When I was in seventh grade, over the morning announcements my principal instructed all students to get out their laptops and fill out the survey sent to their emails. The survey read “Who would you trust to listen and help you if you were feeling depressed or anxious?” At the time, I thought this was a way to offer positive recognition to the students in our school who had been good listeners and friends. When I read the paper I was given a few days later, I learned that the survey was much more than what I initially anticipated. I was nominated to an organization called Hope Squad, which is a peer-to-peer student-based suicide prevention program dedicated to reducing the negative stigma around mental health, all while teaching its members how to notice the warning signs of suicide in our community. Reading my nomination paper in seventh grade, I was overjoyed to have been voted into Hope Squad. This feeling has stayed with me as a current twelfth grader still in the program. The lessons I’ve retained through my five years in Hope Squad have proven to be some of the most important things I will take with me to college and beyond. Learning about risk factors and warning signs of someone in crisis or at risk for suicidal tendencies, and the skills to persuade people to get the help they need are just a few of the skills I have learned and practiced in the Hope Squad. While I recognize the value of academic knowledge and greatly appreciate the teachers who have taught me such, I feel that the lessons I have learned in the Hope Squad will be of the most value to me later in life because of the passion I have for them. I have experienced immense growth as not only a Hope Squad member but also as a person. I understand myself and my feelings better than ever before and I have learned healthy ways to deal with conflict, and how to alter my thinking from negative thoughts to possible solutions. During my tenure in Hope Squad, I’ve referred many students to my advisors and counselors. Some students were annoyed with the call down to the counselor's office, but I knew it would be more beneficial in the long haul for those students to get help from trained adults, even if that resulted in some short-term embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings. When dealing with students who have communicated signs of suicidal tendencies or traits, I have learned to be extremely delicate and patient. My fellow Hope Squad members and I have done extensive training on something called “active listening”. Showing that you’re listening with your body language, refraining from judgment and personal opinions or anecdotes are key techniques of active listening that I will utilize throughout my life. I have experienced personal growth and have been able to understand myself and others better through my membership in Hope Squad. During my five-year span, I have learned how to identify suicidal tendencies and help people get the help that they need to live healthier lives mentally and physically. I will take these skills with me into college and long after, in order to build a life that will be beneficial to me and my loved ones.

When I was in seventh grade, over the morning announcements my principal instructed all students to get out their laptops and fill out the survey sent to their emails. The survey read “Who would you trust to listen and help you if you were feeling depressed or anxious?” At the time, I thought this was a way to offer positive recognition to the students in our school who had been good listeners and friends. When I read the paper I was given a few days later, I learned that the survey was much more than what I initially anticipated. I was nominated to an organization called Hope Squad, which is a peer-to-peer student-based suicide prevention program dedicated to reducing the negative stigma around mental health, all while teaching its members how to notice the warning signs of suicide in our community. Reading my nomination paper in seventh grade, I was overjoyed to have been voted into Hope Squad. This feeling has stayed with me as a current twelfth grader still in the program. The lessons I’ve retained through my five years in Hope Squad have proven to be some of the most important things I will take with me to college and beyond. Learning about risk factors and warning signs of someone in crisis or at risk for suicidal tendencies, and the skills to persuade people to get the help they need are just a few of the skills I have learned and practiced in the Hope Squad. While I recognize the value of academic knowledge and greatly appreciate the teachers who have taught me such, I feel that the lessons I have learned in the Hope Squad will be of the most value to me later in life because of the passion I have for them. I have experienced immense growth as not only a Hope Squad member but also as a person. I understand myself and my feelings better than ever before and I have learned healthy ways to deal with conflict, and how to alter my thinking from negative thoughts to possible solutions. During my tenure in Hope Squad, I’ve referred many students to my advisors and counselors. Some students were annoyed with the call down to the counselor's office, but I knew it would be more beneficial in the long haul for those students to get help from trained adults, even if that resulted in some short-term embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings. When dealing with students who have communicated signs of suicidal tendencies or traits, I have learned to be extremely delicate and patient. My fellow Hope Squad members and I have done extensive training on something called “active listening”. Showing that you’re listening with your body language, and refraining from judgment and personal opinions or anecdotes are key techniques of active listening that I will utilize throughout my life. I believe that suicide should never be an option and try to help other struggling peers believe that. I am willing to talk for hours if that means I can convince somebody that they have a purpose and meaning in this world. I have experienced personal growth through the material taught and exercised in Hope Squad during our “personal care” unit. We learned how to process and cope with hearing traumatic and sometimes scarring stories. Even when I have moved on from Hope Squad, these coping skills will be valuable to me when I struggle with things later on in life. By bettering myself, I have found my relationships to improve and become healthier. I have experienced personal growth and have been able to understand myself and others better through my membership in Hope Squad. During my five-year span, I have learned how to identify suicidal tendencies and help people get the help that they need to live healthier lives mentally and physically. I will take these skills with me into college and long after, in order to build a life that will be beneficial to me and my loved ones. Hope Squad has inspired me to major in Psychology. I intend to continue the work I have done throughout high school into my adult life.

When I was in seventh grade, over the morning announcements my principal instructed all students to get out their laptops and fill out the survey sent to their emails. The survey read “Who would you trust to listen and help you if you were feeling depressed or anxious?” At the time, I thought this was a way to offer positive recognition to the students in our school who had been good listeners and friends. When I read the paper I was given a few days later, I learned that the survey was much more than what I initially anticipated. I was nominated to an organization called Hope Squad, which is a peer-to-peer student-based suicide prevention program dedicated to reducing the negative stigma around mental health, all while teaching its members how to notice the warning signs of suicide in our community. Reading my nomination paper in seventh grade, I was overjoyed to have been voted into Hope Squad. This feeling has stayed with me as a current twelfth grader still in the program. The lessons I’ve retained through my five years in Hope Squad have proven to be some of the most important things I will take with me to college and beyond. Learning about risk factors and warning signs of someone in crisis or at risk for suicidal tendencies, and the skills to persuade people to get the help they need are just a few of the skills I have learned and practiced in the Hope Squad. While I recognize the value of academic knowledge and greatly appreciate the teachers who have taught me such, I feel that the lessons I have learned in the Hope Squad will be of the most value to me later in life because of the passion I have for them. I have experienced immense growth as not only a Hope Squad member but also as a person. I understand myself and my feelings better than ever before and I have learned healthy ways to deal with conflict, and how to alter my thinking from negative thoughts to possible solutions. During my tenure in Hope Squad, I’ve referred many students to my advisors and counselors. Some students were annoyed with the call down to the counselor's office, but I knew it would be more beneficial in the long haul for those students to get help from trained adults, even if that resulted in some short-term embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings. When dealing with students who have communicated signs of suicidal tendencies or traits, I have learned to be extremely delicate and patient. My fellow Hope Squad members and I have done extensive training on something called “active listening”. Showing that you’re listening with your body language, and refraining from judgment and personal opinions or anecdotes are key techniques of active listening that I will utilize throughout my life. I believe that suicide should never be an option and try to help other struggling peers believe that. I am willing to talk for hours if that means I can convince somebody that they have a purpose and meaning in this world. I have experienced personal growth through the material taught and exercised in Hope Squad during our “personal care” unit. We learned how to process and cope with hearing traumatic and sometimes scarring stories. Even when I have moved on from Hope Squad, these coping skills will be valuable to me when I struggle with things later on in life. By bettering myself, I have found my relationships to improve and become healthier. I have experienced personal growth and have been able to understand myself and others better through my membership in Hope Squad. During my five-year span, I have learned how to identify suicidal tendencies and help people get the help that they need to live healthier lives mentally and physically. I will take these skills with me into college and long after, in order to build a life that will be beneficial to me and my loved ones. Hope Squad has inspired me to major in Psychology. I intend to continue the work I have done throughout high school into my adult life.

When I was in seventh grade, over the morning announcements my principal instructed all students to get out their laptops and fill out the survey sent to their emails. The survey read “Who would you trust to listen and help you if you were feeling depressed or anxious?” At the time, I thought this was a way to offer positive recognition to the students in our school who had been good listeners and friends. When I read the paper I was given a few days later, I learned that the survey was much more than what I initially anticipated. I was nominated into Hope Squad. A peer-to-peer student-based suicide prevention program dedicated to reducing the negative stigma around mental health, while teaching its members how to notice the warning signs of suicide. Reading my nomination paper in seventh grade, I was overjoyed to have been voted into Hope Squad. This feeling has stayed with me as a current twelfth grader still in the program. The lessons I’ve retained through my five years in Hope Squad have proven to be some of the most important things I will take with me to college and beyond. Learning about risk factors and warning signs of someone in crisis or at risk for suicidal tendencies, and the skills to persuade people to get the help they need are just a few of the skills I have learned and practiced in the Hope Squad. While I recognize the value of academic knowledge and greatly appreciate the teachers who have taught me such, I feel that the lessons I have learned in the Hope Squad will be of the most value to me later in life because of the passion I have for them. I have experienced immense growth as not only a Hope Squad member but also as a person. I understand myself and my feelings better than ever before and I have learned healthy ways to deal with conflict, and how to alter my thinking from negative thoughts to possible solutions. During my tenure in Hope Squad, I’ve referred many students to my advisors and counselors. Some students were annoyed with the call down to the counselor's office, but I knew it would be more beneficial in the long haul for those students to get help from trained adults, even if that resulted in some short-term embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings. When dealing with students who have communicated signs of suicidal tendencies or traits, I have learned to be extremely delicate and patient. My fellow Hope Squad members and I have done extensive training on something called “active listening”. Showing that you’re listening with your body language, and refraining from judgment and personal opinions or anecdotes are key techniques of active listening that I will utilize throughout my life. I have experienced personal growth through the material taught and exercised in Hope Squad during our “personal care” unit. We learned how to process and cope with hearing traumatic and sometimes scarring stories. Even when I have moved on from Hope Squad, these coping skills will be valuable to me when I struggle with things later on in life. I have experienced personal growth and have been able to understand myself and others better through my membership in Hope Squad. During my five-year span, I have learned how to identify suicidal tendencies and help people get the help that they need to live healthier lives mentally and physically. I will take these skills with me into college and long after, in order to build a life that will be beneficial to me and my loved ones.

When I was younger, every Sunday morning was spent sitting and chatting in the living room with my mother and sister while the news played in the background. Consequently, every Sunday morning I read a headline of a tragic, disastrous event happening in our world. At the time, I had not heard of many of the countries headlining the news for “hundreds of deaths” or “extreme damages” but I was immensely grateful that I was sitting safely in my house with my family. I am proud to be an American because of the security I feel and the knowledge that the valiant and heroic workers who serve our country will stop at nothing to keep each and every person safe. Although I would love to say that there is no crime in America, I would be lying. I believe that crime rates are starting to increase, and likely will continue to increase, because of the lessening punishments. I recently interviewed my city's sergeant detective and he explained that many people who should be behind bars are walking free or receiving short sentences given their crime. I believe the career path I am currently proceeding on will grant me the privilege of serving our country by preventing people who deserve to be behind bars from walking free. I am also proud to be an American because of the opportunities and resources I have access to. I have incredible access to education which is something I take for granted. I am thrilled to have the chance to continue my education further through college. In college, I plan to double major in Criminology and Psychology while minoring in Spanish. With these degrees, I expect to start as a police officer and then become a criminal psychologist to learn about the psyche of a criminal. With this training and knowledge, I hope to reach my long-term career goal of becoming a Behavioral Analyst in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In this unit, I would backtrack from a victim or event to a criminal or use my knowledge of a criminal to find their possible location. By doing so, I intend to help keep our country secure by aiding in the apprehension of dangerous criminals. I am incredibly grateful for the security I have always felt as a child in America and desire to make future generations feel the same sense of security. I also believe that it is my responsibility to serve our veterans, people, and country by making our country a safer place to live and continue the hard work that has been done for centuries.

When I was in seventh grade, over the morning announcements my principal instructed all students to get out their laptops and fill out the survey sent to their emails. The survey read “Who would you trust to listen and help you if you were feeling depressed or anxious?” At the time, I thought this was a way to offer positive recognition to the students in our school who had been good listeners and friends. When I read the paper I was given a few days later, I learned that the survey was much more than what I initially anticipated. I was nominated to an organization called Hope Squad, which is a peer-to-peer student-based suicide prevention program dedicated to reducing the negative stigma around mental health, all while teaching its members how to notice the warning signs of suicide in our community. Reading my nomination paper in seventh grade, I was overjoyed to have been voted into Hope Squad. This feeling has stayed with me as a current twelfth grader still in the program. The lessons I’ve retained through my five years in Hope Squad have proven to be some of the most important things I will take with me to college and beyond. Learning about risk factors and warning signs of someone in crisis or at risk for suicidal tendencies, and the skills to persuade people to get the help they need are just a few of the skills I have learned and practiced in the Hope Squad. While I recognize the value of academic knowledge and greatly appreciate the teachers who have taught me such, I feel that the lessons I have learned in the Hope Squad will be of the most value to me later in life because of the passion I have for them. I have experienced immense growth as not only a Hope Squad member but also as a person. I understand myself and my feelings better than ever before and I have learned healthy ways to deal with conflict, and how to alter my thinking from negative thoughts to possible solutions. During my tenure in Hope Squad, I’ve referred many students to my advisors and counselors. Some students were annoyed with the call down to the counselor's office, but I knew it would be more beneficial in the long haul for those students to get help from trained adults, even if that resulted in some short-term embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings. When dealing with students who have communicated signs of suicidal tendencies or traits, I have learned to be extremely delicate and patient. My fellow Hope Squad members and I have done extensive training on something called “active listening”. Showing that you’re listening with your body language, and refraining from judgment and personal opinions or anecdotes are key techniques of active listening that I will utilize throughout my life. In my five-year span, I have learned how to identify suicidal tendencies and help people get the help that they need to live healthier lives mentally and physically. I will take these skills with me into college and long after, in order to build a life that will be beneficial to me and my loved ones. Every single day, I strive to learn one new thing that will better help me to serve others. My greatest passion is servant leadership and helping people.

When I was younger, every Sunday morning was spent sitting and chatting in the living room with my mother and sister while the news played in the background. Consequently, every Sunday morning I read a headline of a tragic, disastrous event happening in our world. At the time, I had not heard of many of the countries headlining the news for “hundreds of deaths” or “extreme damages” but I was immensely grateful that I was sitting safely in my house with my family. I am proud to be an American because of the security I feel and the knowledge that the valiant and heroic workers who serve our country will stop at nothing to keep each and every person safe. Although I would love to say that there is no crime in America, I would be lying. I believe that crime rates are starting to increase, and likely will continue to increase, because of the lessening punishments. I recently interviewed my city's sergeant detective and he explained that many people who should be behind bars are walking free or receiving short sentences given their crime. I believe the career path I am currently proceeding on will grant me the privilege of serving our country by preventing people who deserve to be behind bars from walking free. I am also proud to be an American because of the opportunities and resources I have access to. I have incredible access to education which is something I take for granted. I am thrilled to have the chance to continue my education further through college. In college, I plan to double major in Criminology and Psychology while minoring in Spanish. With these degrees, I expect to start as a police officer and then become a criminal psychologist to learn about the psyche of a criminal. With this training and knowledge, I hope to reach my long-term career goal of becoming a Behavioral Analyst in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In this unit, I would backtrack from a victim or event to a criminal or use my knowledge of a criminal to find their possible location. By doing so, I intend to help keep our country secure by aiding in the apprehension of dangerous criminals. I am incredibly grateful for the security I have always felt as a child in America and desire to make future generations feel the same sense of security. I also believe that it is my responsibility to serve our veterans, people, and country by making our country a safer place to live and continue the hard work that has been done for centuries.