Convergence insufficiency has been my most significant barrier throughout my education. In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which means my eyes did not converge, or focus, on the letters correctly. This challenge discouraged me from reading because it was so tiresome. However, I went to vision therapy in elementary school, attended a weekly reading program for three years at CSUMB, and worked diligently to complete my home eye exercises. By the end of freshman year, my reading abilities were enhanced, my comprehension skills continued growing, and I read faster with less effort. Each year I found myself reading more and more complex texts in challenging courses such as Physics, Community College Statistics, AP Calculus, Honors Chemistry, AP Language, AP Government, AP Psychology, and AP Environmental Science. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through perseverance and dedication, I have overcome this condition. Defeating convergence insufficiency allowed me to gain confidence. This confidence drove me to push myself academically, socially, and athletically throughout high school. Because of this, I grew in my ability to learn any concept, write proficiently, and be a positive risk-taker. As a result, I graduated high school with a 4.38 GPA and currently have a 3.766 GPA at UCSD. Academically at UCSD, I continue to do well in my studies. The skills I developed are proving effective. In addition, the resiliency I established allows me to continue to overcome obstacles academically and socially. For example, I had my own space as the youngest child still at home. Rooming with six other people in a suite has been a meaningful learning experience and achievement. Working cooperatively in a living situation is preparing me to work cooperatively with others in a work situation. Likewise, grief seems to follow me relentlessly. While many people might not think of coping with difficult circumstances as an aptitude, overcoming obstacles to create a fulfilling life is one of my talents. My dad died from Crohn's Disease when I was six years old. However, his memory still lived on through my paternal grandmother. At the pandemic's beginning, she contracted the Covid-19 virus and died. With her death, I lost a supportive grandmother and my closest tie to my father. While having to learn the ropes of online learning, I experienced profound grief as my father's death resurfaced for me. Some nights I was inundated with hatred. In addition, I faced the challenge of dealing with the persisting question in my head of why my already small family seems to get smaller every few years; I've also lost both of my grandfathers, my maternal grandmother, and my mother's only sibling. I cried, sometimes until five a.m., knowing I had to wake up three hours later for zoom classes. I felt determined to not let despair get the best of me. Being quarantined for thirteen school months allowed me to concentrate on my studies and time to process two profound losses. Surprisingly, my academic performance began to improve despite the challenge of grief. Although grains of grief still linger, I have learned how to use them positively. Instead of being angry and sad about my losses, I choose to keep my loved ones' memories alive by incorporating their values into my everyday life. I emulate their values by experiencing life with joy; being someone with whom people can share their feelings; and trying my best in everything I do, including UCSD academics and participating in community service through Outback, Delta Gamma Sorority, and Vision for Children.

Loving people with ease is my most notable personality trait. I trust others, and I am open-hearted. Growing up, my mother made it her goal to ensure I knew I deserved to be loved. Furthermore, she taught me that everyone deserves love and well-being. One of the most unique ways this personality trait has helped me is I am not afraid to fully allow people into my life. Entering college, I made friends within the first few weeks because I didn't fear trusting new people. While some people require others to earn their respect and trust, I trust unless someone gives me a reason not to and proves they are untrustworthy. The values instilled in me also include discernment and boundary setting so that I am not taken advantage of, yet I've been encouraged to not be fearful of others unless given reason to do so. Although this typically works out well for me, there have been a few times when this trait caused me pain. Nonetheless, I prefer to be trusting rather than skeptical. Although I didn't get to know my father as I grew up since he passed away when I was six, I am told he was a loving and trusting man. At his celebration of life in California, there were over 500 people, even though he grew up on the east coast. He made friends wherever he went, and those he worked with became lifetime friends. While growing up without a father was difficult, I strive to emulate his values of kindness and service to others. Honestly, I had not realized how much this inner security of being able to trust and love easily benefits me until recently. Visiting one of my best friends over winter break, she told me she is jealous of my ability to trust and love others without doubt or a feeling of needing to protect myself. She relayed how being unable to fully trust people and let them into her life and heart hinders many of her relationships. This trait of loving people with ease is one of the main reasons I can quickly begin new friendships, which ultimately helps me be happy. Although being alone can be grounding, human connections make life much more fun and, in turn, more satisfying. While I entered UCSD as an undeclared student, I am now focusing on Public Health and Human Longevity Science with an emphasis on Women's Health and a minor in Psychology. I am intrigued by the psychology of human beings and the relationship between the mind and societal factors to a person's health. Being able to be friendly, loving, and trusting with others easily will allow me to combine my scientific and mathematical skills in researching public health issues and assisting women with their physical and mental health. I am interested in studying societal factors and health from a public and an individual perspective. I am interested in the big picture and developing programs that will help people thrive in their lives. On the other hand, I am also considering earning a master's degree as a Physician Assistant specializing in Women's Health in which I would work intimately with women. I appreciate that loving and trusting others easily is my most notable personality trait.

My father had Crohn's Disease since age 19; his large intestine ruptured at age 22; he had a colostomy bag for 16 years before the doctors created a J-pouch. He self-medicated with alcohol since his teen years. He was a fabulous daddy, yet certain things were different in my family. For example, we took separate cars because of his bathroom needs. Also, my father did not eat with the family because he needed a calm environment so he wouldn't choke - his esophagus didn't contract properly to move his food down to his stomach. Eventually, the doctors prescribed increasing levels of opioids. At first, he mixed them with alcohol, his behavior got crazier, and my mother told him she wanted a divorce. He stopped drinking but misused the opioids until he was taking extremely high levels of Percocet and Oxycontin. My mother wouldn't let any of us drive in the car with him as he was always high. She felt guilty that he was on the road and a danger to others, but she could only control us not being in the car. I missed 10 days of school my kindergarten year while we were in San Francisco for his tenth major, 11-hour surgery, and hospital recovery. Three days afterward, he went to an opioid recovery center. Nine months later, he died on our kitchen floor the night after he got his third DUI. I watched while my mother called 911 and began CPR. He had blue splotches all over his body. I was six. My mother found empty vodka pints in the suit pockets she was going to send for his viewing. Under his bed, there were also many bottles, and when the car was returned from impound, a large bottle of raspberry-flavored vodka was in the trunk. Unknown to us, he had relapsed. The alcohol mixed with Ambien and a new sleep medication caused a polymedication intoxication which caused his heart to stop beating. At six years old, I missed my dad and told my mother I would jump out the second-story window to play with him. Scared, she explained that I wouldn't be able to return to my family and friends if I did. Unfortunately, grief didn't end with my father's death. At the pandemic's beginning, my paternal grandmother contracted the Covid-19 virus and died. With her death, I lost a supportive grandmother and my closest tie to my father. I've also lost my grandfathers, maternal grandmother, and mother's only sibling. While having to learn the ropes of online learning, I experienced profound grief as my father's death resurfaced me. Some nights I was inundated with hatred. I cried and screamed, sometimes until five a.m., knowing I had to wake up three hours later for zoom classes. Being quarantined for thirteen school months allowed me to concentrate on my studies and time to process two profound losses. I felt determined to not let despair get the best of me. Although grains of grief still linger, I keep my loved ones' memories alive by incorporating their values into everyday life. Instead of continuing to be angry and sad about my losses, I honor their lives by experiencing life with joy, being available to others, and trying my best in everything I do. I rely on scholarships, grants, and student loans for my education. I want to go on to earn my Master's Degree in Women's Public Health to become a Physician's Assistant. By obtaining my degrees, I aim to give back to the world and achieve financial security for myself, my family-to-be, and my mother as she ages.

After seeing information on TikTok about young women helping others, my best friend and I applied to Her Drive, a national nonprofit organization, and were selected to coordinate and host a local drive. In total, we collected 12,720 products, including 653 bras and 7,150 menstrual care products for under-resourced people in our local community. We donated to five local non-profit organizations: YWCA Domestic Violence program, Community Human Services which helps homeless teens and young adults - many from foster care, Community Partnership for Youth which encourages youths against gang involvement, and H.o.m.e. Resource Center and Al & Friends which both help homeless populations. I have been in a humanitarian club in school for the past two years. We did a few small projects together, and then I did an independent project for the YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House getting them supplies for their new home for women and children who have left violent situations. This sparked my desire to do more. I didn’t know the Her Drive was going to be such a big project when I began, but I am passionate about women’s issues and desire feeling purposeful. I enjoy helping people, especially women and children; realize that I am very fortunate in all that I do have; and believe it is my responsibility to help make my community a better place. I decided to put my passion into action and help under-resourced people with meeting their basic needs. Once my passion ignited the leader within me, I utilized my charisma to engage my community. I called local businesses to set up collection boxes and put up flyers, researched local non-profit organizations who work directly with under-resourced people, and then called them to see who was accepting donations and what they needed. Although having to call businesses was a bit nerve racking, it enhanced my communication skills, and my confidence was boosted when they enthusiastically agreed to participate in our local drive. To promote our drive, I curated a flyer, created online social media promotions, and sent out a press release to local newspapers and the television station. Three newspapers ran stories, and we were also interviewed for the local nightly news. All of the promotions I created resulted in having a great turn out at our collection sites, drop offs, and home pick ups. Being a good leader also requires resiliency. When working with others who have different ideas, it takes resilience to not give up, take complete control, or give in to only the other person's ideas. I had to be confident in my ideas and when speaking to the media. Additionally, I had to be persistent in connecting with businesses. Some of the businesses and nonprofit organizations did not respond to my emails so I had to call them until I received an answer. Several people throughout the drive told me that they were touched, inspired and grateful that my partner and I had organized this local drive for the under-resourced people within our community. My local Her Drive taught me what it means to be a leader, and that I have the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader. Doing this project truly opened my eyes to the needs in our community and how I can help. I was never sure what I could do that would be really meaningful. This was it. I will do more community service in the future now that I know it can be a small or large project - everything helps!

After seeing information on TikTok about young women helping others, my best friend and I applied to Her Drive, a national nonprofit organization, and were selected to coordinate and host a local drive. In total, we collected 12,720 products, including 653 bras and 7,150 menstrual care products for under-resourced people in our local community. We donated to five local non-profit organizations: YWCA Domestic Violence program, Community Human Services which helps homeless teens and young adults - many from foster care, Community Partnership for Youth which encourages youths against gang involvement, and H.o.m.e. Resource Center and Al & Friends which both help homeless populations. I have been in a humanitarian club in school for the past two years. We did a few small projects together, and then I did an independent project for the YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House getting them supplies for their new home for women and children who have left violent situations. This sparked my desire to do more. I didn’t know the Her Drive was going to be such a big project when I began, but I am passionate about women’s issues and desire feeling purposeful. I enjoy helping people, especially women and children; realize that I am very fortunate in all that I do have; and believe it is my responsibility to help make my community a better place. I decided to put my passion into action and help under-resourced people with meeting their basic needs. Once my passion ignited the leader within me, I utilized my charisma to engage my community. I called local businesses to set up collection boxes and put up flyers, researched local non-profit organizations who work directly with under-resourced people, and then called them to see who was accepting donations and what they needed. Although having to call businesses was a bit nerve racking, it enhanced my communication skills, and my confidence was boosted when they enthusiastically agreed to participate in our local drive. To promote our drive, I curated a flyer, created online social media promotions, and sent out a press release to local newspapers and the television station. Three newspapers ran stories, and we were also interviewed for the local nightly news. All of the promotions I created resulted in having a great turn out at our collection sites, drop offs, and home pick ups. Being a good leader also requires resiliency. When working with others who have different ideas, it takes resilience to not give up, take complete control, or give in to only the other person's ideas. I had to be confident in my ideas and when speaking to the media. Additionally, I had to be persistent in connecting with businesses. Some of the businesses and nonprofit organizations did not respond to my emails so I had to call them until I received an answer. Several people throughout the drive told me that they were touched, inspired and grateful that my partner and I had organized this local drive for the under-resourced people within our community. My local Her Drive taught me what it means to be a leader, and that I have the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader. Doing this project truly opened my eyes to the needs in our community and how I can help. I was never sure what I could do that would be really meaningful. This was it. I will do more community service in the future now that I know it can be a small or large project - everything helps! Financial Need: My mother is a single parent with a chronic pain condition. My father passed in 2010.

My mental health is extremely important to me and it has been difficult to maintain these past two years. My favorite way to relax is to drive with the windows down, music loud, along the ocean. The salty, fresh air clears my head as I sing to my favorite songs, not always on key and not always the correct words - but that is not what is important. I love it when I have a friend or two join me. I love living by the ocean and it feeds my soul. I feel very fortunate to live close to the ocean in a small, safe town. However, the stress of high school academics and social life has been difficult for me to navigate and I have found it very important to have down time where I can relax and find joy each and every day. I feel like I have cried more in the past two years than my previous 16 years combined. Another thing I enjoy doing is creating tik tok videos with myself, my friends and even my mom. Music is a very important part of my life. I have an Alexa that plays my music morning and night while I get ready in the morning and get ready for bed at night. Music helps me access my emotions and know that others have felt the same feelings I have too. And one last way to relax, I enjoy laying on our couch and watching Netflix. My favorite show has been New Girl, and I've watched all of the seasons a few times now. During the shelter-in-place I watched all of the seasons of the Office. I appreciate time to relax and not focus on the stress of my daily life with school and academics.

The quality I value the most is myself is that I am willing to push myself outside of my comfort zone. The discomfort zone is my happy place because of the possibilities it presents. Sophomore year, after two years of competitive cheer, I decided to play school athletics. Though I had no prior experience with water sports, I chose to participate in water polo. I made new friends and hyped up my team every half time with a new chant where I screamed “what time is it?!” and my teammates responded “half-time hype time!” This became our team’s first tradition. Although joining an aggressive sport, with which I was unfamiliar, was challenging and even nerve racking, I adapted well, gaining knowledge of how to effectively play both offensive and defensive water polo. When winter rolled around, the decision was to either join club water polo or continue to try new school sports. I decided to try soccer. Although I played soccer one year when I was six and didn’t like the amount of running, I wanted to give it another shot. The running was tough, but meeting uplifting people and making new friends made the running worthwhile. Continuing the theme of running, despite it being my greatest athletic challenge, I tried hurdles in the spring. To be able to do hurdles, I had to persevere through sprinting an entire mile for conditioning. In the end, I learned how to jump at the right time using the correct form. For the first time, I enjoyed the action of sprinting fast thanks to combining it with the accomplishment of defeating the thirty-three inch hurdle. Another significant area of high school that demonstrates my ability to step out of my comfort zone is participating in Leadership class that starts at 7:15 am. I am not a morning person. However, this year I once again put my discomfort aside because I truly wanted to be involved in planning school events before my high school career ended. Whenever I leave my comfort zone and experience new opportunities, I feel fulfilled and accomplished. This characteristic will come in handy throughout college, my career, and my entire life journey. At every turn, we are asked to go outside of our comfort zone. Many of my friends are not willing to step outside of their comfort zones and have regretted not trying things they thought they might enjoy. I am grateful that, despite often being a bit nervous, I know that the possibilities and rewards are available to those who are willing to go to the discomfort zone.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. Overcoming these challenges showed me the benefits of both compromise and at times taking charge despite my own apprehensions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action.

1. Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. Overcoming challenges during this project showed me the benefits of both compromise and at times taking charge despite my own apprehensions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. 2. I am willing to push myself outside of my comfort zone. The discomfort zone is my happy place because of the possibilities it presents. Sophomore year, after two years of competitive cheer, I decided to play school athletics. Though I had no prior experience with water sports, I chose to participate in water polo. I made new friends and hyped up my team every half time with a new chant where I screamed “what time is it?!” and my teammates responded “half-time hype time!” This became our team’s first tradition. Although joining an aggressive sport, with which I was unfamiliar, was challenging and even nerve racking, I adapted well, gaining knowledge of how to effectively play both offensive and defensive water polo. Another significant area of high school that demonstrates my ability to step out of my comfort zone is participating in Leadership class that starts at 7:15 am. I am not a morning person. However, this year I once again put my discomfort aside because I truly wanted to be involved in planning school events before my high school career ended. Whenever I leave my comfort zone and experience new opportunities, I feel fulfilled and accomplished. I envision myself stepping out of my comfort zone in college and in my career. I am undeclared, but feel certain that I will know when I find my passion.

My father had a reaction to a new sleep medication, and he died on August 22, 2010, when I was six years old. While the seven years of marriage to my father brought many moments of joy and fun for our family, having my father pass brought my mother profound grief for the life they had dreamed of making for themselves, my brothers and me. My mother has not been able to return to work after my dad passed due to her own chronic pain condition. We’ve also lost all of my grandparents and my mother’s only sibling during these years as well. Growing up without a father has affected me in ways that are hard to describe. While there have been perks to having my mother's attention, one of my most poignant memories was the day we were leaving an event where all the kids had taken their shoes off. All of the dads picked up their children to carry them to the car, but my mother sadly shook her head at me and said, "Honey, I am sorry, but I cannot carry you. You will have to put on your shoes." This is but one example of how living in a single-parent household has molded me. I know that I do not have many of the benefits my friends have. And, it's not like my parents are just divorced and my dad is still available or at least out there somewhere. When I am at friends' houses, it hurts when I see the relationship they have with their fathers as I do not have a father's love and support on a daily basis. How has this molded me? I suppose it has made me more determined, independent compassionate, and resilient. I have a 4.3 GPA, with Honors and AP classes, and have worked very hard to earn all A’s in high school - focusing on my education, school involvement, and community service. I have had to work hard to overcome Convergence Insufficiency, a condition that makes reading slower. I worked part-time, and I’m working hard to find scholarships to fund my education. I have had to learn to "put my own shoes on" and know that life isn't always easy nor fair. I know that I can succeed, and I believe in myself.

My mother is my everything. My father passed away when I was six, and she has been my bedrock. She has focused on me and my well-being ever since. Sometimes she drives me crazy, as some mothers do. She is always telling me to be safe and make good decisions. And, she reminds me that she says these things because she loves me dearly. I suspect many students feel this way about their moms, but my mom has made many sacrifices for me. I truly appreciate her dedication to always making me feel loved.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. Overcoming these challenges showed me the benefits of both compromise and at times taking charge despite my own apprehensions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action.

Nature doesn't really seem like a simple pleasure to me, but it is what makes me happy. When I look at the vastness of the ocean, the height of the redwoods, or the complexity of flowers, it does not seem simple but rather something almost unimaginable. How can these things really exist? I know many of the scientific explanations, yet the complexity is something that brings me a sense of awe. My favorite things to do are driving by the ocean, windows open, and my music singing to my soul as as well as driving down to the redwoods where their height towers over me, and I feel grounded. I feel so fortunate to live on the Central Coast of California and marvel everyday at something I see in nature. My friends and I also like to have bonfires at the local beach and listen to the waves while watching the fire burn. We moved here seven years ago, and I am continuously in awe with all of the nature that surrounds me. Perhaps not growing up here allows me to see things that many of my peers take for granted. Nature, in all its complexity, may not be simple, but it is my pleasure and what makes me happy.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. . Overcoming these challenges showed me the benefits of both compromise and at times taking charge despite my own apprehensions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action.

Convergence insufficiency has been the greatest barrier I have faced throughout my education. In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which means my eyes did not converge, or focus, on the letters properly. This challenge discouraged me from reading because it was so tiresome. However, I went to vision therapy in elementary school, attended a weekly reading program in grades 6th-9th, and worked diligently to complete my home eye exercises. To my surprise, my eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to take the freshman Honors English qualifying test. Even though I earned a passing score, my lack of confidence held me back. I was even nervous in college prep freshman English, but I worked hard to understand the concepts discussed and participated as much as possible. My excitement for reading what we would be discussing in class began to flourish. While I have always had high comprehension, I began more fully visualizing what I was reading and my fluency improved. Things began to click. By the end of freshman year, my reading abilities were enhanced, my comprehension skills continued to grow, and I was reading faster with less effort. Each year I found myself reading more and more difficult texts in challenging courses such as Physics, Honors Chemistry, AP Language, and AP Environmental Science. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through perseverance and dedication, I have overcome this condition. Defeating convergence insufficiency allowed me to gain confidence. This confidence became the driving force behind me pushing myself throughout high school academically, socially, and athletically. Because of this, I grew not only in English classes, but in my ability to learn any concept, write proficiently, and be a positive risk taker.

I have a goal of graduating college and doing something important in my career and personal life. That's it. That's as far as I have gotten. It's frustrating hearing many of my peers say they know exactly what they want to do. I do not know yet. But, I think that 's okay. I am excited to go to college and take a variety of courses and see what sparks my interest. Right now, I have three areas of interest: obstetrician/gynecologist, business woman, or psychology researcher. However, if I go to college and find my passions taking me in a different direction, that is okay as well. I hear many college students change their major so I am not too worried about it. I'm excited to be undeclared and open minded. For me, as a person who struggled to learn to read because of convergence insufficiency, I am thrilled to be graduating with a 4.3 GPA and accepted at 13 four-year colleges. I have proven to myself that with hard work I could overcome something challenging, and I know I can continue to do whatever I set my mind to in the future. I do know that whatever field I go into, I want to serve people and make the world a better, healthier place for all of us.

I have a goal of graduating college and doing something important in my career and personal life. That's it. That's as far as I have gotten. It's frustrating hearing many of my peers say they know exactly what they want to do. I do not know yet. But, I think that 's okay. I am excited to go to college and take a variety of courses and see what sparks my interest. Right now, I have three areas of interest: obstetrician/gynecologist, business woman, or psychology researcher. However, if I go to college and find my passions taking me in a different direction, that is okay as well. I hear many college students change their major so I am not too worried about it. I'm excited to be undeclared and open minded. For me, as a person who struggled to learn to read because of convergence insufficiency, I am thrilled to be graduating with a 4.3 GPA and accepted at 13 four-year colleges. I have proven to myself that with hard work I could overcome something challenging, and I know I can continue to do whatever I set my mind to in the future. I do know that whatever field I go into, I want to serve people and make the world a better, healthier place for all of us.

It's fairly simple, yet still hard to do. The simple answer to live a long, healthy life is to eat healthy foods, move your body, and avoid toxic substances like alcohol and drugs. Life can be stressful though and we reach for fatty, fried, and sugary foods. And many of us simply eat more than we need to. We decide to "veg" out in front of the television or be spectators instead of being active in sports and movement. And, many people feel the need for an alcoholic drink or some kind of drug to numb out from the stress of their day or week. Keeping good mental health in a world that has so much going on is tough. We need to take time relax, meditate, be in nature, hang out with family and friends, and breathe. There is often so much pressure to succeed and earn a lot of money to buy expensive homes, clothes and cars that many people put too much stress on themselves thinking buying these things will bring them happiness. It is very important to look at our own values and take the time to make healthy choices so that we can live a long, healthy life.

I love a myriad of flavors…Dark Chocolate, Apple Pie, and Peanut Butter Chip! During each shift I worked at Revival Ice Cream shop this past summer, I was granted a free scoop of ice cream. Although the decision of which flavor to choose seems fairly insignificant, it represents my life journey and has given me realization into who I am. I love many flavors and want to experience all that I can and make a positive impact on the world through one of these career paths. Narrowing down my lifetime career at just seventeen years old is quite a dilemma. While some of my peers know exactly what major they will select, my future education and career paths are not as clear as I had originally hoped. Finding something purposeful and meaningful for my future is of utmost importance to me. Throughout high school, I have been discovering my passions and interests. There are a multitude of career titles that excite me: a Psychology Researcher, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist Physician, and aBusinesswoman. Perhaps, I want Dark Chocolate, a bittersweet flavor that brings me both comfort and some sacrifice of sweetness. Listening to my friends lament until three in the morning on occasion and helping them to know their worth has inspired my interest into why our brains allow negative thoughts to overtake rationality and consume our well-being at times. Staying up late incites tiredness the following day, yet offering comfort creates a sense of accomplishment, and in turn, well-being for me. As a Psychological Researcher, I could work towards discovering a concrete system to train our minds to feel better about ourselves instead of allowing negative thoughts to prevail. While psychology can be draining to practitioners, it would be fulfilling to make breakthroughs in mental health and well-being. Another flavor, Apple Pie, represents the stability of health, wellness and comfort, much like being a physician who is focused on a mother’s and child’s well-being. During high school, I developed my passion for being involved in feminist issues and being connected to other women. What better way to connect to and support women than by helping deliver their babies as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist? Recently, I worked with my best friend to gather menstrual care products, general hygiene items, and bras for under-resourced people. We collected 12,720 items and donated them to five local organizations. Through this experience, I learned how simply putting in time to help others can create a significant impact in others’ lives. Delivering babies would allow me to connect in meaningful ways with women and contribute to the health and well-being of both mothers and babies. On the other hand, I could choose my long-loved flavor, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, a classic that combines several flavors. In comparison, business marketing combines my desire to help people lead healthy lives, learn about other cultures, discover the psychology of consumerism, participate in free market competition, and connect with people. As a businesswoman, I could combine my passions for healthcare, sales, customer service, and my interest in why we behave the way we do as consumers. Ultimately, I want to experience the world around me, whether that’s discovering the meaning of being human, connecting with women, or embracing my creativity and competitiveness. I want to make a positive impact on the world through my career in one of theses different flavors in one way or another. Now, I look forward to attending college courses and discover how I fit in in terms of improving the world and education is the scooper.

I am ever ready to speak up for myself and on behalf of women. I want to have a career that advocates for women. I believe an education is the first stepping stone. I have a high school education and have had some experiences already, and I know that a higher education will give me the skills and knowledge needed to make a difference. Fall of 2020, I learned about a new YWCA safe house in our area for Domestic Violence victims and their children. I did a small collection drive to help set up for women in need. While doing this project I learned more about the struggles these women face. January 2021, I applied to do a Her drive and my partner and I collected 12,720 menstrual care products, new and gently used bras, and hygiene items for 5 local nonprofits serving homeless populations, foster youth who have aged out and under resourced people who need assistance. Now, I would like to do more preventative work to empower women. In college, I am planning on learning how I can help to bring more awareness and take on a leadership role in advocating for women in many different areas. I desire to learn more so that I can be a better advocate and problem solver. Of course, education is key whether it is found K-12, higher education or in the form of workshops, social media or one-on-one discussions. I personally excel in the STEM fields and can see myself advocating for girls and women in these fields. The opportunities are limitless. I believe we need to listen to women - hear what they are saying. Truly hear them. But, we also need women to use their own voices and speak up. We need to encourage women to speak up for themselves and demand better treatment. This begins at home. We need to encourage girls to ask for equity in their homes. If their brothers are being treated favorably - not having to do household chores such as laundry, dishes, vacuuming or being given privileges that the sisters are not- then we need to start asking why. This is a tough place to start for many young ladies, especially those being raised in “traditional” home environments. We can also start to speak up more in work environments. This is not easy as many women are afraid of the repercussions. Likewise, it is difficult to speak up when being sexually harassed and raped. But, until we start using our voices to say “no” loud and clear, inequity and power plays will continue to be used. I am passionate about women’s issues and want to be an advocate for all women. I have a voice and I know how to use it. I want to be a role model and help other women find their voices. Women owe it to ourselves and our fellow women to start being daily advocates for ourselves. Our society will prosper when all people truly feel equal.

This may sound cheesy, but I think the meaning of life is learning to love yourself and then find your gift. After finding your gift, the purpose of life is to share your gift. I think too many young people, and really many adults too, never fully learn to love themselves, always searching for something that makes them feel "good enough." Much of marketing and social media tells us we aren't "something enough" and we end up not feeling very good about ourselves. Therefore, I am beginning to understand how important it is to learn to love myself. I have been taking time alone to become more aware of who I am, working on developing meaningful relationships, and listening to podcasts or reading things about finding my own identity which I can fully embrace and love. As a teenager this is not easy. Peers are not always kind nor supportive. They are often critical and denigrating. I am working towards achieving being kind, compassionate and supportive of myself. When I feel this way, I find myself being able to give it to others as well. My major is currently undeclared because I want to keep open to the many possibilities, many of which I don't know about yet. I'm excited to find my gift so that I can share it with the world. My goal is to have a meaningful and purposeful life regardless of career choice.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. At other times, I asked that we follow my vision because I felt strongly it was the right course. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action whether it be through my career and/or community service.

Convergence insufficiency has been the greatest obstacle I have faced throughout my education. In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which means my eyes did not converge, or focus, on the letters properly. This challenge discouraged me from reading because it was so tiresome. However, I persisted through vision therapy in elementary school, a weekly reading program in grades 6th-9th, and home eye exercises. To my surprise, my eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to take the freshman Honors English qualifying test. Even though I earned a passing score, my lack of confidence held me back. I registered for College Prep English instead. I was even nervous in freshman English, but I worked hard to understand the concepts discussed and participated as much as possible. My excitement for reading what we would be discussing in class began to flourish. While I have always had high comprehension, I began more fully visualizing what I was reading and my fluency improved. Things began to click. By the end of freshman year, my reading abilities were enhanced, my comprehension skills continued to grow, and I was reading faster with less effort. Each year I found myself reading more and more difficult texts in challenging courses such as Physics, Honors Chemistry, AP Language, and AP Environmental Science. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through persistence and dedication, I have overcome this condition. Defeating convergence insufficiency allowed me to gain confidence. This confidence became the driving force behind me pushing myself throughout high school academically, socially, and athletically. Because of this, I grew not only in English classes, but in my ability to learn any concept, write proficiently, and be a positive risk taker.

To be honest, I feel that actively listening to another who is in pain is tough. Sometimes I find myself thinking about what I want to say to try to make them feel better. I really want to solve their problem for them or tell them what I would do. I don't want others to hurt. It's uncomfortable. Actively listening when someone is hurting mean self-discipline to allow another to share until they are done sharing. Most people can come up with their own solutions, but may need some prompting with thoughtful questioning so they can flush out their own needs and feelings. To allow another to talk from their heart requires me to put myself aside for a few moments...or longer in many cases. It is a gift that I give others. I am grateful for my friends and family who listen to me when I need a listener. And I am grateful that I can reciprocate.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. At other times, I asked that we follow my vision because I felt strongly it was the right course. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. Helping others is just a given in my opinion.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. My goals in life encompass these experiences and what I have learned. I would like to continue developing my skill sets so that I can help women and under-resourced people through being an OB/GYN physician, a psychology researcher, or working with a mission driven business that helps put my passions into action.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. At other times, I asked that we follow my vision because I felt strongly it was the right course. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action whether it be through my career and/or community service.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. At other times, I asked that we follow my vision because I felt strongly it was the right course. Overcoming these challenges showed me the benefits of both compromise and at times taking charge despite my own apprehensions. For both of these projects, I logged 71 hours of community service. For the required elements of this project, I advanced my knowledge of technological and organizational skills such as creating QR codes, flyers, and spreadsheets to track inventory, as well as communicating with the national leaders through the app Slack. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. My most significant take away is to just start doing something. I started with a small project and then decided to do another small project that ended up becoming much more than I originally imagined. With scholarship assistance for higher education, I desire to develop the skill set to help women and people in need on a larger scale in college and beyond.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. Giving to others is just part of life. Sometimes I am able to help others, and at other times I need help. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on people's lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. With scholarship assistance for higher education, I desire to develop the skill set to help women and people in need on a larger scale in college and beyond.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent project for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on people's lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. With scholarship assistance for higher education, I desire to develop the skill set to help women and people in need on a larger scale in college and beyond.

Convergence insufficiency has been the greatest barrier I have faced throughout my education. In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which means my eyes did not focus on the letters properly. This challenge discouraged me from reading because it was so tiresome. However, I went to vision therapy in elementary school, attended a weekly reading program at California State University - Monterey Bay in grades 6th-9th, and worked diligently to complete my home eye exercises. To my surprise, my eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to take the freshman Honors English qualifying test. Despite earning a passing score, my lack of confidence held me back. I registered for College Prep English instead. I worked hard to understand the concepts discussed and participated as much as possible. My excitement for reading what we would be discussing in class began to flourish. While I have always had high comprehension, I began more fully visualizing what I was reading and my fluency improved. Things began to click. I also began looking at writing as a game. When I won the game of connecting the last sentence in my essays to my title, I was filled with a sense of accomplishment. By the end of freshman year, my reading abilities were enhanced, my comprehension skills continued to grow, and I was reading faster with less effort. Each year I found myself reading more and more difficult texts in challenging courses. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through perseverance and dedication, I have overcome this condition. Defeating convergence insufficiency allowed me to gain confidence. Because of this, I grew not only in English classes, but in my ability to be a positive risk taker.

Having new experiences brings me joy. There is just so much to do and see in this world. ​ One of my favorite things to do is drive along the ocean, windows down, wind blowing my hair, and singing at the top of my lungs. I don't care that I'm not in tune and sometimes don't know all the words to the song. I like the experience. I especially like doing this with my friends. It is a new experience every time we adventure out. Traveling, living as normal as possible to the people living in that locale, is another experience that brings me happiness. I want to experience life as they do daily. I like to try new foods and just do the typical things in their normal life. I enjoy seeing where and how people live. I like to look at the things they decorate their rooms and homes with, knowing this is what brings them joy. I appreciate them sharing themselves with me. I love to listen to music and dance as well. Moving my body to music allows me to relax and express myself. While I took dance lessons as a child and performed with a competitive cheer team, my favorite is free dancing in my home and at school dances. I also like to be goofy when I dance sometimes. It’s just a simple, joyful pleasure. Each time I dance it feels new and different. No constraints. Freedom to be me. Going to college, I am ready to fully embrace new experiences. I know that life is short. My father passed, at 46 years old, when I was six. In my life, I want to be purposeful and do meaningful things. I want to make my life count. Being jouful is of utmost importance.

Having new experiences brings me happiness. There is just so much to do and see in this world. ​ One of my favorite things to do is drive along the ocean, windows down, wind blowing my hair, and singing at the top of my lungs. I don't care that I'm not in tune and sometimes don't know all the words to the song. I like the experience. I especially like doing this with my friends. It is a new experience every time we adventure out. Traveling, living as normal as possible to the people living in that locale, is another experience that brings me happiness. I want to experience life as they do daily. I like to try new foods and just do the typical things in their normal life. I enjoy seeing where and how people live. I like to look at the things they decorate their rooms and homes with, knowing this is what brings them joy. I appreciate them sharing themselves with me. I love to listen to music and dance as well. Moving my body to music allows me to relax and express myself. While I took dance lessons as a child and performed with a competitive cheer team, my favorite is free dancing in my home and at school dances. I also like to be goofy when I dance sometimes. It’s just a simple, joyful pleasure. Each time I dance it feels new and different. No constraints. Freedom to be me. I know that life is short. My father passed, at 46 years old, when I was six. In my life, I want to be purposeful and do meaningful things. I want to make my life count. Being happy is of utmost importance.

Having new experiences brings me happiness. There is just so much to do and see in this world. ​ One of my favorite things to do is drive along the ocean, windows down, wind blowing my hair, and singing at the top of my lungs. I don't care that I'm not in tune and sometimes don't know all the words to the song. I like the experience. I especially like doing this with my friends. It is a new experience every time we adventure out. Traveling, living as normal as possible to the people living in that locale, is another experience that brings me happiness. I want to experience life as they do daily. I like to try new foods and just do the typical things in their normal life. I enjoy seeing where and how people live. I like to look at the things they decorate their rooms and homes with, knowing this is what brings them joy. I appreciate them sharing themselves with me. I love to listen to music and dance as well. Moving my body to music allows me to relax and express myself. While I took dance lessons as a child and performed with a competitive cheer team, my favorite is free dancing in my home and at school dances. I also like to be goofy when I dance sometimes. It’s just a simple, joyful pleasure. Each time I dance it feels new and different. No constraints. Freedom to be me. Going off to college, I am ready to fully embrace new experiences. I know that life is short. My father passed, at 46 years old, when I was six. In my life, I want to be purposeful and do meaningful things. I want to make my life count. Being happy is of utmost importance.

Helping women and under-resourced people are causes that speak to me. While doing my independent collection drive for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House in the fall of 2020, I listened to the struggles of local women and saw how organizing a simple collection made an impact on peoples’ lives. This motivated me to do more, as hearing these women’s stories was a call to action. When leading the Monterey Peninsula Her drive, I coordinated with local businesses to set up donation areas and promote the drive. With Her drive, I demonstrated the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader: initiative, creative problem solving, ability to compromise, confidence in my own ideas, decision making skills, and tenacity. During the project I faced several roadblocks. A few of the challenges I faced were learning how to help my partner have the confidence to start this project; facing our fear of being interviewed for the newspapers and news stations; navigating my partner’s procrastination; and determining what to do when we had differing opinions. Throughout the process, I learned to be a better leader and take charge, encouraging myself and my partner to follow through on our assigned tasks. When we had opposing ideas, I listened to see if I could find areas of agreement and times when I could concede. At other times, I asked that we follow my vision because I felt strongly it was the right course. Overcoming these challenges showed me the benefits of both compromise and at times taking charge despite my own apprehensions. For the required elements of this project, I advanced my knowledge of technological and organizational skills such as creating QR codes, flyers, and spreadsheets to track inventory, as well as communicating with the national leaders through the app Slack. By accomplishing this project, I connected with nearly 100 people throughout my community, and I proudly joined a group of people that put their desire to make a difference into action. I learned the importance of good leadership skills, initiative and tenacity. Going forward in my life, I am determined to seek out ways to put my passions into action. Before these two projects, I had been a team member in a multitude of activities: competitive cheer - 28 team members for two years, middle school cheer, an inaugural varsity water polo team, junior varsity soccer team, and part of dance and gymnastic classes. In small ways, I have always been a leader in classes, friend groups, girl scouts, and when I started my own business in 4th grade selling decorated plastic boxes to my neighbors. But, these two projects really inspired me to be the best leader I can be. Foremost, I believe a person demonstrating great leadership shows care and compassion for others. They choose to collaborate rather than dominate. In my life, I want to be purposeful and do meaningful things. My father passed when I was six. I know life can be short. I want to make my life count.

Daily advocate - this is what I am and believe all women must become in all aspects of their lives. In the spring during distance learning, a number of my peers started speaking out about rape, molest and sexual harassment experiences. I admired their bravery and began learning more about these issues; discussed these topics with my peers; posted on social media to raise awareness; gave input into and signed a petition demanding better sexual education in our local schools that addresses these issues and educates everyone regarding what consent truly means; and made posters to use when I marched in a women’s right march for women’s rights in schools and prevention of sexual harassment. I am ever ready to speak up for myself and on behalf of women. I want to have a career that advocates for women. Fall of 2020, I learned about a new YWCA safe house in our area for Domestic Violence victims and their children. I did a small collection drive to help set up for women in need. While doing this project I learned more about the struggles these women face. January 2021, I applied to do a Her drive and my partner and I collected 12,720 menstrual care products, new and gently used bras, and hygiene items for 5 local nonprofits serving homeless populations, foster youth who have aged out and under resourced people who need assistance. Now, I would like to do more preventative work to empower women. In college, I am planning on learning how I can help to bring more awareness and take on a leadership role in advocating for women in many different areas. I desire to learn more so that I can be a better advocate and problem solver. Of course, education is key whether it is found K-12, higher education or in the form of workshops, social media or one-on-one discussions. I believe we need to listen to women - hear what they are saying. Truly hear them. But, we also need women to use their own voices and speak up. We need to encourage women to speak up for themselves and demand better treatment. This begins at home. We need to encourage girls to ask for equity in their homes. If their brothers are being treated favorably - not having to do household chores such as laundry, dishes, vacuuming or being given privileges that the sisters are not- then we need to start asking why. This is a tough place to start for many young ladies, especially those being raised in “traditional” home environments. We can also start to speak up more in work environments. This is not easy as many women are afraid of the repercussions. Likewise, it is difficult to speak up when being sexually harassed and raped. But, until we start using our voices to say “no” loud and clear, inequity and power plays will continue to be used. I am not a woman of color; however, I am passionate about women’s issues and want to be an advocate for all women. I have a voice and I know how to use it. I want to be a role model and help other women find their voices. Women owe it to ourselves and our fellow women to start being daily advocates for ourselves. Our society will prosper when all people truly feel equal.

How many friends does one need? Well, at first I would say as many as I can get. However, in reality I have many acquaintances, but truly only three close friends now. As a female, having a boyfriend and a close guy friend can be difficult to manage at times. On the other hand, when my female best friend seems to be getting closer to my boyfriend, I have to admit I get green eyes. Friendship can be complicated at times for me. My goal is always to be kind, supportive and loyal...yet, I slip at times and have to make amends. That sums up what being a good friend means to me: accepting the good and not so good in another person and honestly admitting when I/they mess up. Honesty, is one of the most important traits I look for in a friend. A friend is someone I can be my true self with and they, in turn, can trust me as they are being their true self as well. This year, I decided to expand into a new friend group. I have a lot of fun doing things together with this new group, but I cannot honestly say that I feel I can be 100% me around them yet. Both my bestie and my guy friend have recently started dating people in this group, but my boyfriend does not feel as comfortable around these peers as he does with his friendship group he has had since elementary school. We have been working on spending time together, but then also letting each of us do things with these other friend groups. Hence, another trait I value in a friendship is the ability to allow each person to do what they feel they need to do. No holding another back.

While I sorely missed social interactions and playing sports, the pandemic positively affected my life by giving me the time to process the grief of losing my paternal grandmother who passed March 25th, 2020. She was my last link to my father who passed when I was just six. While I might have been distracted by school activities and a social life, I instead took the time to feel my feelings and have individual dance parties when the grief arose. I also cried, screamed and remembered. I looked through photo albums of all of our good times. I also channeled my feelings into my schoolwork, doing every single assignment in my very difficult classes. The pandemic and distance learning gave me 18 months of school time to focus on my learning and education. Another benefit was the time I got to spend with my mother as we created special memories having lunch or dinner by the ocean, driving down to Big Sur to read without the distraction of my phone, picnics in the park with my older brother - distanced, and probably the biggest one - we learned to car camp and then got tents. I found peace in nature!

Albert Einstein is my favorite scientist because he was highly intelligent and quirky. I am kind of quirky as well and find physics and mathematics fascinating like a puzzle with pieces that just have to be examined and turned until they fit. I am in awe of the many physics and mathematical concepts he understood before anyone else.

Menstrual care products, bras, and hygiene items were not high on my radar until my friend and I stumbled upon a TikTok about teenagers around the nation helping with period poverty and under-resourced people through a national non-profit organization, Her Drive. Honestly, I have always taken these basic necessities for granted. Previously in the fall of 2020, I decided to independently collect needed toiletries for the new YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House. I learned more about the struggles women within my community face and how organizing a simple collection could make a genuine impact on others’ lives. This small project sparked my interest in doing more. When I saw the TikTok, I was primed to put my passion into action. I became the Head Coordinator of the Monterey Peninsula Her Drive when we were selected to host a July drive. As my mom and I drove along the redwoods in Northern California on our way back from Oregon, I called several local businesses and worked on curating a flyer asking for donations. My local Her Drive taught me what it means to work to help others and that I have the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader. Although it was nerve racking, I knew the interviews with the local newspapers and news stations were for a good cause and allowed me to show my dedication and follow through with my passion. At the first collection drop off, my friend and I sat in the local park’s parking lot with an empty car and many boxes waiting to be filled with donations. I was actually shocked by the amazing turnout of people at our three collection drives, how full the boxes were at our local coffee shops, and the connection I felt to my community through doing this project. So many people came together, little by little, to make a difference. After we received all of the donations, my partner and I inventoried and divided all of the donations that inundated her garage. In total, we collected 12,720 products and donated to five local non-profit organizations . Several people throughout the drive told me that they were touched, inspired and grateful by my and my partner’s dedication, organization, hard work, motivation, and follow through for the under-resourced people within our community. To realize that I was truly making a difference and using my leadership skills to do something that I am concerned about opened my heart more and gave me confidence that I really can do meaningful things. My future plans include psychology research, being an OB/GYN physician, or international business with a company that cares about our planet and people. During this project we asked people to recycle gently used bras, clean out under their sink cabinets, and donate menstrual cups that save a great deal of materials and energy to produce menstrual care products. Through this project I learned that I can make a difference. Something that started as a small project grew and so did I. I will take all that I've learned through these collection drives as I move on to college, career and being a member of a community. Most importantly, I learned Just Start! Being a leader means stepping up to do something about the things that are important to you.

I'm motivated daily by wanting to be purposeful and do meaningful things in the world. I know that life can be short, and I want to experience as much as I can while I am on earth. My mother has been through so much, yet she's so supportive of me and helps me learn to cope. My father had Crohn's disease for 26 years and passed away when I was just six from an interaction of his prescriptions with a new medication. It was extremely difficult for me going through the grief. Just three months after my dad passed, my oldest brother was hospitalized with kidney failure while in the Air Force and almost died. We immediately flew from California to Texas to be with him in the hospital. Thankfully, he recovered with treatment, but that week and the next couple of years were difficult. It was a very stressful time for our family. My mother also has a chronic pain condition, yet she continues being there for me. When I was younger, reading was difficult for me. I had convergence insufficiency. My mother took the time to help me do the eye exercises and kinesthetic learning activities so that I could do well in school. She drove me to vision therapy twice a week in fifth grade and then a reading program at our local California State University for three school years from 6th through 9th grades. My mother always takes the time to listen to me and focus on helping sort out my feelings. I know I can count on her. She's never let me use my father's death as an excuse and we have had many experiences together. We honor my father by how we are in the world. Honoring my mother also motivates me.

I find myself being a better friend to others than to myself at times. Words are important and can make or break a friendship. I am so supportive of my friends, yet sometimes I am harsh to myself. I know that others do this as well. Generosity, graciousness, and simple kindness are important in helping us to get along with others. Wouldn't it be nice if we could extend these same acts to ourselves each and every moment of the day? I have difficult moments every day, and I have had traumatic things happen to me, including losing my father at six and my paternal grandmother to COVID-19 March 25th, 2020. I have heard that one of the most common problems people have is not feeling good enough. I actually have the words, "You are enough" in white vinyl letters at the top of my mirror. It is there to remind myself to speak kindly to myself throughout the day and to remember that I am indeed good enough. I am interested in Psychology Research and have already come up with an idea to study: Can people validate themselves or must they have others to validate them? I want to remind people to be mindful of the words they speak internally. I have been learning this myself and find it very valuable to be kind to myself and watch the words I speak in my head.

Being a strong-willed child, there were times when I was put on the naughty seat - aka the bottom stair at our home. Being a strong-willed child....I wouldn't stay there. I moved up a stair, or two, or three. I liked the little landing part the best where I could lay down. My mother would come back to check on me and say that I needed to move back to the bottom stair. As strange as it may sound, this shaped a part of me. It taught me that if you really want something, keep fighting for it and sometimes you can get it. In my sophomore year of high school my mom said we could no longer afford the competitive cheer that I loved, and that she wanted me to try school sports instead. I was disappointed at first as my cheer team at school is not very good. I decided to try being part of the inaugural water polo team, even though I've never tried any water sports. My experience being strong willed and to keep fighting for what I want served me well in a very difficult sport! I wasn't able to participate in water polo my junior year due to the pandemic and to not being able to wear a mask in the water - my mother has a chronic pain condition and I needed to keep her safe. However after we were both vaccinated, I was able to be a starter on my varsity team this fall and I did well this season. I truly wanted to be a better player, and I persevered in developing my skill set. We had 6 am practices three times a week and two hour practiced daily after school. Learning to fight for what I wanted served me well.

Menstrual care products, bras, and hygiene items were not high on my radar until my friend and I stumbled upon a TikTok about teenagers around the nation helping with period poverty and under-resourced people through a national non-profit organization, Her Drive. Honestly, I have always taken these basic necessities for granted. I became the Head Coordinator of the Monterey Peninsula Her Drive when we were selected to host a July drive. As my mom and I drove along the redwoods in Northern California on our way back from Oregon, I called several local businesses and worked on curating a flyer asking for donations. My local Her Drive taught me what it means to work to help others and that I have the necessary characteristics to be an effective leader. After we received all of the donations, my partner and I inventoried and divided all of the donations that inundated her garage. In total, we collected 12,720 products and donated to five local non-profit organizations . Several people throughout the drive told me that they were touched, inspired and grateful by my and my partner’s dedication, organization, hard work, motivation, and follow through for the under-resourced people within our community. To realize that I was truly making a difference and using my leadership skills to do something that I am concerned about opened my heart more and gave me confidence that I really can do meaningful things. During this project we asked people to recycle gently used bras, clean out under their sink cabinets, and donate menstrual cups that save a great deal of materials and energy to produce menstrual care products. Through this project I learned that I can make a difference. Something that started as a small project grew and so did I.

In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which meant reading was extremely challenging for me. This challenge discouraged me from reading. However, I went to vision therapy in elementary school, attended a weekly reading program at CSUMB in grades 6th-9th, and worked diligently to complete my home eye exercises (because my mom made me). As I made progress, I realized that I needed a continued growth mindset. To my surprise, my eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to take the Freshman Honors English test to see if I qualified. Even though I earned a passing score, my lack of confidence held me back, and I registered for College Prep English instead. Despite having sweaty palms first day of ninth grade English, after a couple of weeks in the class with an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, my excitement for reading and writing began to flourish. By the end of Freshman year, my confidence had grown in my reading abilities, and I stopped attending the weekly reading program at CSUMB. Even though I did not read much outside of class because it still seemed challenging and, quite frankly, boring, I became more interested in reading for my classes. However, it was not until the end of my Junior year that I decided to read for fun. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my Senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through perseverance and dedication, I have! While I have overcome my physical convergence insufficiency, comparing myself to my peers over the years has at times affected my confidence. I continue to have a growth mindset and know it is important for me to stay balanced and focused on my own interests and passions as I move forward educationally.

In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which meant reading was extremely challenging for me. This challenge discouraged me from reading. However, I went to vision therapy in elementary school, attended a weekly reading program at CSUMB in grades 6th-9th, and worked diligently to complete my home eye exercises (because my mom made me). To my surprise, my eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to take the Freshman Honors English test to see if I qualified. Even though I earned a passing score, my lack of confidence held me back, and I registered for College Prep English instead. Despite having sweaty palms the first day of ninth grade English, after a couple of weeks in the class with an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, my excitement for reading and writing began to flourish. By the end of Freshman year, my confidence had grown in my reading abilities, and I stopped attending the weekly reading program at CSUMB. Even though I did not read much outside of class because it still seemed challenging and, quite frankly, boring, I became more interested in reading for my classes. However, it was not until the end of my Junior year that I decided to read for fun. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my Senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through perseverance and dedication, I have! While I have overcome my physical convergence insufficiency, comparing myself to my peers over the years has at times affected my confidence. At the end of last year, I realized that while comparison can result in me being more determined to achieve my best, it is more important for me to stay balanced and focused on my own interests and passions as I move forward educationally.

I love a myriad of flavors…Dark Chocolate, Apple Pie, and Peanut Butter Chip! During each shift I worked at Revival Ice Cream shop this past summer, I was granted a free scoop of ice cream. Although the decision of which flavor to choose seems fairly insignificant, it represents my life journey and has given me realization into who I am. I love many flavors and want to experience all that I can. Narrowing down my lifetime career at just seventeen years old is quite a dilemma. While some of my peers know exactly what major they will select, my future education and career paths are not as clear as I had originally hoped. Finding something purposeful and meaningful for my future is of utmost importance to me. Throughout high school, I have been discovering my passions and interests. There are a multitude of career titles that excite me: a Psychology Researcher, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist Physician, and an International Businesswoman. Perhaps, I want Dark Chocolate, a bittersweet flavor that brings me both comfort and some sacrifice of sweetness. Listening to my friends lament and helping them to know their worth has inspired my interest into why our brains allow negative thoughts to overtake rationality and consume our well-being at times. Staying up late incites tiredness the following day, yet offering comfort creates a sense of accomplishment, and in turn, well-being for me. As a Psychological Researcher, I could work towards discovering a concrete system to train our minds to feel better about ourselves instead of allowing negative thoughts to prevail. It would be fulfilling to make breakthroughs in mental health and well-being. Another flavor, Apple Pie, represents the stability of health, wellness and comfort, much like being a physician who is focused on a mother’s and child’s well-being. During high school, I developed my passion for being involved in feminist issues and connecting to other women. What better way to connect to and support women than by helping deliver their babies as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist? Recently, I worked with my best friend to gather menstrual care products, general hygiene items, and bras for under-resourced people. We collected 12,720 items and donated them to five local organizations. Through this experience, I learned how simply putting in time to help others can create a significant impact in others’ lives. Delivering babies would allow me to connect in meaningful ways with women and contribute to the health and well-being of both mothers and babies. On the other hand, I could choose my long-loved flavor, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, a classic that combines several flavors. In comparison, international business marketing combines my desire to travel, learn about other cultures, discover the psychology of consumerism, participate in free market competition, and connect with people. My desire for business began as a six-year-old Girl Scout Daisy. For six years, I was competitive and wanted to be the top seller in my troop. I filled my red wagon with cookies and, with my biggest smile, knocked on all of my neighbors’ doors. Smiling to welcome customers, offering top customer service, and upselling at times, I have continued to develop my skill sets. As an international businesswoman, I could combine my passion for traveling, sales, customer service, and my interest in why we behave the way we do as consumers. Ultimately, I want to experience the world around me, whether that’s discovering the meaning of being human, connecting with women, or embracing my creativity and competitiveness. I want to live out all the different flavors in one way or another. Now, I need to figure out how. Education is the scooper.

My legacy is simple and something each and every one of us can do. I would like to encourage the well-being of others and caring for our planet in simple ways. We can smile at each other, listen, open a door for someone, do small gestures that make another person's day, and we can look people in the eyes. We can also simply buy less things and reduce what we bring into our homes. We should always pick up our trash and make sure it doesn't go into the ocean or land in ways that harm our sea life and wildlife. We need to be mindful of consumerism and see what each of us can do to lower the impacts of landfills. We can shift our mentality from Fast Fashion and disposable appliances. On a larger scale, we can insist that industries and corporations start using sustainable methods of producing what we need and realize that the cost will be passed on to us, further encouraging us to buy less. And, we can look at our food supply and reduce the effects of raising animals and what it costs our environment. We can conserve water and energy, being mindful that we need our resources. We need our people to have well-being as well as our planet. We can each begin to do more, little by little.

In elementary school, I was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency, which meant reading was extremely challenging for me. This challenge discouraged me from reading. However, I went to vision therapy in elementary school, attended a weekly reading program at CSUMB in grades 6th-9th, and worked diligently to complete my home eye exercises. To my surprise, my eighth grade English teacher encouraged me to take the test to see if I qualified for Freshman Honors English. Even though I earned a passing score, my lack of confidence held me back, and I registered for College Prep English instead. After a couple of weeks in this class, with an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, my excitement for reading and writing began to flourish. By the end of Freshman year, my confidence had grown in my reading abilities, and I stopped attending the weekly reading program at CSUMB. Even though I did not read much outside of class because it still seemed challenging and, quite frankly, boring, I became more interested in reading for my classes. However, it was not until the end of my Junior year that I decided to read for fun. Seeing my own progress, I scheduled an eye appointment the summer before my Senior year to see if I had defeated my convergence insufficiency. Through patience, perseverance and dedication, I have! If I am totally honest, I'm not always very patient. Yet, I want people to be patient with me. I sometimes have difficulty processing what someone else is telling me. When they get irritated with me, I feel stupid. Feeling stupid does not feel good. This may sound very simplistic, but it is "it" all boiled down to me. it is important to try our best to be patient and kind to others, and to begin this practice with myself.

Not too long ago, physical libraries and volumes of books were needed to learn. Certain libraries held desired books, while others struggled to have the monies to purchase all of the ones they wished to provide. Thanks to computers, and even our phones, we can be connected to information with just the click of a few buttons. We can be connected to one another in a heartbeat. Anything I want to learn can be accessed so quickly. Although I do have to be discerning and check my sources, I am comforted to know it is possible to have access to so much knowledge. I have seen the old encyclopedia sets, and I am grateful that I can carry around my iPhone or Chromebook rather than having to go to a library or have a set of those large, heavy books at home that gets outdated probably before it was even fully printed. The speed at which new knowledge is being produced would be slowed or not able to be distributed without our computers and handheld computers, otherwise known as phones these days. With this knowledge, medical advances and studies can be shared easily with doctors around the world. Businesses can operate more smoothly, getting their products and services distributed efficiently. And personally, I enjoy getting to connect with my friends and family around the country. During COVID19, I'm not sure what I would have done if I couldn't have FaceTimed my friends to do homework and to socialize. With responsible usage, computers and phones enable us to live in a world that is a better place with expanded knowledge and connection.

Puzzle pieces. Math reminds me of puzzle pieces that need to be examined and turned until they fit. The concrete way to figure out how the puzzle fits together allows me to take something that is often hard to solve, yet has a right answer. It is like life to me. Sometimes, I have to keep turning the pieces until the right solution can be found. But, math is more concrete. In daily life, I'm not often sure if I have chosen correctly. With math, the problem has a correct answer. I've been surprised how often math is actually used in daily life - more than I expected. When I was younger, I'd often ask when or how am I ever going to use this? My mother explained to me that math is like building blocks that need the base and how each concept builds upon those before it. I didn't really believe her until I started getting into physics, pre-calculus, statistics and now calculus. I like the challenge of math and the feelings of success when I successfully solve a problem. All of my career choices revolve around math. As a psychology researcher, statistics is how research is quantified. As an OB/GYN physician, many mathematic concepts are used for each patient. And with business - it's all about the numbers! My understanding of the world revolves around math in so many career fields. I am so thankful that math comes fairly easy for me. I've learned that I have the patience to turn the puzzle pieces until I can see how they begin to fit together. I am intrigued by how anyone figured these concepts out in the first place. I suppose it is like my education in mathematics so far...building one idea upon another. Although I am still undecided about my career choice, I am grateful for the exposure to all of the courses I have taken so far in math. I am looking forward to exploring more concepts and how they relate to my possible careers in college. As evidenced in my career choices, I am highly ambitious and will be seeking a Master's in Business or Doctorate degree in Psychology or Medicine. Although these are not strictly mathematics careers, they are all careers that involve a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. Additionally, all of these careers incorporate technology in a variety of ways. Put simply, I desire to be purposeful and meaningful in serving others to live healthy lives. I am interested in Psychology Research and have already come up with an idea to study: Can people validate themselves or must they have others to validate them? Or, I might study business and see how I can help people learn to buy products that are good for them and the environment rather than try to fill a sense of emptiness. Or by delivering healthy babies, I can help develop healthy families. Others may not realize that all of these careers are mathematics related, yet I do. I see the importance of mathematical concepts in each of these field. These are STEM careers as science, technology and mathematics are key to the success within each field of study.

"Speak kindly to yourself and know that you are enough!" I find myself being a better friend to others than to myself at times. Words are important and can make or break a friendship. I am so supportive of my friends, yet sometimes I am harsh to myself. I know that others do this as well. Generosity, graciousness, and simple kindness are important in helping us to get along with others. Wouldn't it be nice if we could extend these same acts to ourselves each and every moment of the day? Many people have difficult moments every day and some have had traumatic things happen to them. I have heard that one of the most common problems people have is not feeling good enough. I actually have the words, "You are enough" in white vinyl letters at the top of my mirror. It is there to remind me to speak kindly to myself throughout the day. I am interested in Psychology Research and have already come up with an idea to study: Can people validate themselves or must they have others to validate them? Or, I might study business and see how I can help people learn to buy products that are good for them and the environment rather than try to fill a sense of emptiness. By sharing this sentence - Speak kindly to yourself and know that you are enough - I want to remind people to be mindful of the words they speak internally.

If I could teach any course in college it would be: How to have a jam session in your car at 1am! I love singing loudly to music with the cool night air blowing my hair in every direction. Now, to have full disclosure....I cannot carry a tune on key. But, I don't care. This is my self-care practice, and it served me very well through Covid-19. Driving late at night when there are few people out is the most peaceful time for me and helped me through a difficult time. In the beginning of the chaos of COVID-19, my beloved Grandma Dolores died alone in her senior living apartment on March 25th 2020, with all of the COVID-19 symptoms except the cough. With her death, I lost a supportive grandmother and my closest tie to my father. My mom and I went to visit her in Albany, New York in the summer of 2019 after she had been diagnosed with stage three Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer. But I took it for granted -- not knowing it was the last time I would see her. We thought she would be a survivor. While having to learn the ropes of online learning, I experienced profound grief as my father’s death resurfaced for me. Some nights I was inundated with hatred. I cried and screamed. I don’t understand why my already small family seems to get smaller every few years. I’ve also lost my Grandpa George, my G-money, and my mother’s only sibling - Aunt Leta. As a teenager, I love the freedom of playing my music loud, singing at the top of my lungs, and feeling the cool air in the dark of nights - sometimes with moonlight soothing me. Singing loudly was one of my best self-care practices.

I lost my father when I was just six years old, all of my grandparents, and my mother’s only sibling. I know how it feels to lose special people. We had a small family to begin with and it keeps getting smaller. My father struggled with a chronic pain condition and as a result mental health well-being. It has been hard not growing up with a father. I don't even remember him that well. I've been told he was a great father, and I can see that from the many pictures I have of him and me. But, I don't know what it feels like. On the other hand, it might have been very difficult to have him as a father growing up as he struggled with self-medicating with alcohol and prescription opiates for his physical and emotional pain. My paternal grandmother, who I was closest to, passed March 25, 2020 at the start of the pandemic. They would not let her get her blood cancer treatments and then when she got sick would not let her come in to see a doctor. At the time, they didn't think she had COVID19 because she never developed a cough. However, for two weeks she was very sick with all of the other symptoms of the virus. We thought she was getting better and then she died alone on her kitchen floor of her senior apartment. I was devastated. She was my last connection to my father as well as one of my biggest fans. My mother and I have been very fortunate to get Social Security Survivor benefits for the past 11 years, but they are ending soon as I turn 18. My mother works part-time as a Community College Liaison, but also has a chronic pain condition that causes her a myriad of symptoms and makes working full-time difficult. I am hoping to go to a University in California, Oregon or Colorado; however, I am going to need a great deal of financial assistance. My mother will be working to support herself and I need to figure out how to pay for college. Earning a 4.28 GPA, I am in the top 10% of my class. I am a hard worker. I also play sports. I have four areas of interests: psychology research, OB/GYN (women's health), Business & Marketing (possibly International), and environmental science. I will be going into college undeclared/exploratory. I am interested in many areas and feel at just 17 it is hard to narrow down my interests...and I don't even know all of the possibilities yet. I am very excited about the experiences in college and would like to study abroad to explore different cultures and get to know a wide variety of people. I truly have a zest for life. I am very interested in women's health, women's rights, social justice and environmental well being. I want to serve people and our planet. I plan on using my first year or two in college to earn my general education requirements and begin to narrow down or figure out how to combine my interests into a further field of study. After earning my Bachelor's degree, I am interested in pursuing a Masters, PhD and/or MD. I enjoy school and learning. I have many passions and I will turn them into action as I learn about all of the possibilities and where I can best serve others. I would use this scholarship money towards paying for my college tuition and expenses. I am very excited about my new adventure!

Putting my passion to action! As the head coordinator of our Monterey, CA local Her Drive, I have learned what it truly means to be a good leader and affect positive change for my community. The Her Drive served as an opportunity to put my passion for equality and women's issues into action. Her Drives across America collect menstrual care products, new and gently used bras, and hygiene/vanity items for under-resourced people. In preparation, I had to take charge and call all of the potential donation receivers. I demonstrated good communication, a key characteristic of leadership, by talking to each organization about what donations they accepted. Once I got the logistics down, it was time to get my community excited. My partner and I worked together to create fliers and social media promotion. I took the flyers to local coffee shops. I posted the social media promotions on all of my accounts and asked my peers to share as well. Within one day, I saw so many people share the project and was beyond grateful to see community involvement at such an early stage. Before our first collection drop off, I contacted the local news sources. Being the first one to respond, the Monterey Herald interviewed me and my partner. The article was published the morning of the first drop off. The community involvement was amazing. People told me and my partner how inspired they were. On the second day of the drop off, a reporter from KION came to interview me and my partner. The interview on KION helped to continue to grow community involvement. In total we collected 12,720 products for our community. We divided everything up between five local nonprofit organizations. When delivering the boxes and boxes of donations, we saw the true gratitude of our community.

My father struggled with a chronic pain condition and as a result mental health well-being. It has been hard not growing up with a father. I lost my father when I was just six years old. I don't even remember him that well. I've been told he was a great father, and I can see that from the many pictures I have of him and me. But, I don't know what it feels like. On the other hand, it might have been very difficult to have him as a father growing up as he struggled with self-medicating with alcohol and prescription opiates for his physical and emotional pain. I am considering a career in psychological research or becoming a physician to help others. My belief is to create as many great experiences in life as I now know that life is short and we need to make the best of it however we can. I'm also very interested in women's health and helping them to lead healthy lives. We may never know the internal struggles people are having. Some people, like my dad, were pretty good at hiding his pain - physical and emotional. His colleagues at work knew about his surgeries, but not his ongoing mental health struggles. On a very personal level I think the most practical solution I have done for people who are struggling with mental health is to support a number of my friends when they were really depressed and having suicidal thoughts. I am a good listener and allow my friends to talk to me even when it is late at night or I should be studying. With social media, relationships, academic stress and some of my friends’ home lives, a number of my friends have really struggled. I am grateful that they have trusted me to be vulnerable and share their dark thoughts. It’s often hard to know what to say, but I’ve found that simply listening and letting them know they are important to me seems to be what they need most. For me, this has been the most important positive impact I can make as I am saving lives by being available to others. I know that each of the friends I have helped will go on to make positive impacts as well. My listening is far reaching in that it saves family members from grieving the loss of a loved one. I’ve also lost all of my grandparents and my mother’s only sibling. I know how it feels to lose special people. If I can help a friend realize how much they would be missed, that is the most positive impact I can make to help with mental health. By listening to my friends, I feel it is a practical solution and makes a positive impact on not just their lives, but their loved ones too. I find the number of my friends with intense anxiety disconcerting. I am hoping to learn more about how people can validate themselves and lead healthy lives. Our society is difficult these days and more and more people are struggling with mental health issues. I would like to be part of the solution.

On a very personal level I think the most practical solution I have done for people who are struggling with mental health is to support a number of my friends when they were really depressed and having suicidal thoughts. I am a good listener and allow my friends to talk to me even when it is late at night or I should be studying. With social media, relationships, academic stress and some of my friends’ home lives, a number of my friends have really struggled. I am grateful that they have trusted me to be vulnerable and share their dark thoughts. It’s often hard to know what to say, but I’ve found that simply listening and letting them know they are important to me seems to be what they need most. For me, this has been the most important positive impact I can make as I am saving lives by being available to others. I know that each of the friends I have helped will go on to make positive impacts as well. My listening is far reaching in that it saves family members from grieving the loss of a loved one. I’ve lost my father when I was just six years old, all of my grandparents, and my mother’s only sibling. I know how it feels to lose special people. If I can help a friend realize how much they would be missed, that is the most positive impact I can make and a practical solution to help with mental health of not just my friends but their loved ones as well.

Save! The most helpful piece of financial advice has been to save my money. When I got a job taking out my neighbors’ trash, I started treating my friends, and myself, to Starbucks, ice cream, eating out, movies, etc. My mother suggested saving towards a car. I was amazed when my savings account hit $2,000. Little by little, the money added up. My dream has always been to have a car of my own and drive myself to high school. Then, the pandemic hit and now there is a chip shortage. I’ve learned the value of a dollar and how it is so easy to spend money little by little and then there is none. I am concerned how I am going to pay for college and have learned to invest time in finding scholarships. I’m hoping that with work study and financial aid, I won’t have to incur a lot of students debt. I worked part-time this past summer and saved money from my job. It is hard not to buy clothes and spend it on food and entertainment. However, I have long term goals of a higher education to get my masters and Phd or MD to become a doctor of psychology or medicine. I know I will have to work hard to do well in school and figure out my finances.

Retard…I have learned how much a word can hurt the family members of a special needs sibling. My good friends, the Hazards, had a daughter with a severe disability. Her sister shared with me how hurtful it was when anyone called her sister a retard. Paige was beloved by many. She was born with a missing chromosome and the doctors suggested not feeding her after birth. But, her parents dedicated their lives to her. They went on to have another daughter and a set of twin daughters. All of the girls adored their sister and believed she was their angel. Paige passed when she was sixteen years old. Anytime I hear this word or other derogatory terms, I feel it deep within my soul. Someone is hurt when these words are used. I find myself in many situations where I am speaking up against the words and actions of others. It’s hard because I want to be liked and to fit in. It is hard to call people out on their misbehavior. It brings attention to me, and I know others may not have had a changed perspective. They may think I am oversensitive and judge me. The words we choose are significant. We may think something is funny, but it can cause deep pain for another. We may not know what they have gone through and experienced. Being considerate in our words and actions is imperative.

Save! The most helpful piece of financial advice has been to save my money. When I got a job taking out my neighbors’ trash, I started treating my friends, and myself, to Starbucks, ice cream, eating out, movies, etc. My mother suggested saving towards a car. I was amazed when my savings account hit $2,000. Little by little, the money added up. My dream has always been to have a car of my own and drive myself to high school. Then, the pandemic hit and now there is a chip shortage. I’ve learned the value of a dollar and how it is so easy to spend money little by little and then there is none. I am concerned how I am going to pay for college and have learned to invest time in finding scholarships. I’m hoping that with work study and financial aid, I won’t have to incur a lot of students debt. I worked part-time this past summer and saved money from my job. It is hard not to buy clothes and spend it on food and entertainment. However, I have long term goals of a higher education to get my masters and Phd or MD to become a doctor of psychology or medicine. I know I will have to work hard to do well in school and figure out my finances. I’m glad I have learned the lessons of frugality and saving at a young age.

Fairness is the main thing I would stand for! Injustice, racism, discrimination, sexism, etc. are the things that I would like to influence people to stop. Letting humans be who they are without having to worry about injustice is what each of us should stand for. It’s hard enough in this life to have relationships and earn enough money to feel safe and secure. I find myself in many situations where I am speaking up against the words and actions of others. It’s hard because I want to be liked and to fit in. It is hard to call people out on their misbehavior. It brings attention to me, and I know others don’t always agree with me. I have empathy for those who suffer injustice. We all need to stand united to put an end to the -isms and discrimination. All people deserve to feel safe.

At first, I thought about describing the positive impact I have made through community service projects for our new domestic violence Safe House, gang prevention, homeless populations, and foster youth. I’m sincerely pleased that my partner and I collected 12,720 menstrual care products, new and gently used bras and hygiene items for people in need as part of a local Her Drive. However, on a very personal level I think the most positive impact I have made on the world is supporting a number of my friends when they were really depressed and having suicidal thoughts. I am a good listener and allow my friends to talk to me even when it is late at night or I should be studying. With social media, relationships, academic stress and some of my friends’ home lives, a number of my friends have really struggled. I am grateful that they have trusted me to be vulnerable and share their dark thoughts. It’s often hard to know what to say, but I’ve found that simply listening and letting them know they are important to me seems to be what they need most. For me, this has been the most important positive impact I can make as I am saving lives by being available to others. I know that each of the friends I have helped will go on to make positive impacts. My listening is far reaching in that it saves family members from grieving the loss of a loved one. I’ve lost my father when I was just six years old, all of my grandparents, and my mother’s only sibling. I know how it feels to lose special people. If I can help a friend realize how much they would be missed, that is the most positive impact I can make.

I love that I am quirky and will put myself out there to try something I’ve never tried. I know I am quirky, and I am glad that I am. It makes life fun. In that, I will risk trying something new without being too worried about what others will say. In my 8th and 9th grade years, I competed on a 35 member competition cheer team. It was often out of my comfort zone to perform in front of judges and large audiences in a stadium environment. Then, in my 10th grade year I joined the Inaugural Water Polo team at my high school and then the JV Soccer team - both without prior experience. I actually did pretty well, except for playing goalie which caused me way too much anxiety. I then decided I wanted to learn how to do hurdles and joined the Track team. I have never liked to run, but after soccer I had gotten more used to running. Last spring, I decided that I didn’t want to graduate high school without being part of the Associated Student Body so I signed up for that class and ran for Senior Class Treasurer. I also applied to be part of the National Her Drive with my friend. It is a humanitarian effort to collect menstrual care products, new and gently used bras and hygiene items for people in need. We collected 12,720 items and donated them to 5 local organizations. I’m very proud of myself for being grounded enough in myself to try new things, even when I feel nervous and don’t necessarily excel at doing them all at the level I would like. I love that I am quirky and willing to be vulnerable in new experiences

Picturing my life, I see years of education ahead of me. I am very interested in working with women's health and social justice. I am also very interested in psychology or becoming a doctor to deliver babies. Whatever I decide to do, I would like to help people live better lives. At just 17 years old, it is very hard for me to narrow down exactly what I would like to do. I am interested in so many different things, and I don't even know all that is offered. I do know that I am passionate about helping women to become all that they want to become. I am also fascinated by business psychology, perhaps marketing. And to add another layer, environmental science and preserving our world is of utmost importance to me. I am not a highly materialistic person, and I believe that we should be cognizant of our footprint. I am fascinated by so many things that it is hard for me to just choose one area of emphasis. I envision myself in higher education so that I can earn my PhD or MD in one of these fields. I enjoy going to school and learning , but this is a Bold Dream. I take longer to read than my peers, and I have to put in much energy and effort to earn the grades I have. My grandmother, who passed of Covid-19 March 2020, gave me opportunities to travel and having my father pass when I was just six years old helped me develop empathy for others. I would like to honor both of them by going after my Bold Dream and serving others as they both did. However, I will need financial help to fund my education, and I am hoping to get this scholarship.

Grief is hard to describe to someone who hasn't endured it yet. My paternal grandmother died March 25, 2020 of Blood Cancer and/or Covid19. We will never know. When she reported now known Covid19 symptoms, but no cough, the doctor told her it wasn’t Covid19. They had stopped her treatments and refused to check her out. She reported feeling better after two weeks, but then two days later she was found alone on her senior apartment kitchen floor hours after she should have picked up her dinner tray which was left outside. We have no idea how long she lay there. My heart aches. I should have called her more. She was my last tie to my father who passed when I was only six in 2010. I didn't understand when my father died, but the grief welled up late most nights after my grandmother passed. During the day, I poured myself into my distance learning classes and took daily drives with my mom along the ocean. If I had been in school, I think it would have been easier to be distracted and go on with life. But, my heart really hurt. My grandmother was an eternal optimist who saw most things through rose-colored glasses. I cannot say I always do. Tough times are hard. However, I am highly optimistic about my future. I want to honor my father and my grandmother by becoming the best human I can be. I am interested in so many things and would like to combine my interests. Women’s health, women’s rights, the environment, travel, business, and marketing as well as delivering babies are all fascinating to me. I am optimistic that taking classes in college which will allow me to decide my actual journey and that it will be fantastic.