LoginJoin Bold.org
user profile avatar

Lauren Morris

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Chess
  • Travel And Tourism
  • Gardening
  • Sewing
  • Art
  • Culinary Arts
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Foreign Languages
  • Embroidery And Cross Stitching
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Flying And Aviation
  • Quilting
  • Bible Study
  • Studying
  • Teaching
  • Hebrew
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Candle Making
  • Church
  • Woodworking
  • Weaving

Reading

  • Academic
  • Adult Fiction
  • Adventure
  • Anthropology
  • Christian Fiction
  • Christianity
  • Cultural
  • Fantasy
  • Historical
  • History
  • Literary Fiction
  • Novels
  • Science Fiction
  • Travel
  • Self-Help
  • True Story

I read books daily.

Bio

The wholesome environment of my home has spiritually nourished me and filled me with an unshakable peace that I carry with me into my everyday life. I grew up in a household that prioritized family and our faith. My parents prepared me for life by showing me the beauty in living our lives the way God intended them to be and teaching me how to slow down and be fully present in the moment, embracing the gift of life. Over the summer, I participated in a week long leadership camp at Benedictine College. The community which I got to be a part of and the wholesome people whom I met there, showed me once again the way that life could be. I found friends who make me a better person, lift me up, and amplify my longing to be that little bit of kindness and love in the world. Although we live in different states, all across the country, we still meet virtually every single week to build each other up and share the joys and pains of life with one another. I hope that the friendships that began there will endure throughout our lives. Meeting so many people who share my morals and values has given me the knowledge of possibility that life can be so much more than it currently is if you only surround yourself with other people who also seek and strive to change the world.

Education

Benedictine College

Bachelor's degree program

2024 – 2028

Majors:
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Theology and Religious Vocations, Other
Minors:
  • Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

St Dominic High School

High School

2020 – 2024

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Ave Maria University, Catholic University of America, Regent University
Majors of interest:
Theology and Religious Vocations, Other, English Language and Literature, General, Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General, Economics
Desired degree modality:
Online, In-Person, Full-Time, Part-Time

Career

  • Founder

    Textiles · Layers of Love Miscarriage Ministry

    Jan 2019 – Present

  • Receptionist

    Religion · Immaculate Conception Dardenne Prairie Church

    Jan 2023 – Present

  • Catechist, Directress, and Assistant Catechist

    Religion · Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

    Jan 2021 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Religion
Dream career goals:
Missionary, Author, Biblical Archaeologist
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
A Man Helping Women Helping Women Scholarship
I grew up in a nourishing and wholesome home that prioritized family and service. At a young age, I fell in love with serving others and showing them the love that was first shown to me. For my birthdays I would ask for canned food that I could donate to the food pantry or I would collect shoes for the children in Uganda who only had crushed soda cans for shoes. As I grew older, I helped tend the Helping Hands Garden which provided food for the homeless in the city and made batches of 60 sandwiches for a different homeless shelter nearby. I have organized and run a Box of Joy collection for my American Heritage Girls troop for multiple years, as well as smaller service projects such as birthday bags for the food pantry. As I continued to learn and grow, the work of ministry became instilled even deeper into my heart. My eighth-grade year, I created my own ministry, Layers of Love, through which to serve. I sew miniature baby quilts and deliver them to grieving families, to tangibly recognize the loss of a child. It stemmed from my own family's grief after losing four babies to miscarriage, and I know that with each candle lit and each quilt sewn, I am extending hope and healing to the world in a small way. I have continued this ministry for about six years now, and it has reached many families both locally and internationally. It is a small thing, but every small thing is a step toward changing the world. I am hoping to try out prison ministry this year, so that by trying many outlets I may find where I can best use my talents to serve those in need. My education has always been a central part of my life. I love school because everything I am learning now I will one day be able to use to change the world. I love learning foreign languages because they allow me to connect on a deeper and more personal level with the people whom I encounter. I love to write because it is through fiction that we learn on a what it really means to be human and understand our relationship to the world and one another. Post college, I plan to pursue my love of writing as an author, as well as work for a non-profit. While I don't know exactly how my career will play out, I know that I want to help people in some way. Whether I am oversees on the mission field or in an office supporting others, I will use my talents to reach out in love to those around me in every phase of my life. Through my education I am being formed more deeply than I ever thought possible. Every day I am filled with overwhelming gratitude that I am able to be where I am and learn alongside these people. I know that a life of service with low pay such as that of a missionary or non-profit is not what many would consider successful, but I cannot imagine living my life any other way. I have been gifted with so much, and through my education, through hard work and pursuing my interests, I want to repay that gift by serving those in society who are living in grief, desperation, and fear.
Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship
The gravel crunched under our feet as we hiked through the woods to the edge of the river. It was a warm summer day and the sun shone through the trees, warming our faces. “What’s your favorite song?” My friend Hannah asked. “One of my new favorites is First Things First by Consumed by Fire,” I replied, unsure if she had ever even heard of it. “Oh, I love that one!” She exclaimed, her face lighting up. She and Margaret suddenly burst into song, “I don’t want to love what the world loves. I don’t want to chase what the world does…” We continued talking as we walked, comparing favorite songs and novels. Never had I found anyone who had so much in common with me. Everyone there was confident in themselves, strong in their beliefs, and no one cared what anyone else thought. Being in a community full of people who prioritized their faith, family, and loved to learn filled me with awe of what the future could have in store. I toured many different colleges from state schools, to private, to public. Of all the colleges I visited, Benedictine focuses the most on developing well rounded leaders, building character, and serving the world. I am studying Theology, Creative Writing, and possibly Classics (in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin), but more important to me than what I study, is who I will become. I want to live and learn in an uplifting community where I can be confident in who I am and learn to better express myself in whatever career I decide to pursue post-college. College is a time to discover who we are and who we are meant to be. After college, I would like to continue my work as a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Directress, and I hope to further expand the program. I have looked into working for the church or another non-profit, missionary work, and pursuing my love of writing. While I do not know exactly how my career will play out, I know that I want to help people in some way and that I will always use whatever talents I have to reach out in love to those in need. I want to pursue a strong education that will shape me into a well-rounded adult who is confident, kind, and relatable. I believe it is important to be both well-traveled and well-read because rather than simply memorizing facts, true education is centered around forming the person as a whole and kindling in students the desire to continue learning throughout their lives. If learning is confined to the borders of the school, we will never grow. Rather, the world is my school and as I travel, I am able to apply what I have been taught to understand the world around me. College is important to me because it is preparing me to go into the world ready to give of myself and my talents, and to never be afraid to learn something new. Every day I spend here, every moment that passes, I am overwhelmed joy and gratitude for the blessing that this school is to me. I am struggling to pay off my student loans, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to further my education here because I know that this is where I am meant to be.
Chi Changemaker Scholarship
My family stood around a small grave that read, “Baby Morris”. Returning to school after the funeral of another sibling lost during a miscarriage, I couldn’t help but wonder who else had dealt with this same loss? Years later, in my Social Entrepreneurship class, we were asked to come up with a lifelong ministry through which to serve. As I thought about where I was being called, I recalled my own family’s grief and decided that I needed to do something to offer comfort to other families like mine. With a vision in mind, I got straight to work. I began to use my class time to sew miniature memorial baby quilts as a reminder of the babies which families have lost, and Layers of Love was born. The mission of Layers of Love, Miscarriage Ministry, is to provide comfort to grieving parents, acknowledge the loss as a real baby, and supply something beautiful and tangible for the mother and father to keep in remembrance. Despite my doubts, my eighth grade service project actually has transformed into my lifelong ministry. I have been creating quilts for six years now, and I plan to continue for many more. Through my ministry, I have been able to bless families both locally and internationally. Throughout my journey, I have been blessed to see the work which I have put my heart and soul into, comforting grieving parents and changing their lives. I have learned that God may not call us to do big things or great things, but rather small things with great love. Everyone in this world is facing hardship that we may never know, but by reaching out to them in their pain we can spread love across the world. These families just want to be seen, to be held, and to be loved. I pray that through every candle lit and every quilt sewn, God’s light may penetrate the grief and suffering of these families. Looking back, I realize now that all that my family has gone through is a gift, given so that I may use it to better understand and comfort those whom He places in my life. Layers of Love Miscarriage Ministry has brought me joy and healing, and I hope that through it, I may extend the same healing to the world.
Freddie L Brown Sr. Scholarship
Savoring Time: Some call it senior-itis I call it senior-tiredness Because come April and May You are transported to a racecourse Cars zoom past you at hundreds of miles an hour In a deafening roar of colors It’s been a journey You’ve run some parts You’ve walked some parts Now you can barely summon the strength to stand But through all the side cramps You’ve made it here It’s your glorious finale So I hope you have a great time Lying on your back on the gravel Completely winded Burnt out from the race Using your feet to slowly scoot you to the finish line Inch by inch As rocks fall from the sky An adult to the world You’re expected to have the strength To carry them to the finish Your friends are here by your side To lift you up when you fall Only they too are on their backs From your place of defeat You try to help them up But you all fall like dominos in the process Your whole high school career You’ve been driving the dogsled But now you’ve slipped And unable to find your footing It’s driving you Dragging you along behind it So make sure you savor every moment As snow flies in your face And your hands freeze with frostbite Without sleep you trudge through the day Surviving on coffee That burns your tongue when you try to drink it You’ve been waiting for this moment And you don’t want it to be over Because you want more time But you want it to be over Because you’re drowning in the tornado of to-do lists Soon it will be summer And you’ll be free of homework But it will be an essay packed with new transitions And time will fly by In the blink of an eye You will not be a senior But a grown man or woman
Michael Rudometkin Memorial Scholarship
Service is an important part of my everyday life, whether in big ways or in small. I always make it a priority to sit with the students who are alone, invite friends to be involved in the community, and make new members of our school feel welcome. As Philanthropy Captain, I have planned visits for our school with local homes for people with disabilities and I have integrated service projects as a part of our school community. Through my work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I have the opportunity to lead children in their faith, as well as in Montessori peace education. Young children learn by observing our our actions and imitating them, so it is important to lead by example in order to teach them how to live at peace with themselves and one another while being active participants in the community. From a young age, my family has hosted international guests in our home. As one of their only glimpses of America, we represent all Americans to these guests, some of which speak no English. However, we do not simply welcome them into our home. In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to understand and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I am passionate about learning as many languages as I can in order to make our guests feel at home while overseas. Additionally, travel is a core aspect of who I am. Immersing yourself in other cultures, their cuisines, their traditions, and their people, enables us to put ourselves in their shoes and relate to them. By being competent, kind, and relatable, I can put other people at ease. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. Recalling my own family’s grief, after another miscarriage, I decided that I needed to do something to offer comfort to other families like mine. With a vision in mind, I got straight to work. I began to use my class time to sew miniature memorial baby quilts as a reminder of the babies which families have lost, and Layers of Love was born. The mission of Layers of Love, Miscarriage Ministry, is to provide comfort to grieving parents, acknowledge the loss as a real baby, and supply something beautiful and tangible for the mother and father to keep in remembrance. This service project has now turned into a lifelong ministry, through which I can extend the same healing I found to families across the world. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” In order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. How can we expect people to respect and follow us if we don't first put in the effort to connect with them? Everyone deserves to feel like they are a necessary part of the team, like they are wanted and loved. This is something I apply to my life, not just in leadership roles within school, but in my service to the community. At my age, I cannot give a home or a job to someone who is homeless, nor can I be overseas daily preaching the gospel, but I can make meals for the homeless, give of myself for a stranger, invest myself in the lives of those whom I serve, and answer the call of the Holy Spirit each and every time, letting God’s gifts flow through me to where He needs them most.
Strong Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship
Leadership is an important part of my everyday life, whether in big ways or in small. I always make it a priority to sit with the students who are alone, invite friends to be involved in the community, and make new members of our school feel welcome. As Philanthropy Captain, I have planned visits for our school with local homes for people with disabilities and I have integrated service projects as a part of our school community. Through my work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I have the opportunity to lead children in their faith, as well as in Montessori peace education. Young children learn by observing our our actions and imitating them, so it is important to lead by example in order to teach them how to live at peace with themselves and one another while being active participants in the community. From a young age, my family has hosted international guests in our home. As one of their only glimpses of America, we represent all Americans to these guests, some of which speak no English. However, we do not simply welcome them into our home. In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to understand and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I am passionate about learning as many languages as I can in order to make our guests feel at home while overseas. Additionally, travel is a core aspect of who I am. Immersing yourself in other cultures, their cuisines, their traditions, and their people, enables us to put ourselves in their shoes and relate to them. By being competent, kind, and relatable, I can put other people at ease. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” In order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. How can we expect people to respect and follow us if we don't first put in the effort to connect with them? Everyone deserves to feel like they are a necessary part of the team, like they are wanted and loved. This is something I apply to my life, not just in leadership roles within school, but in my service to the community. At my age, I cannot give a home or a job to someone who is homeless, nor can I be overseas daily preaching the gospel, but I can make meals for the homeless, give of myself for a stranger, invest myself in the lives of those whom I serve, and answer the call of the Holy Spirit each and every time, letting God’s gifts flow through me to where He needs them most.
Student Life Photography Scholarship
Janie Mae "Loving You to Wholeness" Scholarship
Service is an important part of my everyday life, whether in big ways or in small. I always make it a priority to sit with the students who are alone, invite friends to be involved in the community, and make new members of our school feel welcome. As Philanthropy Captain, I have planned visits for our school with local homes for people with disabilities and I have integrated service projects as a part of our school community. Through my work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I have the opportunity to lead children in their faith, as well as in Montessori peace education. Young children learn by observing our our actions and imitating them, so it is important to lead by example in order to teach them how to live at peace with themselves and one another while being active participants in the community. From a young age, my family has hosted international guests in our home. As one of their only glimpses of America, we represent all Americans to these guests, some of which speak no English. However, we do not simply welcome them into our home. In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to understand and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I am passionate about learning as many languages as I can in order to make our guests feel at home while overseas. Additionally, travel is a core aspect of who I am. Immersing yourself in other cultures, their cuisines, their traditions, and their people, enables us to put ourselves in their shoes and relate to them. By being competent, kind, and relatable, I can put other people at ease. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. Recalling my own family’s grief, after another miscarriage, I decided that I needed to do something to offer comfort to other families like mine. With a vision in mind, I got straight to work. I began to use my class time to sew miniature memorial baby quilts as a reminder of the babies which families have lost, and Layers of Love was born. The mission of Layers of Love, Miscarriage Ministry, is to provide comfort to grieving parents, acknowledge the loss as a real baby, and supply something beautiful and tangible for the mother and father to keep in remembrance. This service project has now turned into a lifelong ministry, through which I can extend the same healing I found to families across the world. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” In order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. How can we expect people to respect and follow us if we don't first put in the effort to connect with them? Everyone deserves to feel like they are a necessary part of the team, like they are wanted and loved. This is something I apply to my life, not just in leadership roles within school, but in my service to the community. At my age, I cannot give a home or a job to someone who is homeless, nor can I be overseas daily preaching the gospel, but I can make meals for the homeless, give of myself for a stranger, invest myself in the lives of those whom I serve, and answer the call of the Holy Spirit each and every time, letting God’s gifts flow through me to where He needs them most.
Arthur and Elana Panos Scholarship
The gravel crunched under our feet as we hiked through the woods to the edge of the river. It was a warm summer day and the sun shone through the trees, warming our faces. “What’s your favorite song?” My friend Hannah asked. “One of my new favorites is First Things First by Consumed by Fire,” I replied, unsure if she had ever even heard of it. “Oh, I love that one!” She exclaimed, her face lighting up. She and Margaret suddenly burst into song, “I don’t want to love what the world loves. I don’t want to chase what the world does…” We continued talking as we walked, comparing favorite songs and novels. Never had I found anyone who had so much in common with me. Everyone there was confident in themselves, strong in their beliefs, and no one cared what anyone else thought. Being in a community full of people who prioritized their faith, family, and loved to learn filled me with awe of what the future could have in store. I have toured many different colleges from state schools, to private, to public. Of all the colleges I have visited, Benedictine and similar schools focus the most on developing well rounded leaders, building character, and serving the world. I want to study Theology and Creative Writing, but more important to me than what I study, is who I will become. I want to live and learn in an uplifting community where I can be confident in who I am and learn to better express myself in whatever career I decide to pursue post-college. College is a time to discover who we are and who we are meant to be. After college, I would like to continue my work as a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Directress, and I hope to further expand the program. I have looked into working for the church or another non-profit, missionary work, or pursuing my love of writing. While I do not know exactly how my career will play out, I know I want to help people in some way and that I will always use whatever talents I have to reach out in love to those in need. I want to pursue a strong education that will shape me into a well rounded adult who is confident, kind, and relatable. I believe it is important to be both well-traveled and well-read because rather than simply memorizing facts, true education is centered around forming the person as a whole and kindling in students the desire to continue learning throughout their lives. If learning is confined to the borders of the school, we will never grow. Rather, the world is my school and as I travel, I am able to apply what I have been taught to understand the world around me. College is important to me because it will prepare me to go into the world ready to give of myself and my talents, and to never be afraid to learn something new.
Walking In Authority International Ministry Scholarship
Service is an important part of my everyday life, whether in big ways or in small. I always make it a priority to sit with the students who are alone, invite friends to be involved in the community, and make new members of our school feel welcome. As Philanthropy Captain, I have planned visits for our school with local homes for people with disabilities and I have integrated service projects as a part of our school community. Through my work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I have the opportunity to lead children in their faith, as well as in Montessori peace education. Young children learn by observing our our actions and imitating them, so it is important to lead by example in order to teach them how to live at peace with themselves and one another while being active participants in the community. From a young age, my family has hosted international guests in our home. As one of their only glimpses of America, we represent all Americans to these guests, some of which speak no English. However, we do not simply welcome them into our home. In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to understand and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I am passionate about learning as many languages as I can in order to make our guests feel at home while overseas. Additionally, travel is a core aspect of who I am. Immersing yourself in other cultures, their cuisines, their traditions, and their people, enables us to put ourselves in their shoes and relate to them. By being competent, kind, and relatable, I can put other people at ease. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. Recalling my own family’s grief, after another miscarriage, I decided that I needed to do something to offer comfort to other families like mine. With a vision in mind, I got straight to work. I began to use my class time to sew miniature memorial baby quilts as a reminder of the babies which families have lost, and Layers of Love was born. The mission of Layers of Love, Miscarriage Ministry, is to provide comfort to grieving parents, acknowledge the loss as a real baby, and supply something beautiful and tangible for the mother and father to keep in remembrance. This service project has now turned into a lifelong ministry, through which I can extend the same healing I found to families across the world. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” In order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. How can we expect people to respect and follow us if we don't first put in the effort to connect with them? Everyone deserves to feel like they are a necessary part of the team, like they are wanted and loved. This is something I apply to my life, not just in leadership roles within school, but in my service to the community. At my age, I cannot give a home or a job to someone who is homeless, nor can I be overseas daily preaching the gospel, but I can make meals for the homeless, give of myself for a stranger, invest myself in the lives of those whom I serve, and answer the call of the Holy Spirit each and every time, letting God’s gifts flow through me to where He needs them most.
Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship
The structure of our world tells us that success is money, the highest number of views, and constant fame. Yet what if success was not something defined by our list of personal achievements, but rather by something greater than ourselves? We were not made to race to the top of some “pinnacle of pointlessness” because when we get to the top, we are left as empty as when we began. We are all searching for something. There is something in human nature that beckons us to look for the meaning of life. We were not made for us. We were made for a cause so much bigger than ourselves. To me, success is not having the best job, the most money, or your name in every headline. Success happens when we stop cursing the darkness and instead light a candle. When we humble ourselves to serve the people in our lives, rather than trampling over them in a pointless race. Life, success, is about learning to look outside of ourselves and being someone people can count on. My life is centered on learning to relate to and walk with other people in their struggles and be the light that they are waiting for. I know that I will be successful in life because there will always be something, somewhere, that I can do to help our world and the people who live in it. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” Through my travel, I have developed a deep love for all God’s people. I believe that in order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. My education has always been a central part of my life. I love school, especially learning foreign languages. I am currently looking into the majors of Theology, Creative Writing, Archaeology, or Global Studies. While I do not know exactly how my career will play out, I know I want to help people in some way. Whether I am oversees in the mission field or in an office supporting others, I do know that I am going to use whatever talents I have to reach out in love to those who need me. I have been given a strong passion for serving my community and connecting with people from all areas of the world and all walks of life. As a Christian servant, it is my mission to stand up for those across the globe whose voices are dim and to stand beside them when they are too weak to stand for themselves. While I know that my outreach is only beginning as a young adult, I know that God places opportunities in my life each and every day to serve His children and to bring His holy light to the world. To me, success is helping someone else to feel God's unending love and valuing their human dignity. Life is not a race to meet some ends, but rather a journey on which we are meant to walk beside one another, lifting one another up to our Lord.
Alicea Sperstad Rural Writer Scholarship
I was born to be an author. I don’t write stories, they write me. The stories I create form me into who I am meant to be. With every book we read, and every story we write, we are shaped into a new creation and molded into a greater masterpiece. When I lay in bed at night, a thousand stories swirl through my head. My mind is the portal through which all the worlds connect and open their doors. Writing is my life. When I pick up a sharp pencil, it is like the world around me melts away. The joys, aches, and pains of the day dissolve into mist yet fill my stories. Time itself stops as the words pour from my mind onto the paper, page, after page, after page. Writing is one of the most powerful occupations any of us can pursue. As an author, it is our mission to shape the future. The world ten years from now will be what we make it. Writing is not just portraying an idea through words, but rather painting a portal to another world, one full of hope and beauty where everyone has a purpose, a mission. A good book stirs within each of us a deep desire for a perfect world. Think about the power we hold to be able to write a whole world into being, simple by putting pen to paper. My best friends have always been the characters from my books, for they are the truest companion anyone could have. I have spent my life beside Lucy and Peter from The Chronicles of Narnia, Bilbo and Gandalf from The Hobbit, Annemarie and the Giver from Lois Lowry, as well as countless others. These characters, alive in my mind, teach me courage and truth. Words have power. The Musophilus, one of my favorite writings reads “Thou that canst do much more with one poor pen than all the powers of princes can affect.” The stories we write have a far larger impact than we could ever imagine. They are a small drop of water in the ocean, yet the ripples from that small drop spread to all corners of the earth. Even the Cuban Missile Crisis, as our countries were on the verge of total disaster, was ended due simply to the power of the written word. If we are given the gift of writing and yet choose not to pursue it, we are doing both ourselves and this world an injustice. Writing is important to me because through it we are given the opportunity to change people’s minds, impact their lives, and inspire hope in our often dreary and ordinary world.
KC R. Sandidge Photography Scholarship
It is through travel that my eyes are opened to the true beauty of daily life. We can search the world for beauty and life, yet return empty. We spend our lives looking in all the wrong places because we expect it to be far away when in reality it is right beside us in the gift of one another. In order to first truly love a person, we must first know that person. Travel is my life, it is the air I breathe. I am a writer, a photographer, a traveler. They say a picture speaks a thousand words, yet even a picture often falls short of our experiences. Every photographer has experienced this. The sky is painted a masterpiece of hues before our eyes. Or the waves lap against the shore, foaming, crashing into rocks like a glorious symphony. In the moment, filled with tranquility and joy, we want nothing more than to capture it and hold onto the moment forever. So we pull out our cameras, only to be disappointed by the view which we see through the lens. The very thought that no matter how beautiful an image is, the original must have been so much more beautiful, is enchanting. Life is a journey. These images represent only a few of the breathtaking sights I have experienced in my travels, as I learn to branch off and travel the road less traveled, diving deeper into our world as I immerse myself into new languages, cultures, and cuisines.
Redefining Victory Scholarship
The structure of our world tells us that success is money, the highest number of views, and constant fame. Yet what if success was not something defined by our list of personal achievements, but rather by something greater than ourselves? We were not made to race to the top of some “pinnacle of pointlessness” because when we get to the top, we are left as empty as when we began. We are all searching for something. There is something in human nature that beckons us to look for the meaning of life. We were not made for us. We were made for a cause so much bigger than ourselves. To me, success is not having the best job, the most money, or your name in every headline. Success happens when we stop cursing the darkness and instead light a candle. When we humble ourselves to serve the people in our lives, rather than trampling over them in a pointless race. Life, success, is about learning to look outside of ourselves and being someone people can count on. My life is centered on learning to relate to and walk with other people in their struggles and be the light that they are waiting for. I know that I will be successful in life because there will always be something, somewhere, that I can do to help our world and the people who live in it. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” Through my travel, I have developed a deep love for all God’s people. I believe that in order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. My education has always been a central part of my life. I love school, especially learning foreign languages. I am currently looking into the majors of Theology, Creative Writing, Archaeology, or Global Studies. While I do not know exactly how my career will play out, I know I want to help people in some way. Whether I am oversees in the mission field or in an office supporting others, I do know that I am going to use whatever talents I have to reach out in love to those who need me. I have been given a strong passion for serving my community and connecting with people from all areas of the world and all walks of life. As a Christian servant, it is my mission to stand up for those across the globe whose voices are dim and to stand beside them when they are too weak to stand for themselves. While I know that my outreach is only beginning as a young adult, I know that God places opportunities in my life each and every day to serve His children and to bring His holy light to the world. To me, success is helping someone else to feel God's unending love and valuing their human dignity. Life is not a race to meet some ends, but rather a journey on which we are meant to walk beside one another, lifting one another up to our Lord.
McClendon Leadership Award
Leadership is an important part of my everyday life, whether in big ways or in small. I always make it a priority to sit with the students who are alone, invite friends to be involved in the community, and make new members of our school feel welcome. As Philanthropy Captain, I have planned visits for our school with local homes for people with disabilities and I have integrated service projects as a part of our school community. Through my work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, I have the opportunity to lead children in their faith, as well as in Montessori peace education. Young children learn by observing our our actions and imitating them, so it is important to lead by example in order to teach them how to live at peace with themselves and one another while being active participants in the community. From a young age, my family has hosted international guests in our home. As one of their only glimpses of America, we represent all Americans to these guests, some of which speak no English. However, we do not simply welcome them into our home. In order to be a successful leader, you must be able to understand and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I am passionate about learning as many languages as I can in order to make our guests feel at home while overseas. Additionally, travel is a core aspect of who I am. Immersing yourself in other cultures, their cuisines, their traditions, and their people, enables us to put ourselves in their shoes and relate to them. By being competent, kind, and relatable, I can put other people at ease. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” In order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. How can we expect people to respect and follow us if we don't first put in the effort to connect with them? Everyone deserves to feel like they are a necessary part of the team, like they are wanted and loved. This is something I apply to my life, not just in leadership roles within school, but in my service to the community. At my age, I cannot give a home or a job to someone who is homeless, nor can I be overseas daily preaching the gospel, but I can make meals for the homeless, give of myself for a stranger, invest myself in the lives of those whom I serve, and answer the call of the Holy Spirit each and every time, letting God’s gifts flow through me to where He needs them most.
Learner Math Lover Scholarship
Math is simple, math is logical. When I've had a long day and nothing is making sense, I know that I can always turn to math. I know that I can rely on the rules of math to be the same and that no matter what else seems to constantly change, 2+2 will always be 4. I will admit that sometimes math can be difficult or frustrating, especially when I am tired, but that is not a reason to hate it. I always enjoy a challenge that will get me thinking and I believe that problem-solving is an important skill to have. Logic puzzles and Sodoku are my favorite types of math to do in my free time. Logical thinking is necessary to live our lives. Math is often an unseen yet vital part of our everyday lives. Every student wonders, "When will we ever use this in real life", but in reality, math surrounds us every day. It is in the temperature of the room, baking the food we eat, the speed we are driving at, making change at the store, the angles of our dining room table, and the area of our home. Everything is math and whether we like it or not, it will always be there. No matter what people say or believe about it, math will always be near me, a logical friend to "count on" that makes the unreliable world reliable.
Reasons To Be - In Memory of Jimmy Watts
“Спасибо,” (Spasibo) I whispered to my karate instructor as I received my green belt. His face suddenly lit up with joy, amazed that I would go out of my way to thank him in his native tongue. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” In order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. St. Francis de Sales teaches that great opportunities to serve God are rare, but there are little ways to serve in our daily lives. When Afghan refugees started flowing into the US, I collected necessities to help them begin their lives again. When I learned of the earthquake in Turkey, I worked with my Dad’s logistics partners, collecting coats for earthquake victims. From a young age, I have been dedicated to serving those less fortunate. For many of my birthdays, I collected canned food for the food pantry or books for the library. When hosting a Ugandan priest, he told us of children using crushed soda cans as shoes, so I collected shoes for them. As a teen, I collected shoes for the Shoeman Water Project, gardened for the homeless elderly, made meals for Fr. Dempsey’s Men’s home, and boxed up toiletries to be delivered to the homebound of Missouri. Five years ago, I began my own miscarriage ministry to comfort grieving families, now reaching families both locally and internationally. Being pro-life means living as Christian servants by acknowledging human dignity. At my age, I cannot give a home or a job to someone who is homeless, nor can I be overseas daily preaching the gospel, but I can make meals for the homeless, give of myself for a stranger, invest myself in the lives of those whom I serve, and answer the call of the Holy Spirit each and every time, letting God’s gifts flow through me to where He needs them most. According to G.K. Chesterton, “A true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” Through my travel, I have developed a deep love for all God’s people. As a Christian servant, it is my mission to stand up for those across the globe whose voices are dim and to stand beside them when they are too weak to stand for themselves. While I know that my outreach is only beginning as a young adult, I know that God places opportunities in my life each and every day to serve His children and to bring His holy light to the world.
Servant Ships Scholarship
Our lives are short and every breath in our lungs is a gift. The next day, the next hour, the next minute, isn’t a guarantee. In Mitch Albom’s novel, The Time Keeper, a girl who committed suicide looks back on her life. She didn’t want the years she had left, but they wanted her. “Time is not something you give back. The very next moment may be an answer to your prayer. To deny that is to deny the most important part of the future… Hope.” Hope is something that so many people lack. Many of the younger generations were never taught how to live in the struggle, so they live life thinking that this moment of suffering is their whole life, when in reality, it is merely a page in a lengthy novel. My life is centered on learning to relate to and walk with other people in their struggles and be the light that they are waiting for. I know that I will be successful in life because there will always be something, somewhere, that I can do to help our world and the people who live in it. I never want anyone to feel unwanted simply because I’m too afraid to step out of my comfort zone. 1 Cor. 9:22 says, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” Through my travel, I have developed a deep love for all God’s people. I believe that in order to fully love all God’s people, we must first know God’s people. My education has always been a central part of my life. I love school, especially learning foreign languages. I am currently looking into the majors of Theology, Creative Writing, Archaeology, or Global Studies. While I do not know exactly how my career will play out, I know I want to help people in some way. Whether I am oversees in the mission field or in an office supporting others, I do know that I am going to use whatever talents I have to reach out in love to those who need me. I have been given a strong passion for serving my community and connecting with people from all areas of the world and all walks of life. As a Christian servant, it is my mission to stand up for those across the globe whose voices are dim and to stand beside them when they are too weak to stand for themselves. While I know that my outreach is only beginning as a young adult, I know that God places opportunities in my life each and every day to serve His children and to bring His holy light to the world.
Book Lovers Scholarship
Mitch Albom is most famous for his book, Tuesdays with Morrie, however my favorite book of his is The Time Keeper. I believe that it is a book that everyone can relate to, no matter what walk of life. The premise of the novel follows one man who wants more time to acquire wealth and one girl who is done being rejected and is ready for her time to come to an end. How much longer? Are we there yet? Just five more minutes? Is it time yet? These are questions that we ask one another every day. Some of us want more time: more time to keep playing, more time to sleep, more time with a dying loved one. Still, others of us want less time. We want it to be over, to be there already, even to end our own lives. The question always on our lips is, “What time is it?” But as Mitch Albom wrote, “When you are measuring life, you are not living it.” When we spend every moment living in the past or the future, we never learn to be truly present in the moment. Our lives are short and every breath in our lungs is a gift. The next day, the next hour, the next minute, isn’t a guarantee. At one point, the girl who committed suicide is looking back on her life. She didn’t want the years she had left, but they wanted her. “Time is not something you give back. The very next moment may be an answer to your prayer. To deny that is to deny the most important part of the future… Hope.” Hope is something that so many people lack. Many of the younger generations were never taught how to live in the struggle, so they live life thinking that this moment of suffering is their whole life, when in reality, it is merely a page in a lengthy novel. If I could only recommend one book to someone off of my lengthy list of favorites, it would be the Time Keeper because I firmly believe that all people have a right to life, yet it is a gift that we all too often take for granted. By stepping back and viewing the entirety of our lives, we would realize that each moment of suffering is only one stroke of a paintbrush, used to create a beautiful masterpiece.
New Kids Can Scholarship
While I have never transferred schools, I have still experienced being “the new kid” in a way that most people don’t. My freshman year of high school was 2020-2021, right when everywhere started opening after the COVID lockdown. My grandmother has RSD and auto-immune, as well as heart issues (AFIB). My great-grandfather’s health is also going downhill and we had to make countless trips to Arkansas to help get him moved into assisted living. Both of my parents and I were vaccinated, but my little sister was still too young to get the shots. Due to my sister being unvaccinated and countless health problems in the family, my family was extra careful to make sure we didn’t get sick and pass it on. My whole freshman year was spent in virtual learning and my whole sophomore year in a mask. Unlike many others, I loved the time in which we were quarantined. It provided a much-needed sabbatical to pause from the business of clubs and extracurriculars to simply be present with my family, go on walks, and spend my lunch eating steaming tikka masala rather than a school lunch. However, virtual learning wasn’t always easy. I was able to develop a deep relationship with all my teachers, but I missed the period of beginning high school where everyone branches out, meets new people, and finds their own friend group. When I returned to school, I spent my time with the group of 2 of my friends from grade school because I knew them. Yet what I found was that they had completely changed in the one year we were apart. I felt out of place in a mask, surrounded by people I had never met. It was like I was invading their friend circle, so I spent most of my time in clubs or in a good book. I knew that those friends were not the people whom I wanted to surround myself with, but I was too afraid to branch out. While over two years, I got to know them better, I still felt out of place because the things that were important to me such as school, family, faith, and reading were foreign to them. Over the past summer, I participated in a week-long leadership camp at Benedictine College. The community which I got to be a part of and the wholesome people whom I met there, showed me once again the way that life could be. I found friends who make me a better person, lift me up, and amplify my longing to be that little bit of kindness and love in the world. Although we live in different states, all across the country, we still meet virtually every single week to build each other up and share the joys and pains of life with one another. I hope that the friendships that began there will endure throughout our lives. Meeting so many people who share my morals and values has given me the strength and courage to be myself and to step away from the “fine” to find the “perfect”. It has given me the knowledge of possibility that life can be so much more than it currently is if you only surround yourself with other people who also seek and strive to change the world.
Eden Alaine Memorial Scholarship
Winner
The church bells rang out in the crisp fall air. The gentle breeze blew my sweater around me as we walked through the parking lot to five o’clock mass. In my Social Entrepreneurship class, we were asked to come up with a lifelong ministry through which to serve. I didn’t even know where to start. My mom encouraged me to find a cause close to my heart. To find something in my life that I cared deeply about, and start from there. I decided to offer it to God at mass. Lost in prayer, a memory suddenly flooded back to me. My family, standing around a small grave as the priest read the prayers for burial, heartbroken after another miscarriage. My sister and I in our plaid skirts, standing in the parking lot between the cemetery and the church, where a statue of the Holy Family stood. Then, walking back into school right after the funeral, continuing with schoolwork and classes as if nothing had happened. On the outside, it appeared I had just gotten pulled out for an appointment before returning to school, but inside, I was still shaken. I then pictured the gravesite as it stands today, a small, carved stone marker surrounded by grass, and wondered, as I had many times before, what it would have been like to be the eldest of six. What would our family be like if my little sister had an identical twin? What if I had a younger brother? Coming back to the present as Father closed out mass, I still felt the heartache of losing them. What if there was something I could do to help other families who were grieving as we once had? Recalling my own family’s grief, I decided that I needed to do something to offer comfort to other families like mine. With a vision in mind, I got straight to work. I began to use my class time to sew miniature memorial baby quilts as a reminder of the babies which families have lost, and Layers of Love was born. The mission of Layers of Love, Miscarriage Ministry, is to provide comfort to grieving parents, acknowledge the loss as a real baby, and supply something beautiful and tangible for the mother and father to keep in remembrance. Despite my doubts, my eighth grade service project has transformed into my lifelong ministry. I have been creating quilts for five years now, and I plan to continue for many more. Through my ministry, I have been able to bless families both locally and internationally. Throughout my journey, I have been blessed to see the work which I have put my heart and soul into, comforting grieving parents. I have learned that God may not call us to do big things or great things, but rather small things with great love. I pray that through every candle lit and every quilt sewn, God’s light may penetrate the grief and suffering of these families. Looking back, I realize now that all that my family has gone through is a gift, given so that I may use it to better understand and comfort those whom He places in my life. Layers of Love Miscarriage Ministry has brought me joy and healing, and I hope that through it, I may extend the same healing to the world.
Book Lovers Scholarship
Mitch Albom is most famous for his book, Tuesdays with Morrie, however my favorite book of his is The Time Keeper. I believe that it is a book that everyone can relate to, no matter what walk of life. The premise of the novel follows one man who wants more time to acquire wealth and one girl who is done being rejected and is ready for her time to come to an end. How much longer? Are we there yet? Just five more minutes? Is it time yet? These are questions that we ask one another every day. Some of us want more time: more time to keep playing, more time to sleep, more time with a dying loved one. Still, others of us want less time. We want it to be over, to be there already, even to end our own lives. The question always on our lips is, “What time is it?” But as Mitch Albom wrote, “When you are measuring life, you are not living it.” When we spend every moment living in the past or the future, we never learn to be truly present in the moment. Our lives are short and every breath in our lungs is a gift. The next day, the next hour, the next minute, isn’t a guarantee. At one point, the girl who committed suicide is looking back on her life. She didn’t want the years she had left, but they wanted her. “Time is not something you give back. The very next moment may be an answer to your prayer. To deny that is to deny the most important part of the future… Hope.” Hope is something that so many people lack. Many of the younger generations were never taught how to live in the struggle, so they live life thinking that this moment of suffering is their whole life, when in reality, it is merely a page in a lengthy novel. If I could only recommend one book to someone off of my lengthy list of favorites, it would be the Time Keeper because I firmly believe that all people have a right to life, yet it is a gift that we all too often take for granted. By stepping back and viewing the entirety of our lives, we would realize that each moment of suffering is only one stroke of a paintbrush, used to create a beautiful masterpiece.
Writer for Life Scholarship
Mitch Albom is most famous for his book, Tuesdays with Morrie, however my favorite book of his is The Time Keeper. I believe that The Time Keeper is a book that everyone can relate to, no matter what walk of life. The premise of the novel follows one man who wants more time to acquire wealth and status and one girl who is done being laughed at and rejected for the last time and is ready for her time to come to an end. How much longer? Are we there yet? Just five more minutes? Is it time yet? These are questions that we ask one another every single day. Some of us want more time: more time to keep playing with our friends, more time to sleep in late, more time with a dying loved one. Still others of us want less time. We want it to be over, to be at the destination already, even to end our own lives. The question always on our lips is, “What time is it?” But as Mitch Albom wrote, “When you are measuring life, you are not living it.” When we spend every moment living in the past or the future, we never learn to be truly present in the moment. Our lives are short and every breath in our lungs is a gift. The next day, the next hour, the next minute, isn’t a guarantee. One of my friends recently came to a realization of this when three of her best friends died in a car accident, although they were only fifteen. At one point in the book, the Time Keeper is looking back on the past with a girl who committed suicide. Even though she didn’t want all the years she had left, they wanted her. “Time is not something you give back. The very next moment may be an answer to your prayer. To deny that is to deny the most important part of the future… Hope.” Hope is something that so many people of our day lack. Many of the younger generations were never taught how to live in the struggle, so they live their lives thinking that this moment of suffering is their whole life, when in reality, it is merely a page in a lengthy novel. I want to go to a Catholic school for creative writing because I want to bring more hope and light to the world. The written word has power. Each author helps to shape the world we live in. Through our writing, we have the opportunity to bring hope, light, and beauty into the world. I have lived a thousand lives in a thousand books, each one becoming a vital part of who I am. I want to be a writer because I want to fill readers with the same sense of hope and fulfillment that I experience when devouring a good book and to write more good and beauty into today’s world. Words connect people. They can strengthen us, unite us, and make us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. I plan to spend my life offering hope to the hopeless, inspiring the destitute, and providing worlds in which each person, no matter the situation they are in, can have a place to belong.
Pleasant Hill Outlook Scholarship
The structure of our world tells us that success is money, the highest number of views, and constant fame. Yet what if success was not something defined by our list of personal achievements, but rather by something greater than ourselves? We were not made to race to the top of some “pinnacle of pointlessness” because when we get to the top, we are left as empty as when we began. We are all searching for something. There is something in human nature that beckons us to look for the meaning of life. We were not made for us. We were made for a cause so much bigger than ourselves. To me, success is not having the best job, the most money, or your name in every headline. Success happens when we stop cursing the darkness and instead light a candle. When we humble ourselves to serve the people in our lives, rather than trampling over them in a pointless race. Life, success, is about learning to look outside of ourselves and being someone people can count on. My life is centered on learning to relate to and walk with other people in their struggles and be the light that they are waiting for. I know that I will be successful in life because there will always be something, somewhere, that I can do to help our world and the people who live in it.
Lauren Morris Student Profile | Bold.org