If there were one book I would want everyone in the world to read, it would be Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. This novel tells the story of a young girl with autism who has recently lost her brother in a school shooting. This was a novel I was instructed to read in my Adolescent Literature class in college. I am currently studying to be an English teacher, and this class taught us around 15 books that contained strong teaching material, but also important worldly knowledge and awareness. This novel opened my eyes to what it is like to live with autism. It allowed me to walk in the shoes of the protagonist, Kaitlyn, and understand the world the way she sees the world. Mental health and mental disabilities are a challenging topic. In many cases, we see ourselves pitying the victims of mental illness, but Mockingbird made me see this in an entirely different way. Kaitlyn’s autism was her superpower. Her way of seeing the world helped to save her family while dealing with grief. I would recommend this book to everyone. I always say that books teach empathy better than everything else, and this was a story that taught me to understand the struggles, intelligence, and courage of those who live with this disability. It has made me more aware of the people around me and encouraged me to be patient and understanding to everyone. I believe that our world today lacks empathy for what we cannot comprehend. Instead of seeking knowledge, we stay away from the things we do not understand. By having everyone read this novel, I think humanity would discover that it is better to understand each other than to linger in judgment and hatred.

Mental health is very important to me. Being a young woman in college, it is easy to let anxiety take control of your life. There are so many things that must be constantly on our minds and hearts. Being the oldest child, I know I crave academic validation, which results in me exhausting all of my energy in order to prove something to myself. From late-night studying to anxiety attacks, my first year of college took a toll on my mental health, and I was beginning to feel trapped in the routine of daily life. My eating habits became very poor, and I found myself never having time or energy to go to the gym, which was something I very much enjoyed. In addition to all of it, I was feeling very homesick. Although my roommate was wonderful, I had issues with communal living and other friends who would often take advantage of my time and space. I hoped that I would be able to get myself out of the hole of anxiety and stress that I had dug myself into. By the end of the year, I was able to figure out what I needed to do differently. Life was going to continue to happen. I knew I could not control those around me, but I could control my thoughts and actions. This year, when I went back to school, I started with a clean, new space. I now set boundaries for myself. If it is very late and I am tired, I go to bed instead of getting that one extra hour of study time that, in the morning, was probably not even going to be worth it. In addition, I set boundaries with my friends. I love being there for my friends, but there are times when I need to put myself first. I learned that I am no help to others if I am not okay myself. Taking the time to take care of myself allowed me to be more emotionally available for my friends and family. In making personal time to take care of myself each day, I have found that this semester I am much healthier, mentally and physically. I am eating regularly, and going on walks to clear my head. Whenever I feel an anxiety attack coming on, I make a list of the things that are stressing me out, and this tends to calm me down. When I see all the things in my head on a piece of paper, it seems like less than I originally thought. I also utilize Google Calendar, in order to keep myself organized, and keep a weekly planner to keep track of all my classes, assignments, jobs, and clubs. Each Sunday, I plan out what my week is going to look like, scheduling time to complete things so I have time to take care of myself. For me, the key to helping my mental health was organization. I still get anxious and nervous, but whenever I do, I can talk to my roommate, or call my mother. It is important, no matter where you stand in regards to mental health, that you have people to talk to. I would not have made it through the first year of college without the support of my friends and family. I am thankful to them for helping me overcome, and be where I am today.

My name is Lexie Denis and I am currently a sophomore English Education major at Siena College. In college, I am the Engagement Coordinator for the Education Club, and I am also in the acapella group "Lost In Sound". I am currently working two jobs on campus which I enjoy very much. I am an Ambassador, where I get to work with prospective students and guide their interests in coming to Siena. I am also on the Student Activities and Leadership Team (SALT), where I get to help with campus events and create a positive campus climate. Through all of my various involvements on campus, I find that I am making a positive impact on everyone I interact with. Through the Education Club, I can reach out to students striving to be teachers and help them with anything they may need when entering the field. I have frequently had people tell my acapella group that our music brings them much joy and faith that there is good in the world. Through Ambassadors I can make a positive impact in the lives of the students and families I get to work with. Even if they decided to not come to Siena, I am still happy to have left a good impression on them. I very much enjoy being able to plan fun events and get students involved on campus through SALT. It brings me great happiness to know that I have had a hand in helping create amazing opportunities for our students. In the future, I want to be a teacher. I think that the most important role of this job is making a positive difference in the world. Teachers have to instruct content, but, to their students, they are also second parents, therapists, friends, and for some, family. Being a light in the world of any student seems to be a perfect opportunity to make a positive impact. In addition to what I am involved with on campus, I also work as a substitute teacher for elementary, middle, and high school. During my time in the schools, I have found that students are very easily influenced at any academic level. If a teacher is demonstrating a positive attitude and is actively working to be a good role model, students will follow. In addition to this observation, I also learned that students are constantly looking for relationships and connections. Having a good attitude and being aware of students and their interests is another wonderful way to make a positive impact. I want to teach in order to make these connections and impressions. The future of our country lies within our schools, as the students are the future. Teaching is one of the most important jobs because we are the ones who are directly impacting the future. I want to shape this future positively by being a teacher who goes above and beyond.

Since a very young age, I have always known that teaching is my calling. I explored many careers just like anyone else, but I always knew in the back of my mind that there was only one profession for me. When I was little I would line up my dolls and teach them what I learned in school that day. My entire family has worked in education. Both my mother and father have worked as school counselors and administrators. My grandmother and great-aunt taught elementary school for their entire career. I was inspired by their selflessness, compassion, and creativity, and I wanted to follow in my family's footsteps. I am currently a student studying English and Education at Siena College. Here, I am involved in many campus activities and organizations. I serve on the Student Activities and Leadership team, as well as work as a campus tour guide for prospective students. I am also in the acapella group on campus. As much as I love all of my activities, I enjoy my position in the Education Club the most. I serve on the Executive Board as the Engagement Coordinator, and our club actively works to seek out new teachers and get people excited about careers in Education. We bring in guest speakers, as well as host fun teacher craft nights. I really enjoy my work within this club and being surrounded by others who are just as passionate about Education as I am. In the summer, I also run a program called Readers Rock. This is a summer camp for children in grades 1-6. In this program, we read books together and learn about the power of literature. I adore running this program because I get to design my own curriculum and use my creativity to engage with the students and get them excited about reading. I very much enjoy getting to share the things that make me excited with young minds. My friends often call me “Teacher Lexie” because they believe I embody what a teacher should be in my everyday life. Yes, they know I like crafts and fun classroom ideas, but they also know that I am caring and compassionate. They see my ability to show empathy and help those in need. My friends have often told me that I am very emotionally intelligent and that I am very good at reading people and connecting with them based on their emotional state. I want to teach to make the world a better place one student at a time, and I want to be remembered once I leave this world. Teaching will allow me to do this, and I truly do believe it to be a superpower. Just like my family, I want to follow in their footsteps and change the world.

There are many ways in which I try to embody selflessness in my life. Overall, I believe selflessness to be the ability to put others before oneself. In the future, I want to be a teacher and I believe teaching to be a very selfless profession. Many teachers chose to become educators because of their selflessness. They find it rewarding to give back and help those in need. I have grown in my understanding of selflessness through my own experience in working in education, and have found that I have a deep passion for helping students. In my senior year of high school, I decided to complete an internship in which I would work in an elementary school for twenty weeks. I loved developing relationships with the students. My host teacher, Ms. Brennan, was the perfect embodiment of selflessness. This woman gave her entire life to teaching Kindergarten because she knew it was her calling to do so. I was able to watch Ms. Brennan and see the impact she was having on the children, specifically those in need. Simply by asking them about their day, or giving them a hug in the morning, she was making a difference. Disaster struck during the internship when three students were seriously injured in a car accident. Ms. Brennan put her sadness and grief aside and stepped up to help the family in any way she could. People loved Ms.Brennan for this very reason, and I loved her for this as well. After this internship, I knew that I wanted to commit my life to the service of others. Today, and throughout my life, I have had many experiences with helping those in need. One of my favorite experiences was working with Luke. Luke was a middle school student during the time that I worked with him. He is visual and hearing impaired, and he also suffers with comprehension, both in literacy and conversation. As a result of this, he often feels very shy and is afraid to talk. Luke and I would work on his understanding of question words, and counting of things like money, but my favorite time I would spend with him was when we would just sit and talk. I found that he was extremely emotionally intelligent and able to not only express his own feelings, but understand mine as well. As I am now at college, Luke and I have remained pen-pals, keeping in touch as he continues to thrive and radiate his positive energy. Another cause very dear to my heart is Lexie’s Little Free Library, which is a free library I run in a local park in order to help low-income families get exposure to books, and overall, grow a community of literacy and passionate readers. The Library, now in its second year of operation, has been a community hit. While I monitor and continuously update the library, I have had families talk to me, not realizing that I am the owner. They tell me how wonderful the library is, and I never take credit. To me, selflessness is about realizing how much of a better place our world would be if we never cared who received the credit. I want to continue to be selfless throughout my life, and remember that there is always someone who could use a hand.

I am a huge supporter of BookTok and I am proud to be a part of a community that has encouraged so many new readers. Creating a worldwide community of people recommending books to each other has created an amazing environment. Today, many of my current favorite books are stories that I discovered from BookTok. The first book that is a must-have on my dream bookshelf, is actually 2 books. These include the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. This book, which was suggested to me through BookTok, captivated me from the very first page. Bardugo does an amazing job of creating complex characters that you can not help but love. Kaz Brekker, for example, is a criminal and scoundrel, but because we learn of his experiences, we feel for him. We understand where he comes from and what makes him morally gray. I will always recommend these books for their wonderful world-building, complex character development, and intoxicating plot. The next book on my list comes from another one of my favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book is Daisy Jones and the Six. This novel had me laughing, crying, and screaming at 2:00 in the morning. Again, this book features a group of complex, morally gray characters. Despite this, the readers want the best for each character, because Reid allows the reader to see every element of the character. At the end of the day, these characters who are mixed up in drugs, violence, and alcohol, are still human and we learn to believe the best in people. Next on my dream bookshelf is We Were Liars by E. Lockheart. This book has one of the most insane plot twists that I have ever read. The book is told in a first-person narrative, and this allows us to enter the head of the main character, Cadence, as she struggles with guilt, trauma, and addiction. The final book on my bookshelf is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This novel takes place in ancient Greece and explores the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Although the novel loosely follows an accurate history, its story is heartbreaking and still wonderfully hopeful of love in the world. It shows what happens behind closed doors of one of the most powerful men in ancient history and takes a deeper dive into the complexity and inner ideas of one of his closest companions. The Song of Achilles demonstrates the immense love that two people can share, and what two people in love are willing to do for each other. What do all the books on my shelf have in common? They all show the beauty of humanity. I am a firm believer that books are the best way to teach and learn empathy, and BookTok, by reaching a new group of readers, has been able to make our world more empathetic and respectful of one another. By reading the stories of others, whether it be historical, fantastical, or contemporary, there is something we can learn about others and ourselves. BookTok has connected readers over miles of distance with the power of words. I cannot think of a better community I would like to be a part of.

In the fall, I always order an iced pumpkin spice latte with sweet cold foam and one pump of caramel. Although I love to get my latte iced, it always makes me feel warm and fuzzy. One of my favorite fall activities is getting dressed in a flannel and going to a hometown football game with one of my favorite coffees. Growing up in the Adirondacks, the taste of a pumpkin spice latte encompasses all sensory elements of fall in my hometown, not just taste. It reminds me of the beautiful leaves of the Adirondacks. Some people travel for hours to see the autumn beauty, and I am fortunate enough to get to experience it right outside my kitchen window. It reminds me of the cool and crisp air in which I can wear a jacket but still feel that it is beautiful outside. Growing up in the Adirondacks, we get heavy winters, so fall is our calm before the storm, and we savor it. Now, I am away at college, and although autumn at college is a wonderful time, I miss all these elements of home. My sister and I always praised autumn when we were in high school together. It reminded us of homecoming, running cross-country meets together, going to the apple orchard, walking our dog through our local parks, going for drives in the beautiful parts of our community, and of course, going on morning Starbucks runs before school. Now, my sister and I are separated for much of the fall as she continues to attend high school and I am far away. At my school, Siena College, we are fortunate enough to have an operating Starbucks on our campus. Although I cannot enjoy being home for much of the fall, I can pretend, and be transported back to my home with the taste of one of my lattes. Now, as I continue into my sophomore year of college, I have been able to make new memories in regard to the taste of fall. My friends at school have breakfast together in Starbucks at least twice a week, in which we all enjoy a signature fall beverage. It now tastes like early morning classes when there is a chill in the air. As an English Education major, it tastes like a good book that I cannot put down. That being said, my pumpkin spice latte has become a huge part of my annual fall narrative. I love being able to associate my memories with one simple thing, and that this memory can carry on for the entirety of my life.

I most identify with Pam and her journey from The Office. In my opinion, Pam has the strongest character development of any character within the show. I have always identified with her journey to finding confidence and valuing herself. In the first few seasons, while Pam was dating Roy, she was scared of changing anything. She did not want to take a chance on Jim, art, or anything she truly wanted because she did not believe herself to be worthy of such joy and fulfillment. Pam needed to lose everything and completely start over in order to grow into the person she wanted to be. Once she finally decides to be honest and proud of herself after her speech in the Beach Games episode, she is able to feel peace in her decisions. After watching how free Pam felt after speaking her mind, I felt inspired. I have also struggled in my life with finding confidence and believing in myself. Through Pam, I have also learned that, whether in the workplace or in your personal life, you need to be comfortable with yourself in order to secure healthy relationships. In the final episode, Pam tells a younger version of herself to “Be strong. Trust yourself. Love yourself. Conquer your fears. Just go after what you want and act fast because life just isn’t that long.”. I try to live by this each day. I need to trust that I can make the best decisions for myself. By loving myself, I can become more confident in everything I do. I want to conquer my fears to be able to go after my true desires in life. Upon the many times I have rewatched the show, you can see how much happier and authentic Pam becomes once she decides to live by this ideology. I want to grow in the same way that Pam does. My goal is to be happy enough with myself that I can build healthy relationships, and have the confidence to go after what I want.

For me, education has always been my passion, but it has developed more as I have grown older. When I was little, I was always playing teacher. I would line up my dolls and stuffed animals and teach them everything I had learned while at school. As soon as I received knowledge, I wanted to share it, even if it was just in my imaginary classroom. My mother has worked in elementary education for 20 years as a school counselor. I can remember being excited about her coming into my class to teach a lesson with the puppets that she would always use. Back then, I did not fully understand what she truly did in her job, nor any other school teacher. Working in an elementary school, staff have to be teachers, parents, and therapists. For some kids, they are more loved at school than they are at home. Once this realization hit me, I immediately felt a calling to be a teacher. I believe that as important as academics are, social and emotional learning in education are crucial to the overall development of each student. If educators do not take the time to evaluate students’ emotional well-being, then they will never truly know that student. Being a teacher is all about forming relationships. I have been fortunate enough to already have worked in education while still working to acquire my degree. I completed an educational internship while still in high school, and have worked the last year as a substitute teacher during my breaks. In this, my favorite part has been building relationships with students. My heart is happy when a student runs to hug me because they are excited to see me. With some, specifically while subbing, I am thrilled when they remember me by name. If a kindergarten student can remember me, it means that I must have had an impact. I believe this is the most rewarding part of the job. I have had to overcome many obstacles in order to work towards this career. I am from a middle-class family and paying for my education is difficult. I work three jobs over the summer, and two jobs on my college campus to help pay for my college experience. Paying for college is a financial burden, but by working hard and advocating for myself in terms of aid and scholarships, I have worked to make this burden smaller for my family. Another obstacle I have had to face, especially in the world of education, is the pandemic. This pandemic changed education drastically. Being a student myself while learning online, I can relate to the teachers who had to face this new way of instructing. Learning was difficult for me as well. Learning at home with little to no true relationships being built was difficult. However, in overcoming this struggle, I am now able to understand students and staff much better in the educational world, as well as advocate for the importance of mental health in the American School System. Becoming a teacher is a personal sacrifice. As many know, teachers are often underpaid and overworked. I am sure that in my career I will experience “teacher burnout”, and I will have bad days. However, as I have previously stated, I believe that the bad days hold no power over the good ones. Yes, teaching is a difficult profession, but it is also one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.

I grew up watching Disney Channel shows, and they were a very important part of my childhood. Two of my favorites were Good Luck Charlie and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. Although these shows were at different stages of Disney Channel history, I think they would make an awesome mashup episode. Imagine, Teddy wins a trip to the Tipton Hotel, and the Duncan family has a run-in with Zach and Cody. The Duncans win a trip for 6 people, and Gabe recently pranked Mrs. Dabny a little too good. The Duncans offer for her to come to the resort as an apology, but Gabe is angry that their vacation is being ruined by his arch-nemesis. Gabe then runs into Zach and Cody and is shocked at how much they look alike. He decides to use them to help him pull off the most impressive prank against Mrs. Dabny ever. He plans to make Mrs. Dabney believe that she is seeing double and going crazy. As an agreement, Gabe has to help Zach and Cody get a date with Teddy. Even though Teddy is much older, the boys are completely in love with her. In addition to this, PJ develops a massive crush on London, and London feels the same. They agree on a lot of things. For example, they both like The Gurgles and have both gotten stuck in a swing set. They then realize that as much as they have in common, they are completely nonfunctional because they each need someone to look after them. While they are together, they are a walking hazard. Bob and Amy would have an interaction with Mr. Mosby. I think they would bond over their hatred of their pre-teen boy problem. In the end, though, Mr. Mosby will be glad when the Duncans are gone because they will have caused a lot of chaos within the hotel. Teddy would take the time to enjoy the city, even after her parents told her not to go alone. Something very scary will happen. She will get lost on the subway, or end up trapped with the monkeys at the Central Park Zoo. Teddy’s character likes to test the waters of rebellion, but it never ends up going very well for her. I think this could be a silly opportunity to teach a valuable lesson to younger audiences. It could teach the importance of listening to your parents, and the need to exercise caution in new places. I sincerely miss both of these shows being on television, and I am grateful to Disney Plus for allowing me the opportunity to watch them now as an adult. I think a crossover between these two outstanding shows would be very fun.

In the Summer I Turned Pretty, I think there is only one obvious choice for Belly. While Jeremiah does offer a wide variety of Belly’s needs, Conrad is the love of Belly’s life. Conrad has made mistakes, like any boy, but I believe he is the one who truly loves Belly for who she is. Jeremiah only began to show an interest in Belly when Conrad did. Jeremiah is a typical younger sibling and he wants what his older brother has. I think that Jeremiah believes his feelings for Belly are real, but deep down, it is only the continuation of a sibling rivalry. Conrad is older, and more mature than Jeremiah. Conrad is looking for someone to take care of, while Jeremiah is looking for someone to take care of him. Conrad would always protect Belly when Steven and Jeremiah would tease her. He made her feel like an outsider, except for when they would do the traditional “belly-flop”. One may think that Jeremiah was a caretaker when Belly was sick as a child, but Susannah had to beg Jeremiah to stay with her. Conrad taught Belly about infinity, and he liked her better with glasses. Belly did not need to become pretty for Conrad, he always thought she was beautiful. Conrad has caused Belly pain, but he is in pain himself. All the characters are mourning the death of Susannah, and this is making their behavior unpredictable and somewhat irrational. I do not blame Jeremiah for wanting Belly during this time. Both boys are desperate for someone to hold on to. Despite this, Jeremiah is putting Belly in an impossible situation. He is playing on her vulnerability and frustration with Conrad. By the end of season two, Belly believes that she is over Conrad, but there is a part of her that will always love him because you never truly get over your first love. Susannah once said, “For Belly, Conrad is the sun and when the sun comes out, the stars disappear”. In the motel scene, the sun is coming from Conrad’s direction, lighting up Belly, while Jeremiah lies in the dark. Sure, the stars are beautiful, but once the sun comes out you cannot see them. When Conrad is around, no one else matters to Belly. This proves that Conrad is the only one for Belly. He makes her glow while Jeremiah keeps her in darkness.

Taylor Swift has always been an influential mentor in my life. From when she started her career at a very young age, her music has always inspired me. As I have grown older, I have now seen Taylor Swift as a female role model. She is an intelligent businesswoman, a gifted songwriter and an overall “girl boss”. It is amazing to have such an impressive woman to look up to, but in watching the Eras Tour, I have come to a realization I had not yet recognized. Today, in society, women are encouraged to have it all, but in doing this, it seems as though we are trying to conform to the masculine world. It is seen as unprofessional to like pink or show emotion while making decisions. Women who do not conform to masculine expectations are not respected. While watching the Eras Tour, I watched a celebration of girlhood. I’ve watched young women trade friendship bracelets and dress up, excited to show off outfits they have been planning for months. These women get to feel comfortable in a safe environment where it is ok to be excited about glitter and a female pop sensation. Swift writes her music about all the trials and tribulations of being a girl in this day and age. Ugly breakups, friendships, love, family, and feminist issues are all portrayed in her music. Personally, this resonated with me during the Eras Tour. By watching full stadiums of Swifties every night, I have realized that these lyrics do not just resonate with me. There are millions of young women around the world who love Taylor Swift because she represents them. She is a strong businesswoman who is not afraid to wear pink and share her feelings. She recognizes that she can be feminine and still lead. She does not have to conform to the masculine idea of a leader. Instead, she recognizes the need for women to be proud of exactly who they are. Taylor Swift once said, “I want to love glitter and also stand up for the double standard that exists in our society. I want to wear pink and tell you how I feel about politics and I don’t think those things have to cancel each other out”. In today’s society, feminine characteristics are considered weak, but the Eras Tour and Taylor Swift are proving that they are signs of strength and beauty. Songs like “22” celebrate how wonderful it is to be a young woman figuring out your way in life. “Love Story” explores the feelings of being in love. In “Long Live” Swift tells her fans that she will love them forever because we are all a part of a sisterhood. Then, there is “The Man”, which explores how hard it is to be a woman, even though Swift performs the song showing us her happiness in her femininity. Women should be able to have and express all that Taylor Swift writes about without repercussions. In order for the feminist movement to make an impact, girls have to love themselves and love each other. Girlhood and femininity have to become something that we honor, instead of making it out to be the burden that it has become in today’s society. The music and environment of the Eras Tour is a huge step in achieving this. Yes, feminists want equality, but we do not want to conform. We want to celebrate who we are without having to prove ourselves to men. Taylor Swift tells us that we can be our Bejeweled selves, and still make the whole world shimmer.

In the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts, I am a proud Ravenclaw. For a lot of my life, I have thought that I was a Hufflepuff, but when I took the quiz on Wizarding World, I was shocked to see that I was actually a Ravenclaw. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that Ravenclaw was a perfect house for me. It is no secret that the two most popular Harry Potter houses are Gryffindor and Slytherin. After these two houses that hold the main characters of the story, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are often forgotten. Most people who do not fall into the 2 main houses, often find themselves in Hufflepuff, which makes Ravenclaws very rare. Upon growing my interest in Harry Potter, I found Ravenclaws to be far more interesting than I originally believed. There are many factors that make me a strong member of Ravenclaw House. For one, I live in the world of books. I am constantly reading, searching for answers to questions. I believe books to be the foundation of humanity. Ravenclaws are known to be book smart, but they also are very emotionally intelligent. The first person to come to mind when I think of Ravenclaw is Luna Lovegood. I think that I am a lot like her. She notices things about other people that many may not typically notice. She is able to see the fear and pain that Harry is dealing with and is able to enlighten him as to properly deal with his emotional uncertainty in a productive and healthy way. She also does not waste her time giving into silly gimmicks and pranks, usually at her expense. She, instead, has the self-confidence to know that she does not have to rely on validation from her peers. Luna embodies what it means to be a Ravenclaw, and I am proud to say I have a lot in common with her. Overall, even though Hogwarts is a fictional school, we need all 4 houses in our world. We need the Gryffindors to be brave, and complete their heroic journeys. We need the Slytherins’ cunning to protect us from those who wish to deceive us. We need the Hufflepuffs to treat everyone with kindness. Finally, we need Ravenclaws to teach us how to be emotionally intelligent and to search for the answers. We need them to question the truth and search for the knowledge needed to keep us afloat in the sea of our world.

If there were one book I would want everyone in the world to read, it would be Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. This novel tells the story of a young girl with autism who has recently lost her brother in a school shooting. This was a novel I was instructed to read in my Adolescent Literature class in college. I am currently studying to be an english teacher, and this class taught us around 15 books that contained strong teaching material, but also important worldly knowledge and awareness. This novel opened my eyes to what it is like to live with autism. It allowed me to walk in the shoes of the protagonist, Kaitlyn, and understand the world the way she sees the world. Mental health and mental disabilities are a challenging topic. In many cases, we see ourselves pitying the victims of mental illness, but Mockingbird made me see this in an entirely different way. Kaitlyn’s autism was her superpower. Her way of seeing the world helped to save her family while dealing with grief. I would recommend this book to everyone. I always say that books teach empathy better than everything else, and this was a story that taught me to understand the struggles, intelligence, and courage of those who live with this disability. It has made me more aware of the people around me and encouraged me to be patient and understanding to everyone. I believe that our world today lacks empathy for what we cannot comprehend. Instead of seeking knowledge, we stay away from the things we do not understand. By having everyone read this novel, I think humanity would discover that it is better to understand each other than to linger in judgment and hatred.

My volunteer experience began at a very young age. When I was 10 years old, my elementary chorus went to sing at the morning North Country Honor Flight ceremony. This event was at 6:30 AM and I remember complaining about having to get up so early. Once I arrived at the event though, I had awoken to the importance of giving back to the community. Honor Flight is a program that allows veterans, specifically of World War II and Vietnam, to fly to Washington, D.C. free of charge to see the memorials built in their honor. Our choir sang the song Red, White, and Blue, which many former students had written around the time of 9/11. When I sang, I watched the faces of the veterans and felt pride that this was something I could do to bring them joy. This experience showed me the importance of sacrifice. These brave men and women displayed what they were willing to do to protect those they loved. I stuck around with Honor Flight right up until 2020, when flights, unfortunately, began getting canceled due to the pandemic. I would come back and assist the new elementary students in the choir. It brought me great joy to get to watch the kids feel good about giving back. The song became a part of Honor Flight culture, and I learned the importance of sharing your gifts with others. As I continued down the path of life, I found that I had a strong passion for music, specifically singing. I feared being heard, afraid of what others may say about me. When I would get nervous before performing, I would remember the joy I felt when I would sing at the Honor Flight ceremonies. After years of debating, I finally decided to sing the National Anthem at some events at my school. This was another great way for me to give back to my community, in which we have many veterans and military families. I remember the first time I sang the anthem was at a basketball game in which my veteran grandfather was in attendance. He is the toughest man I know, so it was very surprising to me when he cried after I sang. At this moment, I remembered the song I used to sing in church, Let It Shine, and how God wants us to use our gifts to serve him and each other. In the book of Peter it says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (Peter 4:10). God gave me a gift of music, and it is my job to share that light with others, just as I had and continue to share kindness. Currently, I am studying to become a teacher at Siena College. As much as I hope to bring music into my classroom, this is not the only reason I have chosen this career for myself. I want to teach to shine my light on children and teach them to shine too. I want them to know that they all have gifts to offer the world. There are so many people in this world who experience pain and sorrow, and if we all can learn to use our God-given gifts for the better, we can relieve much of the suffering that our world has thrown upon us.

I have been fortunate enough in my life to have been taught to love reading. Not only did I learn to read quickly as a child, I wanted to continue to learn even faster. My love of reading has continued to influence me throughout my life, and my books have played a positive role in helping me learn important life skills. I believe reading is important because it allows us to walk in the shoes of others. Books teach us empathy, as we are able to live a variety of different perspectives and experiences. Best selling author of the Game of Thrones series, George R. Martin says it best; “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives one.” I believe books have played a crucial role in teaching me to understand other people and look beyond what is on the surface. People are more complicated than meets the eye, and at the end of the day, we all still bleed red. This means that we are more alike than we are different, and books have taught me this. Even in books that take place in fantasy lands, or dystopian futures, it is the characters that make the story. Being able to relate and reflect on character experiences has taught me the power of empathy, and most importantly, the need for it in our modern-day society. Currently, I am studying English Education in college. I believe that this career goal is perfect for me. For one, as a bookworm, I get to share my love of reading with young minds. In addition, I get to be a teacher who teaches with understanding and empathy towards my students. By teaching books, I will teach empathy to new generations of young minds. I believe this career to be an amazing opportunity, but a job of great responsibility. We find ourselves now in a world where books are in danger. From the long lists of book bands, to the continued take over of technology, our books are in jeopardy, and with that, empathy is too. Author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury said that, “ You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Our books hold the knowledge of our pasts, and the key to a successful future. If we stop seeing them in this way, the good of society will be lost. We will have no idea how to communicate with each other or even understand ourselves. This is why being a good teacher is so important to me. If I can teach new generations about the power of reading, my hope is that they will develop a love for knowledge and human compassion. It is a great responsibility to take on this challenge, but I believe that this goal is very much worth achieving. For the good of humanity, we need to encourage the joys of reading and the powerful lessons of life that a good book brings.

I grew up watching Disney Princess movies. I can remember on rainy days, my mom and I would watch the movies on DVR. I remember being afraid to watch certain movies like The Little Mermaid or Sleeping Beauty. I was afraid of the evil sea witch of the giant dragon. Somehow, despite my fears, my mother talked me into watching all the movies, and I did. Despite my fears, I realized while watching that these women were the bravest women I had ever seen. When Ariel was giving up her voice and entering a new place to follow her dreams, or when Belle courageously took her father’s place in the castle of a scary beast, they showed courage I had never seen. If they could show this bravery, then I could be brave enough to watch their stories. My love of Disney and the Disney Princesses only grew. Cinderella taught me the importance of kindness. Mulan taught me that girls can do anything boys can do, and maybe even a little more. Aurora taught me that sometimes you just have to trust that everything is going to happen for a reason. Rapunzle taught me to be bold enough to try new things. Tiana taught me that you have to work for your dreams, that nothing is handed to you in life. Elsa taught me that feelings are valid, and that you should not be afraid to acknowledge and show them. One of my favorite princesses is Ariel. Ariel taught me to believe in your dreams. She was a mermaid who dreamed of being human. Her dream was near impossible, but it did not matter because she had faith. She knew she was meant for bigger and better things, and was willing to make unspeakable sacrifices to make her dreams come true. As a little girl watching, I believed that if a mermaid could become a human, then there was nothing I could not do. Another one of my favorites was Belle. Belle taught me that it was ok to be different. I am a bookworm, just like her. Belle wanted more than what was expected of her, and I was inspired by that. Belle was not rescued by a prince, but instead she saved the prince. She taught me that I do not need a prince to save me. She showed me that I can be my own hero. I feel that a lot of people believe that being a feminist means you can be independent or be in love. Belle had love and her independence. It made me realize it was ok to want to have both in life. If a man can have both love and independence, then a woman should be able to have that too. Disney has played a huge role in my life, and for that I am very grateful. I feel that viewers often look upon the Disney Princesses with a negative eye, claiming they are horrible female role models. I believe this to be untrue. Each princess teaches young girls a different lesson about life. I know that if I am fortunate enough to have a daughter in my future, I will be thrilled to watch these movies again through her eyes, and teach her that anything is possible and that courage is the key to finding joy.

For me, I have been fortunate that I have been able to have a healthy diet growing up. My parents would always ensure that our family had three balanced meals every day. When I left for college in 2022, I did not realize how much I had taken these meals for granted. Although dining options at my college are good, it is hard, as it is for any school, to get proper nutrition. My diet shifted drastically, as I found myself having to eat quick meals to adjust to my busy college schedule. Due to the quick meals I was having, I was hungry most of the day because my body was not getting the proper amount of good nutrients. This led to lots of snacking during the day while I would be working or on the go. I was unhealthy with this lifestyle. I would often get sick and feel unable to go to the gym, which was something I really enjoyed doing. I felt very tired and started to rely on energy drinks, which I did not like doing but I felt there was no other option. I remember feeling weighed down, and all I wanted to do was lie in bed. This was not the way I wanted to live, so I decided that I needed to make a change to my eating habits. I started keeping a log of what I ate on a daily basis. While doing this, I realized I was not eating enough fruit and dairy products. I also found that I was eating too many foods with added preservatives. Once I recognized this, I went out to get yogurt and a variety of fruits, like strawberries, pineapple, and bananas. I started eating more organic food to keep my diet clean. Once I started eating this food and getting my diet back on track, I felt much healthier. It was difficult to keep fruit in a dorm room, as I only had a small fridge. I also did not have a vehicle on campus so I had to rely on services like InstaCart. Already paying for a dining plan, I was disappointed to have to spend additional expenses on food from outside services. Despite these inconveniences, I was feeling much better and decided it was worth it. I was running longer distances and I was able to go to the gym more. My productivity increased as I felt more motivated to do my schoolwork. I honestly became a much healthier and happier person. When you practice healthy eating, it is easy to become addicted to feeling better. I think there is a lot of confusion with practicing healthy eating with extreme dieting. Healthy eating is just being conscious of the food you put in your body. This simple lifestyle change that I made has made my college experience much better, and I hope to continue it next semester and for the rest of my college career.

Throughout my life, there have been many times when I have had to face adversity. Yet, there is one example that stands out to me in particular because it gave me an opportunitiy. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I struggled just as all other students did with taking all my classes on Zoom, missing friends, and overall feelings of hopelessness. I found that my need for success in school was taking a toll on my mental health. It seemed like the high acheiving students were being forgotten. We had always had the work ethic to persevere, but when the unimaginable happened, everyone just thought that those high-achieving students would continue to be high achieving students. Yet, when these students began feeling the effects of the pandemic, like everyone else, there was not a lot of support being offered to them. Being the class president, I had many students contact me to tell me that the current system we had was just not working. As my personal struggles increased, I began to reflect and advocate for online education to become better. I remember meeting with my counselor, feeling overwhelmed at the amount I was spending on a screen, and the pressure that was being placed on students. I gave my best effort to advocate and tell the school that we needed to start doing better. Yet,the more I tried to advocate, the more I got ignored. I understood that everyone was stressed, including faculty, but this did not take away my feeling of being silenced. This pressure began to weigh on me and I felt trapped. So, like any struggle in my life, I wrote about it. Writing has always been my way to express myself and collect my thoughts. Usually, when I write, I discover what the true problem is. I ended up writing a poem titled Muted. I used the Zoom mute button as a metaphor for being silenced as a student and the effects that it can have on a student body. Once we returned to school for my senior year, there was still healing that needed to be done. My drama department decided to perform a Musical Revue that year, in which we decided on themes of healing and understanding. We wrote our own script, and my poem, Muted, opened the show. From there, my poem took off. I was invited to neighboring schools to share my work with faculty and staff to help them understand the effects that online schooling had on the student population. Through this, I was able to advocate not just for myself and my school, but for many students all over my area. This experience taught me that even when you are silenced, you should never stop speaking up for what matters. Being a woman, this is something I am grateful for knowing. Young girls are taught to hide emotions because they are often considered irrational. I, however, believe that women are strong enough to, not only show our unhappiness, but have the courage to create a better world. My favorite line in my poem is “Your noise will distract and cause chaos, but chaos often leads to correction”. This remains true. From persevering through my adversity, I believe I now have the skills to face any challenge ahead of me. I will face each challenge with strength and the idea that my personal adversity is my chance to make the world a better place.

I am very fortunate in the fact that I have been nurtured in my love of reading from a very young age. I always had access to books and my reading education was continued at home in addition to school. My parents would read to me and I grew to fall in love with the worlds that the books took me into. It hardens my heart to know that young children in my very own community are unable to have access to books or have been unable to discover a love of reading. Therefore, I am very proud of Lexie’s Little Free Library. I placed this library in a local park in my hometown. I monitor the library to make sure there are always plenty of options for readers of all ages. I also run a social media account to update my followers on new books in the library. Overall, the goal of the library is to encourage people of all ages, but predominantly children, that reading is fun. When I go to the park to run or walk my dog, I often see community members come to the park just to use the library. It warms my heart to know that what I do brings joy to others. I feel it is important to share my personal love of reading with others. My parents helped fueled this love, but so did a very special teacher names Ms. Brennan. Ms. Brennan was my Kindergarten teacher and also the leader of my student book club. In addition, she ran a summer program called Readers Rock. This program took children’s books and made them come alive with games, activities, and crafts. After Ms. Brennan retired this year, I was honored to take on the program myself. I would not be the reader I am today if it had not been for her kindness and love of books that she shared with me. Therefore, in my future, I want to follow in her footsteps. It started this summer with Readers Rock, and I hope to also teach Kindergarten. Teaching is my passion and I cannot wait to continue to spread a love of reading to my students and to my community. A passion for service and helping the community is crucial to a position in education. Being a teacher means that you are the center of the community. It takes a village to raise a child, and a teacher plays a huge part in that village. I am thankful for all my experience in community service.

If I were to have my own Barbie Dream House it would look very similar to the one I used to play with while growing up. Starting with the ground floor, there would be a large master bathroom with a jacuzzi bathtub. Across from this, would be the living room with a fireplace and welcoming atmosphere. I would want the same purple polka dot couch that my Barbies would sit on. At christmas time, I would decorate my doll house with a tree limb as the Christmas Tree. My house would be just like this, perfect for a Christmas family gathering. When you go up to the next level, there would be a massive kitchen in which I could do all my cooking. Across from this, there would be a large dining area with a chandelier to light the whole room. When you go up another level, there is the master bedroom with a beautiful canopy bed. In the morning, when the sun slightly comes in through the drapes of the canopy, it casts a beautiful peace to start the day. Then, when you go out on the balcony from the bedroom, it is now evident where this dream house has been built. Ever since I was little, my family and I have taken summer camping trips to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. Every night, we would drive down the coast and look at all the large and beautiful houses next to the water. Therefore, there is no better location for my dream house than right on the coast. In addition to my perfect house in the perfect location, I would have to add fabulous additions to truly make it my dream home. I would want a large yard in which I could run around with my dog. I would also love to have a massive library or secret book nook. I would sit on my balcony to read on sunny days, and I would read in my library on rainy days. I would also love a Barbie style pool. Much of my childhood was spent playing with my Barbies. Every year on the last day of summer vacation, my mother would set up a Barbie pool in the backyard. She would send my sister and I to our rooms and then call us when she was ready. She would use anything from bowls to reusable ketchup containers to create a massive Barbie pool resort. To honor this childhood memory, my dream house would have a grand and beautiful pool. It would have a waterslide, tanning area, hot tub, and speakers so I could blast music at all of my Barbie parties. My biggest priority would be to share my dream house. If I am fortunate enough to have my dream house, my number one goal would be to fill it with the company of loved ones.

Throughout my entire life, leadership has been my calling in more ways than one. It started when I was in High School. I served as a captain for three of my varsity level sports teams, as well as Class president for 4 years. There are many jobs that a leader must be able to complete. These included the ability to recognize when something is wrong and needs to be fixed, the ability to talk and reason with those you are leading who have put their trust in you, and the ability to understand the perspectives of others. All of these lessons I learned in leadership came down to one word; empathy. Empathy is the key to being, not only an effective leader, but a person others will want to follow. Now, a student at Siena College, I am a member of the Student Activities and Leadership Development Team. As I continue on this leadership path, I continue to lead with empathy. Being a leader means that others are able to trust you and believe that you have their best interests at heart. For example, I want to be an elementary teacher once I graduate from college. In my experiences in the world of education so far, I have found that students give the best results when they can tell their teacher has a deep regard for them and cares about their well-being. The student does not want to let the teacher down because they know the teacher would not let them down. The same goes for people of any age. The key to leading is to make sure the people you are leading know that you have their backs. The world needs more women in leadership roles and I plan to be one of these women. I plan to teach, which I believe is one the strongest leadership roles out there. Teachers not only lead a classroom, but they also lead by example. Almost everyone can remember one teacher who had a positive influence. That influence continues to serve as a moral leader throughout entire lifetimes. In addition to this, I wish to lead in advocacy. By showing strength in leadership as a young female, I like to believe I am paving the way for other young girls who, I hope with all my heart, will do even more amazing things than I could ever imagine doing. Women carry an empathy in their heart. They hold the understanding of what it means to be suppressed. They look out for the poor, downdraught, and all minorities because they understand how it feels to be placed on the sidelines. I want to be a woman who leads the charge towards equity and inclusion for all with the best interest of each person carried in my heart. As Ruth Bader Ginsberg said, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you”.

There is one song in particular that stands out to me on the 1989 album. Although I love listening to the album as a whole, Out of the Woods stands out to me as one of Taylor Swift’s greatest lyrical masterpieces of all time. As a result, this song is one of my all time favorites. Some may argue that Out of the Woods is not one of her stronger lyrical pieces, as the chorus repeats the same two lines over and over again. I, however, believe this repetition is an exquisite asset as to what the song is truly about. The song represents what it feels like to be lost and looking to find your way in life. By constantly questioning “Are we out of the woods yet?” and “Are we in the clear yet?”, she shows the fear of someone who is lost and waiting for a scary part of their life to be over. It is a play on the time old “are we there yet?” question, and how we constantly ask it as we are anxious to arrive at our destination. To make the piece even stronger, the song is told in the past tense. Therefore, it is as if Swift has made it out and is telling her listeners to find the light at the end of the tunnel, making the line "when the sun came up" even more powerful. One particular line that stands out to me is when Swift says, “The rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming color”. I believe this line to be a personal connection to fans from Swift. She tells us that it is ok to be different because being normal is dull. During my freshman year of college, I was required to do a research project relating to Women and the Feminist Movement. I chose to research Swift and her methods of advocacy through her music. I found that one of the strongest ways she supports young women around the world is through the empathy in her music. In a line such as this, she gives a home to all other young fans who may feel out of place. Within my freshman year of college, I drew particularly close with Taylor Swift and her music. I was at a transitional age in my life, and this album was Swift’s transitional album from country to pop. My love of her music grew as I saw the vulnerability within it and the impact it had on other listeners and fans. I would listen to Out of the Woods in the shower, at the gym, and on my way to classes, asking myself the question, “Am I out of the woods yet?” as I struggled to find my way in a new place. I found inspiration in the powerful bridge and impactful lyrics of this song, and there is no doubt in my mind that Swift and this song had a huge hand in helping me find my own at College.