I want to live in a world where people are not afraid of their emotions. A world where speaking about anxiety, grief, depression, insecurity, or loneliness is not seen as weakness, but as an important part of being human. My goal is to use my education, creativity, and voice to help create that world. Whether I ultimately pursue psychology, musical theater, or a career that combines both, I want to be someone who speaks openly about societal issues and helps people feel less alone in facing their own struggles. Studying psychology and musical theater has shown me that, although they are very different fields, both are powerful ways of understanding and expressing emotion. Psychology allows me to study the mind, behavior, relationships, and experiences that shape who we are. It has taught me the importance of empathy and has made me more interested in understanding people rather than judging them. Musical theater gives me another way to explore those same emotions. Through acting, music, and storytelling, performers can communicate feelings that people may struggle to express themselves. Together, these areas of study have taught me that emotions deserve to be explored, expressed, and understood rather than hidden. I hope to use my education to become an advocate for emotional openness and mental health. I want to challenge the belief that people should hide what they are experiencing simply because society has decided that certain emotions are uncomfortable or unacceptable. I want to encourage conversations about mental health, empathy, creativity, and the pressures that affect people every day. I also want to remind people that vulnerability does not make them less capable or less deserving of respect. Sometimes, having the courage to admit that you are struggling is one of the strongest things a person can do. Even if my career does not directly involve psychology or performing, I want these values to remain central to the way I interact with others. I want to listen without judgment, speak up when something is wrong, and use whatever platform I have to help others feel heard. I hope to create spaces where people feel comfortable being honest about what they are experiencing and where asking for support is viewed as a strength rather than a failure. I am inspired by professionals in psychology who dedicate their careers to understanding and supporting others, but I am also inspired by artists who use their voices beyond their performances. Actors such as Mark Ruffalo have used their platforms to speak about social and environmental issues, while others, such as Emma Watson, have openly advocated for equality and social change. Their examples remind me that a person does not have to be limited by their profession. An actor can be an advocate, a psychologist can be an activist, and any individual can use their voice to create change. Ultimately, the impact I want to make is both simple and ambitious: I want people to feel safe being human. I want to help create communities where emotions are discussed rather than dismissed, where vulnerability is met with empathy rather than condemnation, and where speaking about personal struggles is recognized as courage. Through my education, my creativity, and my willingness to speak up, I hope to contribute to a future where people do not feel pressured to suffer in silence. If I can help even one person feel understood, accepted, or brave enough to ask for help, then I will know that I am using my education for something greater than myself.

When I take a moment to reflect on my life I realize that I have had various encounters with mental health that shifted the way I do certain things, think, and my values and beliefs. I'll give you some examples: In Middle School, I realized that things happen for a reason. I was trying to adjust and make sense of what occurred since I had to move when I was an 8-year-old. I have always loved talking to others which can be summed up to me being a yapper or in other words, an extrovert. That is when I started hearing, the phrase "The loudest person in the room, is possibly the most unhappy." I didn't know what that meant so I just kept moving with my day-to-day. But one day I realized I didn't like being the loudest person in the room. What I liked, was talking to my friends, I didn't need the attention of other people to be validated. I tied that back to when I moved here, I thought I needed to be the coolest, funniest kid in class so people would like me. Since I wasn't from Virginia, I didn't know the social norms and copied what others did. In reality, I didn't like myself or who I was. At the time, I didn't care about other people and realized that wasn't how to make friends. I started to listen and comprehend rather than talk without a point. I realized others went through the same thing and from that point on I knew, everybody was thinking about how to be liked, and who to be so the masses didn't hate them, so why should I? I became a caring person, who helped other people feel seen, rather than shutting them out. I had a theater director, Nancy Curtis. Over the next years, Curtis became more than a mentor; she was family when the middle of junior year came along. My friends and I had gotten close to her and her right-hand man, Zachary Kattwinkel, when one night, Kattwinkel told all of us students that Curtis had passed. None of us could believe it; we all thought she could live forever. She was someone we all looked forward to seeing. This was my first time losing someone that I held so close to my heart. I feel as though I am still grieving the heartache I felt when she passed, but I know that she would be proud of who I am and I tribute some of that to her. At the time, I realized I wasn't the only one grieving, and finally noticed that nobody goes through things alone. Over the years I've realized who I want to become: a Psychologist with a teenage focus. I realized I wanted to follow a career in which I could solve problems, listen to others, and help balance their mental health. I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My purpose can be seen as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is: a place people can go to when they need help or somebody to talk to. I enjoy knowing that my friends can come to me anytime, with any issue. To keep serving my purpose, I would love to become a psychologist and continue being a person people can look to when they feel they are in the dark. Everything I have gone through has morphed me into an insightful person. I aspire to be a haven for anybody seeking help, and those who don't even know they need help yet.

From a young age, I’ve been on stage in one form or another: dance, speeches, singing, acting, or presenting. However, dance has had the most influence on shaping who I am, both mentally and physically. I began taking dance lessons when I was three years old, and ever since, it has been my favorite method of expression. Dance has given me a voice, a way of communication that isn't synonymous with words, to express my thoughts and emotions. Mentally, dance has strengthened my character and shaped my mindset. The most valuable lesson I have learned is the need for discipline. Dance requires commitment and dedication, qualities that have transferred to every aspect of my life. For example, I attend a Legal Studies Academy and things get tough there because everybody wants to be the best. There have been times in our Mock Trial classes where it feels like dedication isn't enough, and that I feel like breaking down. Yet, I remember that through dance I couldn't simply quit halfway through a recital I had to continue not only because others were counting on me, but because I had to prove to myself that I could do it. Every routine I have learned, and every show I have put on, is a testament to the hard work I put into everything I do. It has taught me that when you want something, whether perfecting a dance move or landing a role in a play, you practice and fight for it. Also, dance has given me the ability to overcome stage fright. When I was younger I used to be super anxious for recitals and showcases. Now I do theater and don't get nervous before getting on stage. I've learned to channel my nervous energy into confidence. I now look to stepping into the spotlight, rather than running from it. I approach every performance with excitement and gratitude. Physically, the skills I’ve gotten through dance have allowed me to explore other performance areas, such as musical theater. Recently, I was cast as The Baker’s Wife in our school’s production of Into the Woods, a role that will require me to draw on the experience I had gained from previous stage performances, particularly my dance background. This role allows me to combine my love for dance with my passion for acting and singing, to create a performance that was as much about storytelling through movement as it was through words. Furthermore, dance has given me a sense of belonging. The stage has become my home over the years, a place where I feel comfortable and at ease. The more I danced, the more I felt at peace in front of an audience. I’ve come to realize that the stage isn’t just a place to perform; it’s a space where I can truly be myself, where my creativity can flow freely, and where I can connect with others through the art of performance. In conclusion, dance has been an essential part of my life and has shaped me into the person I am today. It has taught me invaluable life skills—discipline, resilience, and the power of self-expression. Dance has helped me become more confident, both in my abilities and in myself. It will continue to guide me as I grow and evolve, ensuring that I always have a way to express myself and believe in my potential, no matter where life takes me.

In Middle School, I realized that things happen for a reason. I have always loved talking to others which can be summed up to me being a yapper or in other words, an extrovert. Yet, around that time, I started hearing, the phrase "The loudest person in the room, is possibly the most unhappy." One day I realized, that might be true, because I didn't like being the loudest person in the room. I wanted to talk to my friends, I didn't need other people's attention to be validated, but for some reason, I believed I did. I tied that back to when I moved here, I thought I had to be the coolest, funniest kid in class so people would like me. Since I wasn't from Virginia, I didn't know the social norms and copied what others did. In reality, I didn't like myself or who I was. At the time, I didn't care about other people and realized that wasn't how to make friends. I started to listen and comprehend rather than talk without a point. I realized others went through the same thing and from that point on I knew, everybody was thinking about how to be liked, and who to be so the masses didn't hate them, so why should I? If everybody is so focused on themselves, why should I care what people think of me? I became a caring person, who helped other people feel seen, rather than shutting them out. I had a theater director, Nancy Curtis. Over the next years, Curtis became more than a mentor; she was family when the middle of junior year came along. My friends and I had gotten close to her and her right-hand man, Zachary Kattwinkel, when one night, Kattwinkel told all of us students that Curtis had passed. None of us could believe it; we all thought she could live forever. It hit our theater hard, and all of us loved her. Her funeral had many people from all over the country coming together to honor her lifetime, impact, and commitment. We may not have all known each other, but we all knew who we were and how much we cared for this one soul. The entire memorial was full, there was barely room to move around because of the amount of people. None of us could stop crying because she was light in a dark room. She was someone we all looked forward to seeing. At the time, I realized I wasn't the only one grieving, and I finally noticed that nobody goes through things alone. Everybody has gone through a struggle, and there is someone, somewhere, who has faced the same things as you. Over the years I have realized who I want to become: a Psychologist with a teenage focus. I realized I wanted to follow a career in which I could solve problems, listen to others, and mediate to find solutions. I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My purpose can be seen as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is: a place people can go to when they need help or somebody to talk to. I am always there for my friends and family, I tend to them and their needs. I enjoy knowing that my friends can come to me anytime, with any issue. To keep serving my purpose, I would love to become a psychologist and continue being a person people can look to when they feel they are in the dark.

When I was younger I watched a lot of TV, and I mean LOADS. When I stumbled across a TV show called 13 Reasons Why. This series kept me hooked for four seasons as it discussed multiple problems I could see in society, real life, every day at school, my friends, and acquaintances. We all go through different issues; we try to cope the best we can with real-life situations and to manage and walk through life trying to find the multiple reasons why things happen the way they do. The show did a great job exemplifying and featuring students from diverse backgrounds and interesting storylines, allowing you to understand why they do what they do. There are various ethnicities, sexualities, families, and personalities, shown throughout Thirteen Reasons Why's four seasons, having to do with the issues they face, such as adoption, unacceptance of self-identity, and self-harm/mental health issues. By watching the show you might see a bit of yourself, or even someone you know in the characters themselves. Every character and story could make the audience identify with them in different moments of their life. That is why I got into thinking about mental health, my own, my relatives, my peers, and everybody that I could think of. When I took a moment to reflect on my life I realized that I have had various encounters with mental health that shifted the way I do certain things, like think, and my values and beliefs. I'll give you some examples of what happened and how it shaped me: In Middle School, I realized that things happen for a reason. I was trying to adjust and make sense of what occurred since I had to move when I was an 8-year-old. I left my island (Puerto Rico), my family, and everything I knew to start a new journey in a new place where I felt like an outsider. After feeling lost, I began thinking about my future and past together. I have always loved talking to others which can be summed up to me being a yapper or in other words, an extrovert. That is when I started hearing, the phrase "The loudest person in the room, is possibly the most unhappy." I didn't know what that meant so I just kept moving with my day-to-day. But one day I realized I didn't like being the loudest person in the room. What I liked, was talking to my friends, I didn't need the attention of other people to be validated. I tied that back to when I moved here, I thought I needed to be the coolest, funniest kid in class so people would like me. Since I wasn't from Virginia, I didn't know the social norms and copied what others did. In reality, I didn't like myself or who I was. At the time, I didn't care about other people and realized that wasn't how to make friends. I started to listen and comprehend rather than talk without a point. I realized others went through the same thing and from that point on I knew, everybody was thinking about how to be liked, and who to be so the masses didn't hate them, so why should I? If everybody is so focused on themselves, why should I care what people think of me? I became a caring person, who helped other people feel seen, rather than shutting them out. I had a theater director, Nancy Curtis. Over the next years, Curtis became more than a mentor; she was family when the middle of junior year came along. My friends and I had gotten close to her and her right-hand man, Zachary Kattwinkel, when one night, Kattwinkel told all of us students that Curtis had passed. None of us could believe it; we all thought she could live forever. It hit our theater hard, and all of us loved her. Her funeral had many people from all over the country coming together to honor her lifetime, impact, and commitment. We may not have all known each other, but we all knew who we were and how much we cared for this one soul. The entire memorial was full, there was barely room to move around because of the amount of people. None of us could stop crying because she was light in a dark room. She was someone we all looked forward to seeing. This was my first time losing someone that I held so close to my heart. I feel as though I am still grieving the heartache I felt when she passed, but I know that she would be proud of who I am and I tribute some of that to her. At the time, I realized I wasn't the only one grieving, and finally noticed that nobody goes through things alone. Everybody has gone through a struggle, and there is someone, somewhere, who has faced the same things as you. Over the years I have realized who I want to become: a Psychologist with a teenage focus. I realized I wanted to follow a career in which I could solve problems, listen to others, and mediate to find solutions. I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My purpose can be seen as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is: a place people can go to when they need help or somebody to talk to. I am always there for my friends and family, I tend to them and their needs. I enjoy knowing that my friends can come to me anytime, with any issue. To keep serving my purpose, I would love to become a psychologist and continue being a person people can look to when they feel they are in the dark. Everything I have gone through has morphed me into an insightful person, or so I have been told. I aspire to be a haven for anybody seeking help, and those who don't even know they need help yet.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better?" When everyone talks about this woman, their first memory always starts with "a cold hand grabbed my shoulder." She was a feisty woman who was more than dedicated to her career, students, friends, and family. But more than anything, she cared about everyone she ever met and left an impact on everybody in our community. The woman I am talking about is Nancy Curtis (Curtis); her career went on for well over 40 years, and with that, she became an icon throughout Virginia Beach and the entire theater community. Curtis had lost her son a couple of months before I joined the school, and even though that is something excruciating to bear, she continued to fight and work in the same place that he loved just as much as she did. She continued to push through to inspire others in the theater community. To me, she was the person I looked up to the most, a mentor, she got me into what I am extremely passionate about, theater. She said, "You look like you'll be one of my kids. Come to the theater; you're going to find yourself here." Initially hesitant, I eventually attended a few productions and found myself drawn to the magic of the stage. So, when the musical came around, I sat at auditions waiting for Curtis to call my name. I got a role as a specialty dancer in the show, I thought "My dancing impressed her!" The next thing I knew I was in every dance in the show, dancing with the leads, and singing along because she believed in me. Over the next years, Curtis became more than a mentor; she was family when the middle of junior year came along. My friends and I had gotten close to her and her right-hand man, Zachary Kattwinkel, when one night, Kattwinkel told all of us students that Curtis had passed. None of us could believe it; we all thought she could live forever. It hit our theater hard; all of us loved her. Her funeral had many people from all over the country coming together to honor her lifetime, impact, and commitment. We may not have all known each other, but there we all knew who we were and how much we all cared for this one soul. The entire memorial was full, there was barely room to move around because of the amount of people. Those who couldn't make it all tapped into a live stream. Curtis didn't want a normal funeral even in death she was quirky and theatrical. Her funeral had a man sing the song "For Good," from Wicked, where the quotes at the beginning and the end come from. Her loss caused me to fight for everything in my life and I vowed to honor her memory by living a life of purpose. She is why I love Wicked, she showed me how to change for the better. I watched the movie and was crying the entire time because of her. Before she came into my life, I felt like Elphaba: judged, in the wrong environment, and not fulfilling my full potential. Curtis unleashed my full potential. I am confident, in the right environment, and always reaching to fulfill my potential. When I heard "For Good" at her funeral, I realized she and I embodied the song. She will always be my Galinda. She is why I am a huge fan of Wicked. "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

All things hold wonders; sometimes said things have a creativity factor that molds them into the greatest version they can be. Books are one of these items; they are so beautiful and full of curiosities, yet they all have an underlying meaning about various aspects of society. From reading books, I have learned that there are many parts of society that I have yet to learn about and discover. Such as society's morals and economic adversities in The Hunger Games. The Maze Runner's underlying symbolism about community and the government's role. This inspired me to be a psychologist, to continue understanding how individuals work in society and how society impacts the development of each person. Books like Harry Potter keep my imagination and creativity alive and teach me how we divide our society into groups based on their qualities and that not everybody has the same intentions. Each house separates people into their "main attributes," yet when reading the books, it is not hard to tell that each character has a bit of every house within them. This factor represents that even though some people may come from different places, have certain beliefs/values, and have economic statuses, there are still ways in which we as humans are similar. In these books and others that I have enjoyed reading, I have continued developing my other passion, understanding how humans interact among themselves, form groups, and try to support each other through different situations or even through their differences. Understanding that everybody is different but can bring great qualities or skills to our society is something that I want to work with when I am older. Reading these books, I have learned that people can change/learn from their mistakes, and I want to help them. As a psychologist, I can be part of these changes. I can help people sort out their issues and make them realize that they are not alone, no matter what they go through. Everybody is different, but many people have similar problems and attributes. Friendship is another aspect that these books emphasize. I enjoy reading how in books like in real life friends are a good support system to handle daily life stressors. Also, most of the time our friends are the people who need your help the most. I love it when my friends lean on me for help or advice, it shows that they know they can confide in me. I like to think that I am a good listener and am good at giving advice when people need it. Like in the books, the main characters lost loved ones I have experienced the loss of friends due to mental health or lack of acceptance, seen friends struggle with anxiety and low self-esteem, and even at a young age witnessed others struggle with addiction and other issues that are affecting my generation. As a Psychologist, I would help people who struggle with these problems and need someone to support them through difficult times. Eventually, everybody needs a helping hand, that is what I am for my friends, and that is what I want to continue to be. I believe that books are a great way to understand what is going on in our life, and our society, and how to portray the changes in time. I have read tons of books and they have all influenced me to want to learn more about how our society impacts us and how the human mind works.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better?" When everyone talks about this woman, their first memory always starts with "a cold hand grabbed my shoulder." She was a feisty woman who was more than dedicated to her career, students, friends, and family. But more than anything, she cared about everyone she ever met and left an impact on everybody in our community. The woman I am talking about is Nancy Curtis (Curtis); her career went on for well over 40 years, and with that, she became an icon throughout Virginia Beach and the entire theater community. She had lost her son a couple of months before I joined the school, and even though that is something extremely painful to bear, she continued to fight and work in the same place that he loved just as much as she did. She continued to push through to inspire others in the theater community. To me, she was the person I looked up to the most, a mentor, she got me into what I am extremely passionate about, theater. I first encountered Curtis during my freshman year of high school. Leaving chorus class one day, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Curtis with a tight smile, telling me, "You look like you're going to be one of my kids. Come to the theater; you're going to find yourself here." Initially hesitant, I eventually attended a few productions and found myself drawn to the magic of the stage. Every time I went I would make eye contact with Curtis and throw her a nice smile. So when the musical came around, I sat at auditions waiting for Curtis to call my name. I thought there would be no chance of me getting cast into the show since I only auditioned to be a featured dancer. But the cast list was released and I got a role as a specialty dancer in the show, I thought "My dancing impressed her!" The next thing I knew I was in every dance in the show, dancing with the leads, and singing along because she believed in me. Over the next years, Curtis became more than a mentor; she was family; when the middle of junior year came along. My friends and I had gotten close to her and her right-hand man, Zachary Kattwinkel, when one night Kattwinkel told all of us students, that Curtis had passed. None of us could believe it, we all thought she could live forever, it hit our theater hard all of us loved her. Her funeral had so many people from all over the country coming together to honor her lifetime, her impact, and her commitment. We may not have all known each other, but there we all knew who we were and how much we all cared for this one soul. The entire memorial was full, there was barely room to move around because of the amount of people. Those who couldn't make it all tapped into a livestream. Curtis didn't want a normal funeral even in death she was quirky and theatrical. Her funeral had a man sing the song "For Good," from Wicked, where the quotes at the beginning and the end come from. Her loss, caused me to fight for everything in my life and I vowed to honor her memory by living a life of purpose. I decided to pursue a career in psychology, inspired by Curtis's compassion and ability to uplift others. I want to help people navigate grief and find resilience, just as Curtis had helped me. Even when she went through a great loss, she still managed to encourage others, I want to do the same. I want to make her proud, and to accomplish that I need to stay committed to my theater troop and be a person everyone in that troupe can go to when they need advice or help. She inspired me to be a better, more caring person and I now fight for everyone in my life to know that. I apply to every scholarship and program that I can. I try to defeat all odds because of her, I even got accepted into Regent University's early college program, even when I was too young for their usual students. They saw my academic profile, which I had been working to perfect for as long as I can remember, and allowed me in. Curtis's belief in me continues to drive my ambitions. I aim to excel in theater not only for personal achievement but also to carry forward Curtis's legacy of inspiration and mentorship. Every role I get and every challenge I overcome is a tribute to her influence in my life. "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

You need to think about your future, I made my choices! Now is your turn! You need to complete scholarships because I can't afford another student loan! I hear constantly my mom telling me this like a song constantly on repeat. Since I was born, it has been only my Mom and me. She is my rock, my support, the one who knows everything about me. She is my favorite person and the one I don't want to ever let down. I grew up in a small town in Puerto Rico with a single mother who happened to be a Psychologist. She is the kindest, most independent woman I know. My mom was always a 4.0+ GPA student; she maintained straight A's even when she needed to care for her younger siblings and grandparents. She lived in Puerto Rico, went to an internship in Miami, and returned to the island to make a living. Then she had me and realized she wanted to give me a better life than she had and wanted me to have the opportunities she never thought were feasible. However, being a single mom with 3 jobs where the economic situation didn't improve even having a degree on your pocket was not easy. When I was 8 years old, she got a job opportunity in Virginia that she couldn't resist. So, she made the hard decision of leaving me with my grandmother in Puerto Rico and creating a home for us in Virginia. After a year, I moved there to be with my mom, just her and I. We had no family other than each other and still don't; because of that, we are very close and tell each other everything. I left everything behind and needed to adjust to a new place, a new culture and a new language but again she was always there for me. My mom sat everyday with me to study and review my material so I could learn and understand my classes. I aspire to become like her in the future; I want to go to college, maintain a 4.0, and become successful. I want to follow her example and be an impact on my community as she has been helping others. I want to become a psychologist where I can help others to adjust to changes, solve problems and understand that they are not alone and there are resources and people who can help them in their darker or difficult moments like my mom did for me. Every month, I see my mom paying her student loans, and they don't seem to come down. I want to go to college, fulfill my professional goals, make Mom proud and get a career without the constant feeling of debt on my back, this scholarship will help me to achieve that dream. Because of my mom's efforts, I don't want to let her down. I do my best in and out of school to show her that I appreciate all the sacrifices she did for me. Everything I have done is to get into a good college, although that doesn't mean I don't enjoy what I do. I love staying busy and knowing that I learn new skills and strengths for my future that will help me to understand others and their experiences, whether that is Girl Scouts, BGCA, 4H, Leadership Counselor, NHS or Community Service. I want to continue doing these things in the future without worrying over $100k+ loans. Everything I have done in my life is influenced by my mother, and I want to keep making her proud.

I'm a dreamer; I always think outside the box and set expectations higher than Mount Everest. But I've also been a realist, I know not everything is going to be handed to me on a silver platter, and that's the reason why I try all the time to excel in everything I do. I always try to show my potential and learn from all the experiences life presents to me. I want to live a life full of adventure and excitement, but I also want to create impact in what I do. I want to graduate from college and become a Forensic or Clinical Psychologist who helps others to reach their potential, learned how to cope with life stressors and have a balanced life. If there is one goal I have, it's to make my mom proud because she's my best friend. My mom was always a 4.0+ GPA student; she maintained straight A's even when she needed to care for her siblings. She always supports me and wanted me to have opportunities she never had. My main goal is to not take her efforts for granted; therefore, I need to work just as arduously, if not more. When I began High School, I realized I wanted to follow a career where I could solve problems, listen to others, and create solutions. A career where I can create an impact on my community using my experiences, and strengths. My new dream was to support others so they could find ways to adjust and feel there are resources, that there are people who want to help them and be there in their dark moments. I want to provide others with tools and the sense that they are not lost, broken or alone as once I felt when I needed to start over. I started taking classes and joined the Legal Academy to prepare myself for my envisioned future. I learned about law, psychology, cultures, and languages. I speak English and Spanish, and I am currently improving my French. Knowing different languages allows me to reach more people. I have joined clubs and leadership programs to continue increasing my skills to be able to understand more how to help others in different scenarios and how to create more rapport with how people experience and perceive the events on their life. I find happiness in creating good relationships or good impact in others. This is the main reason why I would like to pursue a career as a psychologist which I would like to combine with Forensics. As a part of my community, I see my purpose as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is being a place people can go to when they need help and understanding why improving mental health is an important issue that need to be address. Being able to improve mental health in our society is achieving my professional passion. To me, that is what being a good person, a good professional, and a stellar part of society is. I want to continue working on helping our generation and the future ones in finding healthy balance in their life so they can continue helping in the progress of our society.

I'm a dreamer; I always think outside the box and set expectations higher than Mount Everest. But I've also been a realist, I know not everything is going to be handed to me on a silver platter, and that's the reason why I try all the time to excel in everything I do. I always try to show my potential and learn from all the experiences life presents to me. I want to live a life full of adventure and excitement, but I also want to create impact in what I do. I want to graduate from college and become a Psychologist who helps others to reach their potential, learned how to cope with life stressors and have a balanced life. If there is one goal I have, it's to make my mom proud because she's my best friend. My mom was always a 4.0+ GPA student; she maintained straight A's even when she needed to care for her siblings. She always supports me and wanted me to have opportunities she never had. My main goal is to not take her efforts for granted; therefore, I need to work just as arduously, if not more. When I began High School, I realized I wanted to follow a career where I could solve problems, listen to others, and create solutions. A career where I can create an impact on my community using my experiences, and strengths. My new dream was to support others so they could find ways to adjust and feel there are resources, that there are people who want to help them and be there in their dark moments. I want to provide others with tools and the sense that they are not lost, broken or alone as once I felt when I needed to start over. I started taking classes and joined the Legal Academy to prepare myself for my envisioned future. I learned about law, psychology, cultures, and languages. I speak English and Spanish, and I am currently improving my French. Knowing different languages allows me to reach more people. I have joined clubs and leadership programs to continue increasing my skills to be able to understand more how to help others in different scenarios and how to create more rapport with how people experience and perceive the events on their life. I find happiness in creating good relationships or good impact in others. This is the main reason why I would like to pursue a career as a psychologist which I would like to combine with Forensics. As a part of my community, I see my purpose as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is being a place people can go to when they need help and understanding why improving mental health is an important issue that need to be address. Being able to improve mental health in our society is achieving my professional passion. To me, that is what being a good person, a good professional, and a stellar part of society is.

I'm a dreamer; I always think outside the box and set expectations higher than Mount Everest. But, I've also been a realist, I know not everything is going to be handed to me on a silver platter, and that's the reason why I try all the time to work hard and excel in my studies and all my activities. I do my best to show my potential and learn from all the experiences life presents to me. I want to live a life full of adventure and excitement, but I also have academic dreams. I want to graduate from college and become a person who helps others to reach their potential through counseling and Psychology. If there is one goal I have, it's to make my mom proud because she's my best friend. My mom was always a 4.0+ GPA student; she maintained straight A's even when she needed to care for her younger siblings. She lived in Puerto Rico, went to an internship in Miami, FL, and returned to the island to make a living. Then she had me and realized she wanted to give me a better life than she had and wanted me to have the opportunities she never thought were feasible. My main goal is to not take her efforts for granted; therefore, I need to work just as arduously, if not more. When I began High School, I realized I wanted to follow a career where I could solve problems, listen to others, and mediate to find solutions, I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My new dream was to help and support others so they could find ways to adjust and feel there is a support system and not feel as lost as I thought. I started taking classes and joined the Legal Academy to prepare myself for my envisioned future. Learning about law, psychology, cultures, and languages is my passion. I speak English and Spanish, and I am currently improving my French. Knowing different languages allows me to reach more people. Establishing close relationships with my friends and family has helped me create a support system where I have learned leadership and social skills used in my daily interactions which I would like to continue developing as a professional. I find happiness in helping and creating good relationships with others. This is the main reason why I would like to pursue a career as a Psychologist which I would like to combine with Forensics. Currently, I'm doing an internship at a Law Firm learning about Family Law to continue exploring other areas. As a part of my community, I see my purpose as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is being a place people can go to when they need help or somebody to talk to. I believe that I am in life to be able to help everyone around me, physically and mentally. I love taking care of my friends and family, being there for them, listening to their issues, and providing them with helpful advice. To me, that’s what being a good person, a good friend, and a stellar part of society is. I am always there for my friends and family, I tend to them and their needs. I enjoy knowing that my friends know they can come to me at any point in time, with any issue that they have. As a way to keep serving my purpose, I would like to become a Psychologist in the future to help others and continue providing support to improve mental health in our society.

Pain is real, but suffering is optional. Failure is the first step to success if we learn from it. Life is about the journey, not the destination. Healing doesn't mean pain never existed it means we learned to cope with the events that caused it. These phrases are often heard when individuals attempt to motivate, inspire, or offer support to others. I want to be part of those who believe we can help others achieve their potential and improve their future. It was in Middle School I realized that things happen for a reason. I was trying to adjust and make sense of all that happened since I had to move when I was an 8-year-old. I left my island, my family, and everything I knew to start a new journey in a new place where I felt like an outsider. After all that time feeling lost, I began to think about my future. I realized I wanted to follow a career in which I could solve problems, listen to others, and mediate to find solutions. Where I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My new dream was to help and support others so they could find ways to adjust and feel there is a support system and not feel as lost as I felt when I needed to start over. I started taking classes and joined the Legal Academy to prepare myself for my envisioned future. Learning about law, psychology, cultures, and languages became my passion. I speak English and Spanish, and I am currently improving my French. Knowing different languages allows me to reach more people. Establishing close relationships with my friends and family has helped me create a support system where I have learned leadership and social skills used in my daily interactions which I would like to continue developing as a professional. I find happiness in helping and creating good relationships with others. This is the main reason why I would like to pursue a career as a Psychologist which I would like to combine with Forensics. Currently, I'm interning at a Law Firm learning about Family Law to continue exploring other areas. As a part of my community, my purpose can be seen as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is being a place people can go to when they need help or somebody to talk to. I believe that I was put where I am in life to be able to help everyone around me, physically and mentally. I love taking care of my friends and family, being there for them, listening to their issues, and providing them with helpful advice. To me, that’s what being a good person, a good friend, and a stellar part of society is. I enjoy knowing that my friends know they can come to me at any point in time, with any issue that they have. In pursuit of fulfilling my purpose, I aspire to become a psychologist in the future, aiming to assist not just my friends and family, but everyone I possibly can. I want to show others that no matter where you come from, if you set goals, think positively, establish goals, and use your resources wisely you can succeed. I want to guide those who feel lost or like they don't belong, because there is always a place to be yourself.

Every day, we hear about superheroes, wizards, and all these fictional characters who accomplish these great things because of magic or superpowers. The average person doesn't have all of these abilities/powers, yet they can still become successful in their ways. A businessperson sees success as getting a company or person to sign a money-making contract, artists see success as the crowd singing all the words to their song when they are on stage, and a student sees success as getting straight A's in school and graduating. Everybody and everything has a different definition of success, whether you are rich, poor, old, or young. Success is not only achieving your goals and completing all the tasks or dreams you establish throughout your life, but also learning how to stand up, move on, or start over when things don't go your way. It's using the knowledge we have and the experiences we accumulate to start new goals and change direction when needed. To me, success is not a simple object; it is a feeling of accomplishment and security. When success hits, it feels like being happy, satisfied, and proud of yourself. I partake in a lot of activities in my day-to-day life, and sometimes they get stressful, and I am unsure if I will be successful when it comes to them. However, no matter how stressful they get, I never quit, I continue my attempts until success comes my way. There was this specific instance when I was at the beginning of my junior year, I was cast as one of the biggest parts in my school play, it was an amazing experience. Even though it was an insane experience it was extremely overwhelming, I often thought that I wouldn't be able to memorize everything that I needed in time. There was one monologue that, for some reason, wouldn't stick in my head and because of that, my stage manager yelled at me two weeks before the show. I started to feel like I was failing. But I remember that part of success is learning to fail and try over and over until you make it happen. Because only will be a failure if you stop trying. So I took a step back, breathed, and focused on my biggest desire at that moment, proving to myself that I could do it. I reviewed my lines, asked for support from the people who love me, and reinvented the way I was doing things. Finally, I was able to memorize all of my lines and feel secure that I was doing my best effort in time for the show. When the opening night ended, I had the feeling of success, because I knew that I had achieved my goal; the thing that I had been working towards, I felt satisfied with myself and ecstatic. This experience taught me that sometimes we get anxious or frustrated and see success as something impossible to achieve or something unattainable, but by trusting in ourselves, using our skills, and pushing through we can make it happen and grow into who we want to become. I have a long journey ahead of me, if I don't accomplish it, I will never have that full feeling of success. One of my goals in life is not to have debt on my shoulders after University. I am grateful for the fact that I have the opportunity to win this scholarship, and I would be ten times as grateful if this scholarship was something I could put towards my schooling. The feeling of success from winning a scholarship would be thrilling, and I would be over the moon to know that I can focus on my career and enjoy my new stage of life after graduation from high school without the constant fear or concern of trying to find money to pay for my education. I want to succeed myself without being a financial burden to my mom. I firmly believe that part of success is being independent and working toward my goals. However, with the high cost of education, the pressure of adjusting to adulthood, and trying to be a well-rounded professional, I fear that might not be possible unless this scholarship allows me to have that feeling of security and success.

"Will I ever be more than I've always been?" A quote from the movie/musical Dear Evan Hansen. A movie that has changed my life in unimaginable ways, it has changed the career I want, my actions toward others, and how I see everyone around me. Dear Evan Hansen is a movie/musical about a high school boy who has social anxiety. He goes to school and only has one "family friend," other than that he doesn't talk to many people. He then bumps into this guy named Connor Murphy, Zoe Murphy's brother (Evans' crush), and Connor signs his cast and takes a note Evan wrote to himself. Ultimately Connor ends up taking his own life and the only thing he has near him is the note labeled "Dear Evan Hansen". Connor's parents find the note and think that Connor and Evan are best friends, and since Evan doesn't want to let anyone down, he pretends like it is true. After a while, Evan is in too deep, and there's even a foundation under Connor's name to raise suicide awareness launched by Evan and people who barely even knew Connor. At the end of the movie, Evan owns up to all of his mistakes and realizes his actions were wrong. I strongly believe this movie inspired me in many ways because it portrays the importance of mental health. It showed the amount of mental health issues that go unseen in a person's day-to-day life. Evan had social anxiety, and Connor had depression and anger management issues. There is a song in the movie titled "You Will Be Found," and it is all about how someone will always be there for you even at your lowest. It also talks about how some people although they look fine, have issues of their own, and that it is important to check in on them. I love taking care of my friends and family, being there for them, listening to their issues, and providing them with helpful advice. I am always aware of people around me and their struggles. I tend to them and their needs, as I enjoy knowing that my friends can come to me at any time with any issue. I want to become a psychologist in the future to continue helping others and serve my community. Last summer our school theater group, a group that I am always engaged in, lost someone very special to us. She was an inspiration and always had analogies to give, but she ended up taking her own life. Just like in Dear Evan Hansen, the school didn't do anything. They didn't talk about her passing or address it with the students whom it had affected, they had no real help when it came to coping. I want to be what Evan Hansen, Connor Murphy, and my friends needed. Nowadays, I walk around school thinking of everyone around me and how my deeds can affect their actions. I want everybody I know to realize that everyone else around them also has their battles to fight. If someone does have battles or concerns, I want them to know that I will always be there to help or listen when they need to talk. "Even when the dark comes crashing through, when you need someone to carry you, when you're broken on the ground, you will be found."

"Out of the old, I've gotta find my way into the new, give anything it takes." I have always related to this song by Olivia Rodrigo because my life was simple until 2015 when I had to move to the States far away from home. I needed to say goodbye to the life I knew and move to Virginia. Starting in a new place, with a new language and environment where I felt like I didn't belong, was a real struggle at eight years old. I worked hard to learn the language (English) and have kept my grades up to make my Mom proud. I started to join clubs, for example, Choir, as I love singing, and with songs, learning English became significantly easier. My life started to make sense again, when I realized that I wanted to follow a career where I could help others, fit in, solve problems, and mediate to find solutions. Somewhere I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My dream is to support others so they can find ways to adjust and not feel as lost as I felt. I started to take classes and joined the Legal Studies Academy in my city to prepare myself for the future I envisioned. I have learned about law, psychology, cultures, and languages. I have worked through my entire life trying to be eligible for scholarships. I have been keeping stellar grades, collecting over 200 community service hours solely in high school, and joining multitudes of honor societies for honor, theater, etc. It is hard to keep motivated, filling out scholarship after scholarship and ultimately not winning it because of the tough competition. This scholarship would help take some stress off of my chest. I don't want to have huge amounts of debt. I have big aspirations, and I constantly worry about how I'll pay for college to go into my dream career. I'm a dreamer; I always think outside the box and set expectations higher than Mount Everest. But, I've also been a realist, I know not everything is going to be handed to me on a silver platter, and that's the reason why I try all the time to work hard and excel in my studies and all my activities. I do my best to show my potential and learn from all the experiences life presents to me. I want to live a life full of adventure and excitement, but I also have academic dreams. I want to graduate from college and become a person who helps others to reach their potential through counseling and Psychology. As a part of my community, I see my purpose as multiple objectives, but I believe the biggest one is being a place people can go to when they need help or somebody to talk to. I believe that I am in life to be able to help everyone around me, physically and mentally. I love taking care of my friends and family, being there for them, listening to their issues, and providing them with helpful advice. To me, that’s what being a good person, a good friend, and a stellar part of society is. I am always there for my friends and family, I tend to them and their needs. I enjoy knowing that my friends know they can come to me at any point in time, with any issue that they have. As a way to keep serving my purpose, I would like to become a psychologist in the future to help, not only my friends and family but everybody that I can.

I was born on the east coast in a small town on the island of Puerto Rico. The view of the ocean peaking through my bedroom window and roosters waking me up each morning was a dream. The sound of the daily news on my grandma's old television and the smell of coffee flowing through the air was a normal routine. Life was simple up until 2015 when I had to move to the States, far away from my family, my friends, and even my dog. I needed to say goodbye to the life I knew and move to Virginia. A new place, a new language, a new environment where I started to feel that I didn't fit in. However, my life started to make sense again in Middle School when I began to think about my future. I started to talk in class about careers and the future. I realized that I wanted to follow a career in which I could solve problems, listen to others, and mediate to find solutions. Where I could use my experiences, skills, and strengths to help my community. My new dream was to help and support others so they could find ways to adjust and feel there is a support system and not feel as lost as I felt. I started to take classes and joined the Legal Academy to prepare myself for the future I envisioned. Learning about law, psychology, cultures, and languages is my passion. I speak English and Spanish, and I am currently improving my French. Knowing different languages allows me to reach more people. Establishing close relationships with my friends and family has helped me create a support system where I have learned leadership and social skills used in my daily interactions which I would like to continue developing as a professional. I find happiness in helping and creating good relationships with others. This is the main reason why I would like to pursue a career as a Psychologist which I would like to combine with Forensics. Currently, I'm doing an internship at a Law Firm learning about Family Law to continue exploring other areas and I'm applying for the FBI Junior Summer Program. I have a good school-life balance, I do so many things on a day-to-day. The truth is I love staying busy, I usually don't get home until late, yet all of my friends and family know that they can count on me to be there when they need me, and my teachers know that my work will be done on time and properly. However, I always worry about how to pay for my career dream. Every month, I see my mom paying her student loans, and they don't seem to come down. I want to go to college and enjoy it, get a career, and have time to continue enjoying my hobbies without the constant feeling of debt on my back. I do my best in school and extracurriculars to be eligible for as many scholarships as possible. I have never allowed my grades to get below an A. Everything I have done in and out of school is to try to get into a good college, without debt in a career that I love and care for. I love staying busy and knowing that while I'm enjoying myself and what I am doing, whether that is Academics, Hobbies, or Community Service. I want to continue doing these things in the future without worrying over $100k loans. This scholarship will help me to continue moving forward toward my dreams without the burden of never-ending loans.

"We can get better. We can do better. But we still live in a world that is out to break us anyway it can." - Clay Jensen, Thirteen Reasons Why. This show portrays various aspects of someone's life, both the good and bad parts. There is drama, there is peace, there is mystery and crime, and every season has something new that will draw you in. The narrative is also uniquely formatted in the sense that it goes back and forth from the present and to the past of characters and their storylines. This technique makes the story interesting and enjoyable while learning valuable information while flipping back and forth through the timelines in the episodes. Thirteen Reasons Why is a must-watch show because it presents complex issues that are relevant to a teenager's everyday life. Every episode raises awareness of things such as mental health, bullying, and suicide. It exemplifies the way one person's words or actions can affect somebody else in the long run. The story starts with a girl who took her life because of everything she was put through during school because of teachers, friends, and our current society's overall expectations. This show spoke to me because I have had a person I looked up to take their own life recently and seeing how people reacted in that situation on TV allowed me to realize that no one is alone, others have gone through the same devastating situation. Watching Thirteen Reasons Why could help you, the viewer, understand and even empathize with others facing similar challenges in your real life. Each season focuses on the main character Clay Jensen, trying to understand people, their stage of mind, and how they perceive the events by giving the benefit of the doubt and the feeling of empathy and logistics. As well as exemplifying and featuring students from diverse backgrounds and interesting storylines, allowing you to understand why they do what they do. There are various ethnicities, sexualities, families, and personalities, shown throughout Thirteen Reasons Why's four seasons, having to do with the issues they face, such as adoption, unacceptance of self-identity, and self-harm/mental health issues. By watching the show you might see a bit of yourself, or even someone you know in the characters themselves. Every character and story could make the audience identify with them in different moments of their life. This series kept me hooked for four seasons as it discussed multiple problems that I could see in society, real life, every day at school, in my friends, and acquaintances. How we all go through different problems, how we try to cope the best we can with real-life situations, and how we try to manage and walk through life trying to find the multiple reasons why things happen the way they do. Watching Thirteen Reasons Why is a great starter for conversations with your family, friends, classmates, or even therapist. There are so many subjects that we neglect to talk about, that if they were shown more, it would get people to feel more prone to talk about it. This can create a more supportive community for everyone, by having an example of how complex human relationships, and how important it is to understand empathy, kindness, and having a support system.

Leaves start to change color, fall and the cold breeze starts to blow making everything feel different. So of course the need for something warm comes to mind and the fall flavors start showing in stores, filling the air with my favorite smell, Pumpkin Spice. I enjoy the trip to Starbucks in the morning to ask for my Pumpkin Spice Latte with Oatmilk. The smell of pumpkin mixed with cinnamon makes an aroma that serves as nostalgia for the holiday season. It makes me think of special moments with my friends and family, as well as my favorite memories of the fall season. When the smell arrives it brings back all the good memories of past gatherings, beautiful natural landscapes, and the beginning of the holiday spirit and season. Pumpkin Spice is like getting a nice warm hug from the fall season, to me the flavor would connotate with the words comfort and cozy. I always look forward to seeing the Starbucks ads about their holiday/fall flavors because they show me that my favorite season is starting. I love the fall, the earth tones are my favorite way to see the world because they are a sign of renaissance. The leaves fall just to build themselves back up in the spring, making the world full of color after being neutral tones for a couple of months. As soon as the fall season starts, I love waking up in the mornings because my friends and I, or my mom and I, drive to Starbucks before school. We all sit and enjoy a conversation, after ordering our drinks and the occasional breakfast treat or sandwich. It makes a perfect start to my day walking through the school doors with my favorite coffee flavor with me. Once you have your coffee at school it releases a chain effect, everybody wants to know what flavor it is, what customizations it has, and if they can try some. Usually, I don't allow people to have a sip of my coffee for sanitary reasons, but especially not my favorite flavor which usually only comes during the fall. With my coffee in hand, I start my day knowing is going to be a good one. I love earth tones and my wardrobe is full of them, but especially during fall, I believe those colors harmonize more with nature. It's like a complete experience for me, getting dressed with my favorite combinations, getting outside and looking around the gorgeous landscape, and starting my long day routine drinking the most delicious flavor of coffee my Pumpkin Latte inspired by the most gorgeous season.

Finding myself in a supernatural emergency, I would like to have people who share and strengthen the traits and skills that I possess but also complement the ones I don't have by my side. I would choose Dustin Henderson, as he is a guy who wants to know everything in order to help and protect the people around him even if they aren't his closest friends. He does this because he is the kind of person he wishes everybody else was. Dustin is level-headed and is usually able to see both sides of the story before trying to deal with a situation. That is a trait that is needed when picking a good team to fight supernatural threats. Wisdom is another attribute shown by Dustin throughout the series, he builds equipment, for example, Cerebro, a ham radio Dustin built to communicate with people in their town, Hawkins, all the way to people in Salt Lake City. With his wisdom he is also able to notice things that other people don't, for example, he intercepted a Russian transmission and was resourceful enough to find the people he knew could help him translate. Speaking of finding the people he knew could help him, Dustin is well-liked by intelligent people; you always need someone on your team who has connections to others. Dustin Henderson has wisdom, intelligence, and social skills, that can help when facing a dangerous situation. Dustin sees the good in others and values the potential others bring to unique situations. What is more effective to use/receive help from when battling a supernatural being, than a supernatural being itself? The second person I would pick would have to be Eleven, because she would do anything to protect her friends, and has abilities that no other person has. More specifically, Eleven has psychokinetic abilities, such as telekinesis and telepathy. Telekinesis and levitation are useful because they allow her to manipulate objects to pick them up and throw them at the beings. Throughout the time she has been fighting the supernatural she has been able to use telepathy to locate and communicate with her target, which is helpful in order to stay one step ahead of your enemy. Although, even with all of her powers being taken into account, Eleven's biggest attribute is that she is the most loyal person ever, she will do anything to save her friends, even if it means sacrificing herself. The last person I would pick for my squad would be Steve "Mom" Harrington, because of his dedication to keeping his friends safe, and his athleticism. Even though he isn't the smartest person, he has his moments where he can think on his feet, for example, he was able to figure out the fact that he could use the green container to keep the elevator's door from closing for them all to get through. In regards to his athleticism, once he started to believe his friends, he was able to learn how to combat the monsters quickly. That also ties into the fact that he used to play sports, basketball, and swimming when he was in school making him quick on his feet, strong, and giving him a fast reaction time. He is also a caring person, he loves being able to take care of his friends as if they were his kids. Once Steve became a team player he was able to show people can change if given the opportunity. These people would make up my perfect, loyal, and trustworthy team that would be ready to battle any supernatural being that may come our way.

Peter Parker and Spider-Man have different personalities and attributes, even if they are the same person. Peter Parker is an ordinary human who supposedly has no superpowers. He is a freelance photographer and practically a nerd in High School. He is meant to be kind-hearted, intelligent, and shy, as well as an intelligent scientific genius who likes to create inventions, such as his web shooters. In contrast, Spider-Man is a superhero with super strength, spidey sense, agility, and the ability to cling to walls. His persona is witty, sarcastic, and confident. He is known for his acrobatic fighting style and being able to use and adapt to various types of web shooters. Three different actors play Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, Toby McGuire, and Tom Holland, not counting Nadji Jeter, the voice of Miles Morales. Each actor has had different adaptations of the character. Toby McGuire had a traditional and classic costume design. He created a Peter Parker that was more reserved, sensitive, and nerdy. His Spider-Man is the only one with the ability to shoot webs from his own wrists, and he has an acrobatic style of fighting. Although he was the only Spider-Man to actually shoot webs from his body, he wasn't the best Spider-Man, he was the best Peter Parker. Andrew Garfield on the other hand, had a modern and sleek suit, an assertive and quick-witted personality, and his Spider-Man was stealthy, funny, and created many types of web/webshooters. Garfield's Peter Parker was a loner driven by angst. He rode skateboards and dressed in layers, he wasn't nerdy either, making him too cool to be the best Peter Parker. In the films he is often seen creating his own web and altering the formula many times, his Spider-Man had a playful personality, that would make jokes off of what villains said, making him the best Spider-Man, not the best Peter Parker. Tom Holland has the best Spider-Man/Peter Parker balance making him the best of the three, and therefore my favorite. His suit is very high-tech (partially due to Stark Industry's influence), with gadgets and multitudes of features. His personality is slightly extroverted, but his social life is weak mainly because he doesn't really want one; he has his friends and the Avengers that's all he needs. His Spider-Man is a mix of McGuire's and Garfield's characteristics. Tom Holland best portrays the character, as youthful, witty, and nerdy. In his movies, he shows both the triumphs and struggles of being a teenage superhero, and not only that he shows the struggles and triumphs of being a teenager. He has the best balance of both alter egos as well as most movies, which allows us to connect better with the character and come to the conclusion that he is the best Spider-Man.

"Don't try so hard to fit in, and certainly don't try so hard to be different; just try hard to be you," Zendaya has lived by this motto since she started her career, and I believe this is the reason for her success and why she is so loved by many. Zendaya didn't let the fame get to her head and has continued fighting for what she believes, which is one reasons as to why I admire her so much. Picking just one of her many areas will not do justice to the great role model, human being, and woman she has become. Focusing only in one aspect of her multilayer personality that has contribute to her success will not allow me to express how much I admire her. Choosing only one, will limit the whole concept of which Zendaya symbolizes and why I believe she has gained the popularity she has with this generation. I am fascinated with all the great choices she has made on her career. As a young woman, she has polished herself to be independent and succesful without losing herself. On screen and in her personal life, we can see the significant personal choices Zendaya has made, even though she is relevant in the media. All the problems that fame brings to many young actors, she still manages to keep aspects of her life private. Nowadays, it is rare to find an actress or actor who started her career that young and has become an icon we want to follow and support. As a singer, dancer and actress, I would never compare myself to her, but I will see her as a role model to follow. I love how versatile she is; from comedy to drama and even doing her stunts in the Greatest Showman. She has managed to amaze us with everything she does, although my favorite would be her voice. Since she was young, her career has focused on acting and dancing, her beautiful voice isn't talked about enough. She not only starred in The Greatest Showman, but every-so-often, she will perform on stage and amaze her entire fanbase. In 2013, she released Replay, which has become one of the most Nostalgic songs of Gen Z. In the same year, she also sung the National Anthem at a Houston Rockets vs. LA Clippers basketball game. Then in Coachella 2023 and in Euphoria, she sung All For Us by Labrinth from the Euphoria soundtrack, and she absolutely devoured. Not only these moments there are many other times where Zendaya has sung with celebrities you would never think possible, such as Celine Dion and Mario. I would say, she has "Rewriten the stars" like her song in The Greatest Showman. The red carpet will never be the same without Zendaya's glamorous looks, and she certainly creates "Euphoria" with every style. Zendaya empowers women in different areas with her activism, positive example and trying to remind us that we need to believe in ourselves and pursue our dreams.

Like the Great Dumbledore said to Harry Potter “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be”. Hogwarts in general is a great place to develop into the best person you can be. From daily life lessons, and building support systems, to survival skills and self-defense. Any of the houses will take you through a journey of self-discovery and growth, from the day you magically receive the acceptance letter, to the day you get sorted into one of the main houses. This is why Slytherin, even though it carries a bad reputation for the bad choices other people have made, will be the one I think will fit me best, as I firmly believe I can be a strong, resourceful, and determined person when I establish my goals and set my mind in what I would like to accomplish. This house is for the ambitious, self-confident, and loyal to their heritage, who will fight to continue creating a reputation for themselves. I would be a great student in this house, I always define myself as an individual who loves and is loyal to her family like Draco, I’m very determined to show to the world that I’m able to do things on my own and think for myself. From Snape, I learned that loyalty and real love can be mistaken for weakness or betrayal, but if you are true to your feelings and to yourself, the truth of your actions will always speak for itself. Although Voldemort used his skills to do villainous things, he proved he was a strong leader, with skills of persuasion, he managed to convince people and made them believe in his ideals and beliefs. I have the skills to be a great leader and can continue to apply my knowledge and use my strengths to help others in this house achieve their true potential, but I know I can combine traits from the other houses to ensure I stay balanced and humble. The Harry Potter franchise has four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindor is for the brave, courageous, and who like to help others, and Ravenclaws are known for their intelligence, wit, and tendency to plan. Then there are Slytherins: cunning, ambitious, and resourceful, and then there are Hufflepuffs, who are loyal, patient, and hardworking. I believe everybody has a bit of every house in them, no matter who you are. No one person is confined to three characteristics; some of them are just more prominent than others, and that's how people get sorted into their houses. I will assemble traits from each house, from Gryffindor I embody bravery and my interest in helping others. From Hufflepuff my hard work and playing fair to succeed. From Ravenclaw the knowledge and capacity of planning ahead. The Slytherin motto says "Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness" and I like to maximize my skills and strengths in order to reach my rightful potential.

Since I was young, I've been around people with outstanding achievements, my favorite being my mother. I grew up in a small town in Puerto Rico with a single mother who happened to be a Psychologist with a Psy.D. She is the kindest, most independent woman I know. My mom was always a 4.0+ GPA student; she maintained straight A's even when she needed to care for her younger siblings. She lived in Puerto Rico, went to an internship in Miami, FL, and returned to the island to make a living. Then she had me and realized she wanted to give me a better life than she had and wanted me to have the opportunities she never thought were feasible. When I was 8 years old, she got a job opportunity in Virginia that she couldn't resist. So she made the hard decision of leaving me with my grandmother in Puerto Rico and creating a home for us in Virginia. After a year, I moved to Virginia and be with my mom, just her and I. We had no family other than each other and still don't; because of that, we are very close and tell each other everything. I aspire to become like her in the future; I want to go to college, maintain a 4.0, and become successful. Everyone in my family is a college graduate, and I would like to keep the tradition going, except I don't want the burden of student loans. Every month, I see my mom paying her student loans, and they don't seem to come down. I want to go to college and enjoy it, and get a career and enjoy it without the constant feeling of debt on my back. Because of my mom's efforts, I don't want to let her down. I do my best in school and extracurriculars to be eligible for as many scholarships as possible. I have never allowed my grades to get below an A; I allowed myself an A- in AP European History because it was my first Advanced Placement Class. Everything I have done in and out of school is to get into a good college, although that doesn't mean I don't enjoy what I do. I love staying busy and knowing that while I'm enjoying myself and what I am doing, whether that is Girl Scouts, BGCA Presidency, or Community Service. I want to continue doing these things in the future without worrying over $100k+ loans; I figure that I will have to pay some, but every scholarship helps. Everything I do/have done in my life is influenced by my mother, and I want to keep making her proud. I always see my mom paying some of her college loans, which makes me realize we can use that money for more enjoyable things. Instead, she's using it to pay off a never-ending debt; the amazingness of scholarships is I won't have to worry about that much debt. I want a life where I not only enjoy my job but also enjoy life. Fewer student loans would allow me to have less stress and would allow me to have more money to do the things I enjoy, such as traveling. It's a struggle loving your career and not having time to love your life outside of it.

Since I was young, I've been around people with outstanding achievements, my favorite being my mother. I grew up in a small town in Puerto Rico with a single mother who happened to be a Psychologist with a Psy.D. She is the kindest, most independent woman I know. My mom was always a 4.0+ GPA student; she maintained straight A's even when she needed to care for her younger siblings. She lived in Puerto Rico, went to an internship in Miami, FL, and returned to the island to make a living. Then she had me and realized she wanted to give me a better life than she had and wanted me to have the opportunities she never thought were feasible. When I was 8 years old, she got a job opportunity in Virginia that she couldn't resist. So she made the hard decision of leaving me with my grandmother in Puerto Rico and creating a home for us in Virginia. After a year, I moved to Virginia and be with my mom, just her and I. We had no family other than each other and still don't; because of that, we are very close and tell each other everything. I aspire to become like her in the future; I want to go to college, maintain a 4.0, and become successful. Everyone in my family is a college graduate, and I would like to keep the tradition going, except I don't want the burden of student loans. Every month, I see my mom paying her student loans, and they don't seem to come down. I want to go to college and enjoy it, and get a career and enjoy it without the constant feeling of debt on my back. Because of my mom's efforts, I don't want to let her down. I do my best in school and extracurriculars to be eligible for as many scholarships as possible. I have never allowed my grades to get below an A; I allowed myself an A- in AP European History because it was my first Advanced Placement Class. Everything I have done in and out of school is to get into a good college, although that doesn't mean I don't enjoy what I do. I love staying busy and knowing that while I'm enjoying myself and what I am doing, whether that is Girl Scouts, BGCA Presidency, or Community Service. I want to continue doing these things in the future without worrying over $100k+ loans; I figure that I will have to pay some, but every scholarship helps. Everything I do/have done in my life is influenced by my mother, and I want to keep making her proud.

Ever since I was in elementary school I was told I was going to have to read the book wonder, and it really threw me off from wanting to read it because it was just another school project. I finally got to seventh grade and my teacher said it was time to start reading Wonder and I really didn't want to, so I just watched the movie. After the movie, I realized, I was wrong, it wasn't just a school project it was much more than that. So I began reading, I loved the book so much and I still do. Throughout the seventh grade school year, COVID began so I had to return the book to my teacher without being able to finish it. With that, I went online and found the EBook version of Wonder. I finished the book and I truly did love it. If I could have the entire world read a book it would be Wonder, why you may ask, well I'll tell you. The book is enjoyable for all ages and demographics. For all of those kids and adults that feel that they don't belong and don't have a place where they fit in in this world. "CHOOSE KIND" is the message this book sends out and its something we as a society should take more into consideration. Now a days society is often too quick to judge. No one takes time to get to know someone anymore, we should start accepting people without ifs or buts. This world is comstantly evolving and there's no way to stop it. I'm not saying that we should be overly nice with everyone because sometimes a little banter is good for society. But, at the end of the day we're all human and should be able to work things out with eachother without making it seem like it is the end of the world. I think the book Wonder represents this, from thinking you're always going to be judge for doing something or being friends with someone, to even the meanest of bullies being able to change and accept others. This goes for anything, things such as racism, homophobia, antisemitism, islamophobia, etc. If people got to know more about eachother, maybe just maybe, there wouldn't be as much hatred in the world. That is why I believe that Wonder should be read by the whole world.

There is one musical that I have always held close to my heart: Dear Evan Hansen. Ever since I heard of it I was obsessed, no one could get me to listen to anything else other than the soundtrack. I don't know if it was the music, the actors, their voices, or the message that got me hooked, but what I do know is that the musical sends out a super important message. Mental health; I love talking about mental health and that might do with my mother being a psychologist, but I also love talking about music. Mental health and music are topics that I could go on and on about, but this is about this song specifically. A couple of songs in that musical hit really close to home, but the one that has the biggest connection to me would be, "You will be found". The song's purpose is to show that no matter how lonely you feel you will always find your home, help, and comfort. "You will be found" has lyrics with meaning including, "Even when the dark comes crashing through. When you need a friend to carry you, And when you're broken on the ground, You will be found". Those lyrics suggest that it doesn't matter if you feel like you are at rock bottom, someone will be there for you. "So let the sun come streaming in, 'Cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again. Lift your head and look around, You will be found". The lyrics show that even when you feel like you're in the dark, the light will soon shine through. The song has kids who never once socialized with each other, come together and show that everyone has to deal with struggles no matter how perfect they seem; absolutely beautiful.

Every time that I am feeling down, I take care of my personal hygiene and it always helps me relax. On days when I am not feeling my best, I come home and draw a bath. I put in a bath bomb, apply a face mask, and get in the tub. I either read a book or watch some Netflix in order to forget what it is that's bringing me down. After the bath, in order to feel my best and look my best, I go to my closet and pick out my best outfits for the next school week. No matter how bad I feel, I always try to overcome my problems by making myself a better person. After this process, I always feel relaxed and calm. Another thing that helps me improve my mental health, is relaxing with my friends. Sometimes, people want to be all alone when they are at their lowest. But, when I'm at mine, I just want to be around people, talking about anything and everything. Whether we talk about our struggles or about a bunch of random things or even do random stuff. My friends always find a way to cheer me up, no matter what it is that I am going through. In a weird way, being in a room full of the people that are closest to me, makes my mental health so much better. Lastly, in order to improve my mental health, I talk about my problems with different people. Whenever someone does something that upsets me or makes me uncomfortable, I try to talk it out with that person. So that in the future they can do the same to me if I ever do something upsetting. These methods, always help me relax and improve my mental health.

The meaning of life isn't something you're going to find and know right away, it takes a while to figure out your purpose. You might spend years and years wondering what your purpose is. You also aren't going to wake up on a random morning and have a realization of what the point of life is. For a while, you might think that there is no point and that you have to do something extravagant to prove your life had meaning. But life isn't about that, life is about doing what you love and being with the people you love. The truth is, there is no set meaning of life, each person has to find that on their own. You don't do things in life to impress others or for acceptance from others. You do things because you enjoy them and they make you happy. Those things, the ones that make you happy, those are the ones that give your life meaning. Some may say that you need to work in an office or become a boss of a big company to survive in this big and harsh world. But, I disagree I believe that in order for your life to have meaning you just have to do what you love. If I'm being honest, I'm not quite sure what my life's meaning is yet, but I know I'm going to find out soon. But, I don't have to know exactly what my purpose is right now, I know that as long as I do what I love with the people I love, I'll be okay. Someday I'm going to look back at this essay and think, "I've accomplished that", and then and only then will I have found life's purpose. But until then, I'll keep searching, learning and exploring.

Ever since I was young I've loved helping anyone I could, every time someone needed help I'd be there for them. Every day I try to offer any of help I can to anyone I can whether that is inside of school, at the store, or at home. It makes me feel crestfallen when it seems like someone is in distress and struggling. I find happiness in helping other people and finding different solutions to their problems. To just see the stress levels of a person that I am helping/have helped go down, puts a smile on my face. Knowing that I've taken some of that stress off of their shoulders makes me feel like I've accomplished what I was meant to do. When I was younger I was walking through Walmart with my mother and when got to the checkout line I noticed an elderly woman in a wheelchair checking out her items. By the time we got all of our bags checked out the lady was out the door. We got outside and I saw her struggling while trying to cross the road, so I looked at my mom and asked her if I could go help the lady. She said yes and I practically sprinted to her and asked her if I could help her upload her groceries to her car. The woman said yes and I jumped at the chance I helped her cross the street and put her groceries in her car. She thanked me and I went back to my mom with the biggest smile on my face. Now that I'm older I've joined every club I can that allows me to help as many people as I can. From Girl Scouts to Operation Smile all of them help me help people every day.

I've been a Girl Scout since I was in the fourth grade. Needless to say, our goal is to leave a positive impact on everything and everyone. Since I started in the fourth grade we have been feeding the homeless, creating care packages, and kindly greeting everyone we meet. With every new generation of Girl Scouts, we try to teach them to show everyone else those skills. Showing kindness, sympathy, and being an overall caring person with every person you meet. I want to show the world that you don't have to spread hate to be "funny" and that you can make people's day with a singular smile. Even outside of Girl Scouts I try to be nice to everyone I meet, even if they aren't nice back. Though that doesn't mean that I will let people walk all over me and use my own kindness against me. There are always going to be people that take your kindness as an insult, but there's nothing that you can do to change their minds. What you can do is not stoop to their level, as Michelle Obama said, "When they go low, we go high". You keep being kind because they are probably having a bad day and that kindness could make their day. The world is revolving around hatred these days, and I am not fond of that. I want to show the world that you don't need that negative energy around you. There is so much hatred in schools, social media, and the people making negative comments don't care who they hurt. Nobody wants random people on the internet or their friends to affect them negatively. I want the world to be a positive place where people lift each other up every day instead of bringing each other down.

Since I was little I've always had to adapt to change rather abruptly, I would blink once and my world would be upside down. Nothing stayed the same for longer than a week, whether that was anywhere from changes in climate or moving to different places. I've had a social life ever since I could walk and sometimes you have to leave things and/or people behind. That's always been my case, I've seen people come and go due to personal growth and major changes. When I was younger I used to live in Puerto Rico and went to a private school, I had the same friends, same school, and family close by. But in Puerto Rico there are very bad economical conditions, so we had to move. Away from our family, our friends, our hometown, everything was left behind. My mom and I moved to Virginia, at age eight I started school in the US. I knew little to no English and my English as a second language teacher knew nothing about Spanish. I had to learn the language all by myself, do my school work, and communicate with my peers. I started realizing that change was part of life and the best we could do is adjust to new beginnings. At a young age, I was able to manage changes and discover that adaptability is a feature that describes me. I mold based on the challenges and try to connect with the people I meet along the way. Of course, I get sad about losing people and leaving behind my house but I learned home is where you work hard for your dreams. I love learning from changes and keep pushing myself to grow and succeed. I know I won't disappoint you if you help me fulfill my goals.

Friends are special gifts and you never know if someone is going to be a good friend or not at a first impression. Friendship is a blessing, once you gain a friend, it's hard to let go of them. Sometimes you do have to leave some behind, but doing so always teaches you a lesson. Friendship to me means finding someone you can count on even when you're feeling down. It's someone who basically becomes family, and they're the people you trust the most when everyone else is letting you down. It's someone who loves you and you love them no matter what twists and turns life throws at you. A friend is there whenever you make good or bad decisions, and doesn't leave. Sometimes best friends come from people you never expected. My best friend and I didn't like each other when we met. We both wanted to be friends with another girl and felt annoyed with whatever the other one did. I don't know if it was fate or destiny, but we had a class where the other girl wasn't there, and coincidentally, the only people we knew, were each other. To not be alone, we sat together and discovered the many things we have in common and built a strong friendship. We now go to different schools but even though we don't see each other every day we know our friendship is unbreakable and we support each other in everything we do. If you build a strong friendship, it eventually becomes an important part of your life. A real friend knows who you truly are and loves you for it. Good friendships are hard to find in this day and age, but if you look hard enough, you can find some that'll stick with you forever.

When I was young I always dreamed of having a perfect life, but now that I'm older I know that's not really possible. My dream life, isn't insanely impossible to reach, unlike other people. People who dream of crazy riches, fame, and praise from others. I just want healthy life with the person I love, free of student loans, a nice house, and a job that I actually enjoy. Many people don't enjoy their jobs and often worry about paying their taxes. They complain about all of the tasks and obligations from their jobs and daily routines. I don't want to worry about paying off student loans and not being able to enjoy life without all its frustration. I want to have a life where I can wake up every morning loving what I do and not feel regret. I want to live a normal life, where I don't have to worry about having money to travel and to learn about different cultures. A life where I can take my family on different trips and not have to be in debt. A life where I can spend time with my family because I have time to spend with them. I don't like thinking about the fact that at any point in time life could completely change. I just want to live life normally, but without all the major stressors I hear adults complain about all of the time. My dream life is simple, but in many senses, it's hard to obtain these days. Everyone worries about something and I know that, but I don't want to worry about the big things. I want to be a fun adult, who can go where they want when they please and marry the person they fall in love with.

I remember when I was in third grade, I was happy living with my family in Puerto Rico. But, making money on such a small island isn't easy, you don't have a good income and it's hard to pay for necessities. So, my mom pack and moved to united States, leaving me with my grandparents back on the island. After about four to six months, I got lonely and missed my mom, so I moved with her. Leaving my family, my friends, and my home in the past. As soon as I got to Virginia, I realized that I didn't know any English. I was petrified because I started school really soon and I barely knew how to say "Hi, how are you." As soon as I walked into that third-grade classroom I told myself, "Don't be scared, you'll learn". So I went on, learned, english, made friends, passed elementary school and middle scholl with straight A's. That experience showed me that I can overcome even the biggest of changes. Now, I love learning new languages, I know English, Spanish and French. I love meeting new people, everywhere I go, I make a new friend. I especially love visiting new places and traveling, I've been to every state it in the East Coast. I also aspire to be more like my mother. She was brave, ambitious and caring even when she was all alone in the United States. She went through a lot to get me here and I really admire her for that. Everything that I went through with that expirience became something I love to do. The move created forms of sympathy, friendliness, and trust in me. All of which I use in my daily life and I try to teach those ways to the people around me.

l laughed every time I see a picture my mom took when I was 2 years old in a bucket surrounded by lots of books. I didn't know how to read, but I was always calm when somebody was reading to me. I've always enjoyed reading; there's such a wide variety of genres to choose from horror to fantasy to sci-fi and many more. Although I enjoy solving mysteries, adventure and fantasy; I always go back to the books of W. Bruce Cameron's, A Dogs Purpose Novels. Ever since I read the first novel back in 2015, I've been hooked because in so many ways these books include a little bit of all the genres I loved. Every time I got to the bookstore I must check if a new book has come out and I try to imagine which story the dog will experience. I currently own every book from the series. I love A Dogs Purpose Novels; since I was a baby I've been surrounded by dogs. Reading about the dog story transports me to see things from their point of view and what makes a person happier than spending time with their pets. I immerse myself in every adventure trying to travel next to them on their journey. From Bailey to Cooper, I enjoy the creativity and optimistic point of view of each of the characters. They always express love and kindness to all the people that cross their path, and even teach me how to cope with death and loss in a healthy way. These books captivate me from the picture on the cover to the end of each dog's journey. As a dog lover, it grabs my attention every time and shows me that there's no such thing as children and adult books, just books.

"And be a sister to every Girl Scout." That is the ending of the Girl Scout Law and it's something all of us must follow. I've been a Girl Scout since 2016, my fourth-grade year and now I'm in ninth-grade a senior in Girl Scouts. I've learned a lot from the people I've grown up with through the program. I've learned skills I never thought I'd be able to attain and have met people I never thought I'd be able to meet. But, now I'm one of the oldest which means I have to set an example for the younger girls. I want to give them the same, if not a better experience, and teach them what it really means to be a Girl Scout. I want them to know they can single-handedly change the world. I want to teach the girls everything that I have learned, I want them to know that Girl Scouts is a place that cares about others. I want to show them to care about others while still looking out for themselves at the same time. Teach them dedication, determination by completing our activities and different awards. Bravery and honesty by owning up to mistakes and not being afraid to do something at camps or get-togethers. I want to teach them these things because they are some of the attributes that help you most in life. I hope that by guiding them through activities and by interacting with them I'll be able to show them how to use those skills. I want them to learn and when I'm gone and they become seniors, I want them to pass it down what I've taught them to the new girls. For it to cause a chain reaction for generations and generations of new and old Girl Scouts.

My family's always telling me that I'm the clumsiest person they've ever met and that I should start walking instead of running all the time. I've definitely proved them right, I've fallen more times than I can count. But, one time was worse than the others, I was at the top of a mountain and was told that it was a bad idea, and when I say everyone I mean, every single person you could think of. As we can all expect, I tripped and fell down the side of the mountain. So, if I had to introduce myself I would say... Hi, I'm Liz, your main source of entertainment!

In the last couple of years, I've had to adapt to new environments over and over. I had to move from Puerto Rico to Virginia without knowing how to speak English. When I finally got situated at school it was already time to move forward to middle school. It was all a whole different environment, it was harder and it was full of different people. Then by seventh grade, everything changed again, the coronavirus spread. It was a big shock to everyone, no one thought we'd have to live through a virus. We were all pulled out in the middle of the fourth block and told that we had to go home. They told us to get our things because we were going to be out for two weeks. Two weeks later we never went back, seventh grade ended and we started eighth grade with virtual learning. Then back to school in mid-eight grade. We were all concerned about going back, there were so many restrictions and you really didn't know the people in our classes. Zoom wasn't the easiest place to make friends. When we went back and finally got comfortable again, eighth grade ended. Now, High School changes every five minutes and you can't predict what's going to happen. No day is the same and you can't get too comfortable with anything or anyone. But, that doesn't mean that all that change is bad, some change is good and sometimes it seems bad but in reality, it just takes time to adjust and get used to it. When I was younger I thought I was always going to stay in Puerto Rico with my family, but I learned that life is unpredictable. I've realized that life is full of change and it comes when you least expect it.

There are many people who don't like when you go against their words and actions. When you do something they don't agree with, they will make sure you look bad by affecting your reputation and relationship with others. Many people have this mindset that they are always right and it never works out, one side gets hurt and receives backlash. A great example of this would be high school drama, it usually starts with someone getting mad at someone else's actions. Then they start a big conflict and retaliate by telling everyone lies or exaggerations about the person without considering how this could affect the other person's life. Normally, these people tend to alter the story and start rumors only focusing on their side of the story. A more serious example is the current situation with Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine started to lean towards an agreement with Eastern countries and Russia didn't agree with Ukraine's decision. So Russia decided to make sure that Ukraine couldn't go through with plans that would affect their allyship on the western side of Europe. These examples show that the biggest problem facing society right now is the mindset that there is only one side of the story. People are entitled and believe that if you don't agree with them you are against them. In reality, you don't have to agree with everybody all of the time, you have the right to your own opinion but it's important to respect others point of view. I believe one way to work and improve relationships in society is to have an open mind and listen to what others are saying. When somebody disagrees with you, step away and listen to their point of view, analyze it, and choose what's right for you without offending or hurting others.

"MOMMM can I have some money to buy a new shirt?" She looks at me surprised and with a little glimpse of frustration and almost automatically I realized I know the answer and in the back of my head, I can immediately hear "What happened or when you spent all the money you got for your birthday. You don't understand money does not grow on trees and if you used it all at once you would never have money for the things you really need". My mind went all over the place trying to remember where my money went and I realized most of the time I don't even know. Immediately, I look at her and I feel her look at me disappointedly and constantly repeat to me, "save some of your money, don't spend it all in one place. If not when you really need something you will regret not having saved some. I want you to be independent and responsible with your money now, so in the future, you can value what you got on your own". Every year on my birthday, I heard those words of advice from my mother as soon as I open my cards; but sometimes I struggle with different thoughts like "what is the purpose of getting money if I can spend it and I ignore her advice and ended regretting it. However, most of the time I really appreciate her advice and remind myself that probably if I save it and wait sometime soon a better version of what I want appears and it's worth the wait. Many times I have been able to invite my mom with the money I save and treat her for everything she has done for me. So, saving money is really the best advice I've received.

"On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country;" that's how the Girls Scout Law reminds me that we don't only sell cookies, we participate in many activities to protect our environment and positively serve the community. Like world thinking day where we plant trees, clean areas of the community, and recycle. We help our community by volunteering and serving as an example to younger and future Girl Scouts. As a Girl Scout, you always have a positive attitude around others and learn how to lead by example. During activities, I helped my younger sisters to socialize in healthier manners and make them feel safe in an environment where they can be themselves and receive support through all their experiences. I do my best to teach them the importance of being kind, supportive, and accepting each other differences so they can also have a positive effect on the community and wherever they go. During holidays or special occasions, I have helped in an organization that cooks food for the homeless so that they don't have to ask for money on the streets. I learned that not all of us are privileged and helping them to have a happy memory in difficult times reminds them that they are just as important and have people who care and support them. I have visited elderly communities to sing Christmas carols and made postcards to show love and respect for our elderly who most of the time don't have family that visits them. With my troop, I have collected food and clothes for shelters, families in need, and donations for children and their families in hospitals. Making blankets and self-care packages for military overseas and veterans was a gratifying experience to give back to those who have served to protect us.

Freedom doesn't come for free, it involves a lot of heroes like Harriet Tubman because even through her toughest times she persevered. Harriet was born into slavery, without rights or the option to make choices in her own life. Even with all the difficulties, she became a political activist around the 1800-the 1900s. Harriet solved her problems and helped people while doing so, even if it meant risking her life for it. During the times of the underground railroad, she saved an estimated seventy enslaved people, in around thirteen trips. Not only did she save her family and friends, but she also saved slaves that she didn't know. She used connections, such as Frederick Douglass, in order to find safe houses for the slaves she was guiding. She risked her life to save others when she could have just saved herself and left people to fend for themselves. Sharing her information was a dangerous act, not knowing who would tell their enslavers, but she did so out of the need for equality, respect, and freedom. She was a suffragist, political activist, conductor of the underground railroad and joined the United States Army as a spy, nurse, cook, and scout. She then went on to save seven hundred enslaved people, as a spy for the union to throw the Confederates off course. Many of the slaves joined the Union army because of her actions. She did all of these wonderful things and lived to be about ninety years old, her life goal was fulfilled, that goal being to help and saved the minorities. She did acts of kindness and generosity not because she wanted the praise but because she genuinely wanted to help and make a difference in the world. As a woman and a minority, I find her inspiring.

"Why are you leaving me behind, mom". When I was in third grade, I lived in Puerto Rico with my huge family. I saw them all the time. But, in Puerto Rico, there aren't very well-paying jobs; my mom needed three jobs to take care of us. My mom had to move to America to give us better opportunities. The bad thing was I couldn't move with her, I had to stay back and live with my grandparents. While I stayed there, she moved alone, started a new job, while getting us a place to live and a new school for me. I needed to do everything alone; my grandparents didn't understand my schoolwork. I missed my mom a lot and was really sad knowing she was all alone but I didn't want to make her sad by telling her how I felt. Since I was born it has been me and her, we did everything together. I realized I couldn't sulk and be sad all day, there wasn't much I could do. I realized that it would all be better soon, I needed to support her as this change was difficult for both of us. I realized this was temporary, like most things in life, it's only momentarily. Realizing the reality of things helped me get through a feeling of loneliness at a very young age. I finally told her and she felt the same way. I understood we needed to express ourselves and trust things are going to get better. A year after she left I got the news I was moving with her to Virginia, my home. Now, every time I'm going through a rough time I analyze the solutions and see the big picture. Everything is temporary and staying positive helps me to persevere in life.

I was in line, waiting for the bus on my first day of school. New school, starting in the middle of the school year. It was 2016 and it was very cold. For the first time in my life, I was wearing a huge coat, gloves, and a funny hat. I was very scared. No friends, looking for a familiar face in the huge lines. I was just following the other kids not knowing if I was in the right place. Other kids were trying to talk to me, but I was only hearing undecipherable sounds. I came from a small island where we did not speak English. I could understand some phrases, but I was trying so hard to not cry. Suddenly I remembered my mother's phrase, "Be patient, you will learn you always do". That day, I really understood what she meant. I understood that if I was patient and tried to adapt to the changes, new place, new language, and new culture ultimately I will persevere and reach my goals. I started to do my best. I understood I wasn't perfect but if I kept trying I will be better. Day by day I started to learn new words, phrases and started small conversations. I learned that to be good at different skills you need to practice, be patient and give yourself time to improve. You need to be patient and accept that making mistakes was not big of a deal if I didn't focus on the mistake but rather on trying and being perseverant. Six years later, now I'm in High school, I have many friends and I'm doing great at school. I do different extra-curricular activities and I've learned to solve problems and can even help others to be patient and persevere in their goals.

"MOM!! I saw my first draft of my next year's classes and I have PE first period. Can't, won't, never in thousand years will I be comfortable having to be sweaty all day in school for sports I don't even care for. I've never understood why PE is set at the first period or why I need to do sports I've never been good at, I just find them boring. Why can't PE be more related to developing our strengths and specific needs instead it's about sports I will never practice or play". This is just an example of how many of us respond to classes that are not our first choice or based on topics were are not interested in as they are not our strongest asset. I understand we need experience in all the subjects and it's important to be a well-rounded person, but throughout my years in school, I've noticed that many of my peers, including me, get discouraged by boring lessons or classes that are not exciting. Whereas many of us exceed expectations when it comes to hands-on experiences and electives we are passionate about. Those are projects, experiments, debates, and even class discussions where we have to challenge ourselves to learn or discover something new or form ideas based on what we discussed in the classroom. Future generations want more interaction and self-discovery that help us progress in a world that is constantly changing, look how far we've come since one hundred years ago. We want more challenges where we can practice what we want to learn daily; workshops where we can remind ourselves that the skills we earn can be applied in multiple scenarios and circumstances. We've all come together and many of the new generations want what's best for us and the planet. The planet is moving forward it's time our minds develop with it. With more hands-on experiences we would all be more social and more willing to learn. Learning to socialize in group projects is important because in the future you're going to have to talk to people. It doesn't matter if you work for someone, or if people work for you. You're going to need social skills to get by and many people in schools don't have that skill. Many young adults struggle these days when they need to apply their knowledge to solve problems or explain to others what they need to do because they memorize a material to answer some questions in a test but never understand the resemblance with real life. Making us engage with one another in schools at a young age and select classes we are interested in will help us to empathetic and successful. We wouldn't have discrimination, racism, or a hierarchy in school if we just learned to talk to others, share opinions, and apply our knowledge to real-life situations. Having us come together with fun lessons would be a way to make future generations more outgoing, accepting, and overall kind.

During the Pandemic, I was home alone all of the time. I have a single mother who constantly had to work, and I am an only child. Which meant that I had to do everything independently. I woke up in the mornings made my own breakfast, made sure I got to all of my zoom classes on time, make my own lunch, and sometimes even dinner. All of this at only thirteen years old, I am now fourteen in my freshmen year of high school. I am a year younger than everyone and it's hard to keep up with the expectations. But, I manage to pull through and get everything done, from the work to building long-lasting friendships to giving back to my community. I do most things on my own which makes me very independent, being an only child with a mother who is constantly working makes it easy to learn the skillset. But, independence isn't just doing things on your own, it's doing things on your own and succeeding. Even when people don't think you can or when you do things for people and they haven't yet asked you to help. But, the truth is, sometimes you don't succeed, and that's okay, everyone needs help from time to time, that doesn't make you any less independent. Independence has made huge impacts in my life, without that skill, I would honestly be completely lost. I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have independence. Other people who also have independence are people you should definitely stick around. You will be able to count on them to help with their part in a group project and even help you in multiple different scenarios. Independence to me is the biggest skill set that I count on and use most often.

2020 was a roller coaster for everybody; there were good parts and bad parts, mainly bad. I don't believe anyone was ready for what was to come. When it did, it hit everyone like a freight train. There were many changes in my life during the year. I learned so many things from the year. So many different events happened, and I will remember most. 2020 canceled and destroyed many plans, activities, and trips. Let me walk you through my 2020 experience. Before 2020 I relied on many people to do things for me and wasn't independent. I knew I would have to learn to be independent someday, but I didn't realize it would come so soon. Throughout the year, I had to learn multiple lessons. Such as living on my own. My mom had to go to work every day; and, I had to stay home all by myself. I had to wake up by myself and cook for myself every morning. I had always relied on my mom to do those things for me. I had to learn how to take care of myself pretty much overnight. To not rely on everyone all the time. But the main thing I learned was that life changes in the blink of an eye and, there's nothing you can do to stop it; you have to adapt to it and hope for the best. So many events went down during that year; all were tragic. Everyone will remember different occasions more than others, especially the ones that affected them the most. Hearing about what happened with George Floyd and the black lives matter movement is something that I will never forget. I will remember the feeling of sadness when Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman passed. The worry I felt when I realized that COVID was very serious. The feeling of not knowing who is in my classes and not knowing how to do virtual school. I remember seeing all of the small businesses that went out of business. Many more memorable things occurred, but these are the ones I will forever remember. 2020 messed up many plans for many people. The year changed the future's outcome. It changed the way we go outside; we wear masks and sanitize our hands after touching anything. It changed we go to school, we wear masks and stay 3 feet from each other. When last year we sat next to each other and worked together on everything. Now we can't even do group projects. People work from home; and, small businesses can't open. Society has changed as a whole, and it all started with 2020. In a way, 2020 helped shape me for the future. Now that I learned to take care of myself, I feel ready for what's to come. It helped me feel prepared for when I'll be living alone during and after college. I know how to be independent and how to make my own decisions. All these lessons were taught to me by 2020. The year helped by preparing me for any challenges that may come later in life. I can now say that if anything were to happen, I could take care of myself with ease. So, therefore 2020 helped fold my future by teaching me to survive on my own. That was my 2020; it was a compelling yet scary experience. I learned a lot of things that year. I saw stuff I didn't think would ever happen. Families, businesses, and individuals suffered from it. In conclusion, 2020 was quite an eventful year; it changed the way we see the world and society as a whole. For sure, it changed me.

The google definition of Legacy is an amount of money or property left to someone in a will. But to me, it's much more than that. See, a legacy isn't just the money or objects you leave for your descendants. It's the memories and stories you leave behind for people to remember you. It's all the things you did, the good and the bad. The moments you've shared with the people you care about, the people that will carry on your traditions. So yes, google is partially right a legacy is what you want to leave behind for you to live on without actually being there. To have a legacy usually means to leave something for people to keep and use. Which is true, but not only do you need something that people will use but that they'll cherish. To have a legacy, you must have people that want to share it. It is significant for future generations that we pass down different traditions because they are the ones that will share them forward. Leaving behind a legacy is to leave what you love for everyone else to enjoy. There are many types of legacies; you decide which you want to leave behind. It could be valuable objects that represent you that you can leave behind. A memory or story could be yours too. The best memories, with others that are close with you. Memories and stories that they will forever remember and tell to others. They could also be money or properties that you leave in your will. There are many more types of legacies; you could've been a hero and left behind your journals for people in the future to find. Therefore, there are so many different types of valuable legacies passed from generation to generation. My Legacy would contain various matters because there are multiple things I stand for. I want to leave a legacy that shows people what type of person I was. I want it to be shared and taken into perspective. It would consist of my beliefs that everyone is human and no one is lesser or greater than the other. Meaning that everyone needs to treat others the right way no matter how they dress, what they look like, who they are in general. Which brings me to my next point, why blend in when you were born to stand out? If everyone is the same, everything is boring. Be you because that's who you were born to be. You have one life, be unique and be great at being an outstanding individual. Dress how you like, talk about your interest because they are nothing to be embarrassed about, if you enjoy it there's a big chance someone else likes it as well. I want people to tell my story, remember what I stood for, and share it with others. That's the type of Legacy I want, the one that explains who I was and what I loved.

My all-time favorite film would be The Goonies; I love watching movies from the 80s-90s. There's just something about it that makes me want to watch it over and over again. Steven Spielberg was the director of the movie. He is one of my favorite directors, which made me want to see the film even more. When I first watched the movie, I was amazed by the concept. A group of friends embarking on a journey full of adventures, confronting different life obstacles while supporting each other through it all. This movie transports me to a time when kids play outside, using their imagination to solve problems and enjoy riding their bikes while talking about what was going on in their lives. Their friendship was something they valued a lot. The thrill, suspense, and humor of the movie made me obsessed with it. In one film, I have outdoors, bike trips, family issues, different personalities, bank robbers, a treasure hunt, and even pirates, all in one. It also has Corey Feldman, one of my favorite actors from the 80s. He appeared in many other movies such as Stand by Me, Gremlins, and License to Drive, which I also enjoy watching. He always brings life to his character and played characters that make you laugh from time to time. There are multiple funny scenes throughout the movie; no matter how many times I may watch it, I still laugh. The storyline is intriguing and inimitable. It keeps you wondering and looking forward to what is about to happen next. I have two DVDs of the movie, each with different covers. I also have a poster of the cover hung in my room, reminding me that multiple adventures are waiting for me in life. Therefore, The Goonies is my all-time favorite film.

I have faced multiple challenges in my life, but I believe the biggest one was when I moved from Puerto Rico to the United States. In the middle of third grade, I remember my mother telling me that she found a better job and we had to move to Virginia because things economically were not good on my mom’s job. I remember wondering how it was going to be. I was excited because I was going to travel, but at the same time, I was worried because I had to leave all my friends, my family, and even my dog behind. I was sad and worried about my mom; she had to go to the states all alone and get situated before I could move with her. While being in school I had to do most of my schoolwork on my own as my great-grandmother didn’t understand most of it. I was also in a dance academy three times a week, so I had to balance those out. When I moved, I had to start a new school, I was extremely nervous because I had been at the same school since Pre-School. I had no idea what was going to happen; I barely knew the language, I didn’t have any friends, I didn’t know how to act or what to do when I got there. I was really quiet at school because I wanted to figure out how to speak the language and form sentences before embarrassing myself. Once I figured out how to speak the language correctly, I started speaking to people and interacting with others. It took a long time to figure it out, but I got the hang of it. By the end of third grade, I had multiple friends and was more social at school, I also got to know most of the workers and kids that attended the daycare. I adjusted to my surroundings fairly quickly and became more curious about the rest of the world. I was made fun of a couple of times for Spanish being my first language, which I thought was dumb. But at the time it upset me a bit, I didn’t want to speak Spanish in front of people because of it. But then I realized that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Spanish being my first language and that it was actually a great thing to be Bilingual. I learned that I was different than everyone else, in a good way and that I shouldn’t be embarrassed by it because it’s part of who I am. In my future career, I want to help people realize that there is nothing wrong with standing out. I want to help them realize that they aren't weird, they aren't different in a bad way. They are all unique, and that is a good thing no matter what people tell you. You should be you, and no one should stop you from being your unique and confident self.

When I first moved to the U.S. I didn't know how to speak English at all. I had to learn on my own while being in school, trying to retain all of the information. I struggled a bit; however, I managed to figure out what different words meant and learned to form proper sentences. I had to go to school, speak English and go home and speak only Spanish. That was my daily routine; it still is. It was difficult to adjust because I was used to having my family with me at all times. But here I had no family other than my mom. In school, I was supposed to have an ESL teacher, but she never showed up. When she did, it was already my second year here in the U.S. By that time I had already gotten the hang of the language and I could speak it fluently. Music has always been there for me, in my highs and lows. Before I even learned English music was/is a big factor in my life, no matter what language. Before I learned English, I acquired the skill of interpreting what words were being said in songs. Now, I listen to music at all points in time; matter of fact, I'm listening to music while writing this. When writing essays for school, doing homework, painting, cooking, my music will always be playing. It helps me focus and helps me pick up my pace when I am behind on schoolwork. It helps me when I feel down it brings happiness to me and helps me forget about my problems. My interest in music helps me connect to people in my school through the chorus, theater, and bonding with the other students about music. I was in dance at a very young age; the different tempos, emotions, styles, and notes in the music made me fall in love with dancing and singing. My hobbies consist of me singing and dancing or watching musicals. Like anyone else, I have multiple dreams, some harder to attain than others. I want to follow a career or at least study law. I love to help people with their issues and listen to them when they need assistance. Becoming a lawyer would help me bring people together by solving their disagreements. My biggest goal in life is to help as many people as I can. That may be with advice, hugs, or even just listening to music with them. Now I know this is a longshot, but a dream of mine would be to become a singer. I love to sing. Music makes people feel better, and it allows them to relate to the emotion, and lyrics of the song. I would be bringing people together by them expressing their feelings about the music. In conclusion, music and languages are a big part of who I am, and hopefully, they'll be a big part of who I will become in the future.