As my junior year, APUSH teacher Mr. Keleman always said, "History doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes." This is a quote that has stuck with me since the day I heard it. I think that it holds the truth and conveys one of the most important lessons that the leaders of our world should always take into account. A quote I heard recently by Einstien goes hand in hand with Mr. Kelemen's philosophy, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." As a society, we cannot possibly expect to grow, prosper, and evolve if we do not learn from our mistakes. If we do not make ourselves aware of the trial and error we have endured, we are simply destined to fail. My name is Lauren Barnwell. I am a student, daughter, athlete, friend, and leader. I spent the first part of my life growing up in Los Angeles and currently live in Marin County. I am an only child of mixed race and have had my fair share of hardships. I am a fighter and possess unseen resistance. I am a varsity athlete with a state championship title and many other awards. I enjoy learning and am cultivated by history and the sciences. I am a leader of the future and plan to leave my mark on this world. One of the first AP classes I took was history. I was horrified at first and was scared of what lay ahead and the challenges the class would bring. While the coursework itself was not a walk in the park, I quickly found myself fascinated with the content. Listening to lectures and reading the textbook was like reading a story. It unlocked a part in my brain that I never knew was there. The class became an escape for me, a place where I could dive into the lives of others. Learning about they way people behaved over time and the values and morals they possessed was captivating. I learned so much that year about human nature and have been unable to shake my love for history since. Combining my learning from last years history class and this years government class, my love for learning about the interworkings of our society has prospered. Learning about how presidencies work, past elections, and over all how our government works has sparked my interest in politics. While I definantly don't want to run for president, I plan to have signigant impact on our country and the world. I want to be someone that people can count on to make change for the better. I want to change the world for the children of the future. How am I going to do this? To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure yet. Making change in this world could mean becoming a senator or a supreme court justice. It could also mean being a published author or professor. It could even mean having a large social media platform and using your voice for good. the journey ahead of me in uncertain, but what is set in stone is the fact that the world will know who Lauren Barnwell is. I'm going to be a voice, in some shape or from, advocating for individual and national prosperity based on the lessons we have learned from history. I want to open peoples eyes and minds and constantly remind them of the fact that, "History doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes."

Since age 11, I have played volleyball for a competitive club team- one that values tenacity, perseverance, and discipline. Through years of dedicated practice and pushing through physical limitations, I have developed a mindset that allows me to attain my goals. Individual contribution and integrity leave no room for inadequate effort as they are essential parts of succeeding as a team. Volleyball has helped transform who I am, both mentally and physically. I am confident that anything worth achieving is within my reach. Sports for me has been an escape from my troubles. It is a place for me to let go. It is a place where I truly excel and undoubtedly would not be the person I am today without it. Being a competitor and a teammate my whole life has led me to develop strong skills in areas that have played a large role in my academic and personal development. I take that discipline, grit, and resilience that I have adapted through sports and bring it into everything that I do. I credit my whole being to sports and am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned and the hardships I’ve endured. My motivation to pursue a sports-related degree stems from my late father's athletic career. He played in the MLB for the New York Yankees. All his life post-athletic career, everybody told him how he should become a sports agent. After much research, I have grown to aspire to go down that career path. Being a sports agent to me means that I get to continue my love for sports even after my athletic career has ended. Becoming a sports agent not only allows me to connect with players and athletes all over the world, but it also combines my interest with business and law. The dream I intend to pursue with my degree in sports management, law, and marketing is To establish my own agency and represent the best athletes around the world. I plan to be my own boss and create an environment that attracts those around me with the same values. I hope to build my Empire from the ground up surrounded by the people I love and with the knowledge I have behind me.

Living in a single-parent household has been a catalyst for my childhood. Due to my circumstances, I've had to grow up at a much faster pace than most of my peers. I've been taking on adult-like responsibilities for as long as I can remember-- including grocery shopping, working, cleaning, and caring for the rest of the household. In addition to these responsibilities, I've managed to balance school and have consistently upheld a 3.9 GPA while taking college-level courses. Not only am I faced with all of these challenges, but I am still grieving over the passing of my father and dealing with the unstable mental health of my mother. Despite all of this, I've found relief and fulfillment through sports. Since I was able to run I've been an athlete. I have played almost every sport that there is to play. I've done it all: basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, swimming, water polo, and dance. Yet none of them equate to my love for volleyball and track. Last track season I was awarded MVP and currently hold the record for the third-fastest women's 100-meter time in my school's history. I was a regional finalist and placed Top 10 in my County. While those are mentionable achievements, none of them amount to what I have accomplished this year during my senior season of volleyball. This volleyball season, not only it is my last of high school but ever, our team made it farther than any other team has made it in our school's history. We were the division 3 California state champions. We fought for months and months through injury and sickness to secure our spot in the championship. We were spoiled with a plane ride and a luxury hotel for the weekend of the game, all leading up to our big moment. I will never forget that feeling of being on National Television, playing the game of my life, with the people that I love, and I still kiss my state championship ring every morning. Sports for me has been an escape from my troubles. It is a place for me to let go. It is a place where I truly excel and undoubtedly would not be the person I am today without it. Being a competitor and a teammate my whole life has led me to develop strong skills in areas that have played a large role in my academic and personal development. I take that discipline, grit, and resilience that I have adapted through sports and bring it into everything that I do. I credit my whole being to sports and am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned and the hardships I’ve endured.

During sophomore year, my life took a horrific turn. I thought quarantine was the worst time of my life. Soon, I discovered how naive that sentiment was. On April 29, I woke up to 37 missed calls from my aunts. I called them back and listened in complete disbelief as they told me my dad had died in a tragic motorcycle accident. I felt my soul leave my body. The notion that he is gone remains irreconcilable. Richard Barnwell will always be the most loving person I know. He said I love you too much, but meant it every time. He was my best friend and gave me a lifetime’s worth of love and life in 16 years. Everything about my life since he passed is askew. Reinventing any regularity while transitioning from post-quarantine and my dad’s death continues to be disorienting. I felt l didn’t have time to grieve, which is what I needed. Crying is cathartic, and the lack of it interfered with my healing. I had to keep going, embodying my dad’s tenacity, focus, and drive – for him and myself. I continue to distract myself from facing the reality that he is gone yet my dad is still at the forefront of everything I do. I didn’t return to school that spring or finish my club season of volleyball. I couldn’t handle peoples’ condolences, as well intended as they were – they would set me back. The hardest part about this journey is that I am walking it alone. At first, my friends were there for me as best they could be in the days after I got the news. I felt supported. However, as the months progressed, it seemed like my friends forgot what I was going through. Not only had I lost my dad, I felt like I was losing friends. I needed to find ways to give back to myself. Junior year began and I felt overwhelmed with responsibilities, such as fulfilling my duties as junior class president. Academic and athletic rigor never let up and I had to learn how to balance my commitments. My dad was always present in my athletic career and getting used to his physical absence was challenging, but also lit a fire in me that couldn’t be extinguished. I decided to join the track team and found it as purposeful as it was liberating. Running gave me a new destination, and I was constantly motivated to better my time. I now hold our school's 3rd fastest women's 100m time, was awarded MVP and was a regional finalist. Even though my dad didn’t get to see any of my track meets, his watchful presence was always felt. I started working two jobs to help my family offset expenses, started preparing for the AP tests, and was elected Student Body President for my senior year. Achievements I credit to the values my dad instilled in me. Undoubtedly I’m my father’s daughter. Our connection is immortal. Even to this day the learning continues. I’ve learned what true friendship means to me through the comradery of those who showed up despite not knowing what to say or how to be. I’ve learned to process my emotions while upholding my commitments, because accountability is admirable and is what I expect from myself. And I’ve learned to set boundaries so that I am true to myself. I am stronger, more clear about my goals and with a newfound empathy and compassion for this complex and messy, albeit beautiful life.