s life like how Disney has changed mine. But I can’t do it without help. Something I’ve learned throughout my life is that you shouldn’t refuse help, no matter how embarrassing it could be. I would not be where I'm today without help from friends and family. This scholarship is the help I need to further my education and help others.

With mental health diagnoses becoming more and more advanced, we are seeing people talk about it more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the problem as well, leading to an increase in feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, access to mental health services has become increasingly difficult, with many people unable to afford the cost of treatment. To tackle the mental health crisis, there are several steps that can be taken. First, mental health needs to be destigmatized on a national level. Mental health issues can come from anywhere and can happen to anyone. I know that I have some depression symptoms, but I graduated from high school as Salutatorian. Creating a culture that prioritizes mental well-being and sees mental health as a normal part of life is crucial. This can be achieved by teaching about mental health in schools and encouraging open conversations about mental health in the workplace and in social settings. Secondly, mental health services need to be made more accessible. This can be achieved by creating community-based mental health clinics that offer low-cost or no-cost services, as well as encouraging employers to offer mental health benefits to their employees. With the economy and other world problems, getting resources for mental health is not a huge priority. While many cannot afford to get professional health, there is also a problem of not having enough services in certain areas. I mentioned this earlier, we need a culture that supports mental health. Thirdly, we need to focus on prevention, rather than reacting. This can be achieved by teaching ways to cope and relax. We have to also talk about the statistics for mental health issues, but that cannot be all. One animator I enjoy watching suffered from anorexia, an eating disorder. She created a song about it and one lyric said "I know I can die I've seen the statistics, but the voice is with me through thick and skin" (Empty by Boyinaband featured by Jadien Animations). You can know how bad things are and still not be able to stop them. If we can teach the correct and better ways to problems such as these, the intrusive thoughts are nothing more than an inconvenience. Overall, addressing the mental health crisis requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. By destigmatizing mental health, making mental health services more accessible, and promoting prevention, we can work together to improve the mental well-being of everyone.

I am pursuing a degree in Additive Manufacturing otherwise known as 3-D printing. This requires computer knowledge and engineering experience. I participated in an Academy that showed me these different career choices and open my mind to what I am capable of. I enjoy being able to create something that no one else has done really easily. One obstacle I may counter along the way is my gender. An engineering career is often imagined as a male career so I might be treated as if I'm not capable of such an intense job. According to Susan S. Silby from Harvard Business Review, "Engineering is the most male-dominated field in STEM. It may perhaps be the most male-dominated profession in the U.S., with women making up only 13% of the engineering workforce." Overcoming this will be a challenge because despite my hard effort I know I'll have to do even more than what I may be capable of. I know that if I just don't give up and stay committed, I will be successful. Another obstacle I see is how little my career choice is. Many people know what 3-D printing is but there are not a lot of people who are investing in the technology for it. It is not becoming a mainstream job therefore there are not a lot of colleges that are offering a degree in Additive Manufacturing. Just making this career field more obvious and making sure people know that it's a choice would help with conquering this obstacle. I would try to speak to young children about all the amazing things that they can make with a laptop, plastic, and an awesome printer. A third obstacle I might have is a job opportunity. This obstacle in the previous statement ties in together with this one because without a degree in college, there are no opportunities to have a job with it. I hope to work at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando Florida. I am willing to do whatever is needed to do in the parks but with my degree, I would have to specifically be an Imagineer. There are not a lot of careers besides engineering that uses 3-D printing. I believe I can defeat this challenge by inspiring other people to look into this career and see if it is the one for them, kids and adults. I would just try to make the career more popular. These are the 3 major obstacles that I believe I will encounter. There are some other ones like money, time, and future plans, but I want to overcome these before I adventure into others. I know this is one of the things I want to do in my life, and I will do everything I can to achieve it.

One of my favorite hobbies is Ice Skating. As someone who lives in the South, this is something you do not hear often. I have been skating for about six years, and I have been on the KLynn Skating School team for about two. I am currently in Freestyle 2 working on level 3, so I'm not a master at it yet, but I have more skills than the average person. Due to Covid-19, I have not been able to participate in many competitions, but I have earned 1st Place the few I have attended. My teammates have supported me throughout my life as a skater even though I did not know them when I first started. I hope to do the same as we get more members on our team and continue to support my older teammates as they grow. As I approach being a full-time college student, I have to spend less time practicing and more time on my studies. It saddens me that I may have to quit in the future, but I do not worry about that right now. I also enjoy reading Young Adult books. My mom is a librarian, so my love for reading came from her. I only enjoyed it at first because my school would offer rewards for those who read the most. When my mom made me read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 5th grade, I was hooked. I would not stop reading. The Covid-19 Pandemic has made me slow down because of other projects my parents wanted my help with. I'm trying to get back into it as more books come out from my favorite authors and I discover more time to relax.

One of my special talents is Ice Skating. As someone who lives in the South, this is something you do not hear very often. I have been skating for about six years, and I have been on the KLynn Skating School team for about two. I am currently in Freestyle 2 working on level 3, so I'm not a master at it yet, but I have more skills than the average person. I earned 1st Place in the Freestyle 1 event and in the Entertainment Spotlight Bronze at the 2021 Dream, Aim, Reach ISI (Ice Skating Institute) Competition. My teammates have supported me throughout my life as a skater even though I did not know them when I first started. I hope to do the same as we get more members on our team and continue to support my older teammates as they grow. The closest ice rink I have access to is about an hour away, and it is smaller than most competitive rinks. Because of the drive, I'm only able to practice on the ice itself once a week, but I am able to do different exercises and stretches on land that helps with the different moves that are required. I have also started to engage in physical activity more than usual to improve my stamina in this sport. I also play soccer at my high school, so I am active year-round. My coach has worked around a lot to allow us to have one-on-one lessons to help my skills grow even faster. As I approach being a full-time college student, I have to spend less time practicing and more time on my studies. It saddens me that I may have to quit in the future, but I do not worry about that right now.

I am an active student. You can find me working on my school work or practicing for my extracurricular activities and rarely taking time for a break. When I got accepted into the Dual Enrollment program at my local high school, this became a serious problem. I would have countless nights of little sleep so I could work and have enough time to practice as well. I have come to realize in these past few months that I need to stop and step away from the computer and schedule some relaxation time. With this school work, I have barely had time to read, but now I'm using this as a way to relax. It is nice not having to worry about so much and I open my newest book and let the time go by. I enjoy titles like "Harry Potter" and "The Selection Series." I typically try to schedule an hour or two per day to sit down with a cup of water and read till I feel like stopping or the timer goes off. I don't start working right away, I take a minute to stretch, grab a snack, or something else, and then I start to work. On weekends, I try to relax the most with either video games or playing around with my Great Dane. I usually try to play a peaceful game such as Minecraft, but if I want to socialize with my friends I play a little more violent games. This is also the time I take to help my parents clean around the house and maybe go out and eat all together. The weekends are the days I try not to touch my computer unless I have to, as all my notes and study materials are hand-written.