Dear Barbara Cain Literary Scholarship Committee, Barnes and Noble is something that brought my family together when I was younger and I remember getting excited when my mom would say I could pick one book out to have. My family has a lot of interests so finding something that we all enjoy doing together is hard sometimes, especially when my sister and I were both young and my mom needed a break from the two of us. Even today, my sister and I are both in our 20's (crazy to think as I just turned 20 a few days ago and writing that out felt strange) and we still love going to Barnes and Noble. I think I owe the action of reading my gratitude for bringing my family close and for being a hobby I will continue to love until I'm old. It's difficult during college at times to remember to sit down and take a break for yourself. Last year, I rediscovered the app "Libby" and even though I love reading a classic paper book, reading online makes it a lot easier. I forgot the feeling of reading and how it brings you to another place and let's you forget about the stress happening in your life. Reading is truly for everyone and I love that Barbara was a librarian because that is a perfect job for someone with a big passion for books. Interestingly enough, I vividly remember reading the "Who is..." books that feature historical people like Anne Frank, Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, and Jane Goodall. The one about Jane Goodall would end up shaping my appreciation and interest in animals growing up. I read it around 10 years old and was so fascinated with her that I did a presentation on who she was in 5th grade. At a young age, I understood how important animals and nature were to our planet and the work being done to conserve them. Now, I am a wildlife and conservation biology major at college and believe I owe my passion for nature to the book as I think about it more. Books serve as an outlet to destress and millions are filled with important advice and life lessons that are worth taking the time to read and learn from. I have a new goal to read at least 20 minutes a day, whether it's in the morning or at night. This will help shape a habit and can be a new way for me to stay off of social media. Thank you, Louisa

Ever since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model for me. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to us managing a garden plot together, she has always ensured I was in nature. She is a strong independent solo parent and was able to maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. She has been a wonderful support system for me and my sister, helping me develop independent skills. I had to recognize that my family life was different than my typical friends and that we had a few more limitations. My mother helped me get into the act of volunteering in our town. I loved the positive feeling after I helped with our community garden or delivered meals to housebound people. In the future, I hope to participate in work that is helping improve our world; whether it's looking at sustainability, conservation of biodiversity, or anything else helping the people and world together. This is being done by continuing volunteering work. On top of having a brain packed with plant facts, my mom doesn’t stop learning. I love her eagerness to learn, as it provides her with important knowledge. Knowledge constantly fuels me to keep learning; it’s never-ending. I will use the scholarship for an education but it will also allow me to have more time to continue volunteering and learning about our world and different cultures at the same time. This past summer I had a fellowship where we began work on interviewing local fishermen from diverse communities and seeing what resources they use and if they run into any barriers that limit them to fish for food. Thank you for your time and consideration, Louisa

Ever since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model for me. Although this may be a cliche answer, without a doubt, it’s true. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to sharing a garden plot with me, she has always ensured I was in nature. She was there for the core memories that seemed to almost always involve the ocean or flowers. I looked at her as a strong independent solo parent, who was able to maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. When we went on walks, she would quiz my sister and me on different types of plants and I would always be in awe of how she would know each plant. She has been a wonderful support system for me. Although there has been financial constraints and difficult times, we have all battled through it. I feel that I have been able to be more independent, especially with the transition from high school to college. Even as I was thinking about college, worried about the financial costs, my mom still urged me to go for it and we would take out loans to attend. Many of my goals in life are inspired by her, like traveling the world, owning my own business, making a difference, and being exceptionally active and fit at her age. Who could imagine that a 67-year-old would be leading a two-week hiking trip in the Alps next week? Well, my mom certainly can. Despite never having a partner by her side as she raised my sister and me, she has always made sure we have unique experiences and are connected to nature. I now want to do as much as I can and succeed well. She has led workshops and will now have done one podcast and radio interview. Every time I describe the type of work she does to others, they always are in awe. I also can’t seem to get over everything she has done. On top of having a brain packed with plant facts, my mom doesn’t stop learning. I love her eagerness to learn, as it provides her with important knowledge. Knowledge constantly fuels me to keep learning; it’s never-ending. I found that math and science subjects in school had endless amounts of information and were often hard times, which motivated me to indulge in the stem field more. I always learn something new and I anticipate my continued learning about our world after college and strive to be successful with the work I do. I feel I am deserving of this scholarship as I am a dedicated community member and want to use my passion to pursue an education that will help the environment, animals, and humans. I will use the scholarship for an education but it will also allow me to have more time to continue another passion of mine for volunteering and learning about our world and different cultures at the same time. My mother introduced me to my first volunteering experience with a community garden. Now I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, an active blood donor, food kitchen volunteer, and foster (animal) caregiver. This would mean a lot, as it would help me fulfill and reach my dreams. I would like to make my mother very proud by reaching the highest potential level of education for me and stay devoted to learning. I will do as much as I can, just like my mother and never give up. Thank you for your time and consideration, Louisa

Do you remember first learning how to drive? Or when you got your first car? For me, I consider my bright blue hatchback car, called Sharky, one of my biggest achievements. Let's go back a few years to the good days when I used my bike to get me everywhere during the summer. I even created my own gardening business and once I started making more money, I started to save some of it. I didn't know exactly what for but I did know I wanted to save for something big. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, since it would drive my motivation to save, a lot of my friends started receiving cars from their parents. My mother had raised my sister and I as a single mother our whole lives. She chose to open her heart and home to adopt me even when she knew she would be doing it without a partner by her side. I can't even express how proud I am of her for everything she has done for me. My mother told me she would not be able to buy me a car, as it was too expensive for her to be able to pay for it. I didn't let this be something to bring me down, as I knew that this was something I wanted to save for and could be possible. She supported me throughout the whole process and would bring me to buy my future car. In the following fall, I had a seasonal job at an orchard where I would be essentially running food back and forth for 8 hours every weekend. Even though the bee stings and level of stress were harsh, the paycheck in the end was worth it. It went right into my savings account without me looking back at it. Once I started to look at cars, I realized the unfortunate prices that I would be met with, as car prices were increasing a lot. I started another part-time job at my local hospital as a food service assistant, where I would be working in the evenings with patients, and that would prove to be quite an experience, mentally and physically. After a year of looking, my local mechanic found me a 2007 Honda Fit with 200,000 miles. Yes, not quite the best, but it would get me from point A to point B. I went to the bank and learned about a cashier's check that I would use to get my new car. There, I felt proud. I had reached my goal. I had been independent in getting jobs and working toward this goal. With Sharky, I would be able to go on sunset drives whenever I wanted to, run errands for my mom, drive my tennis teammates to and from practices, and experience a whole new level of independence. My car has become my safe place, where I can laugh, cry, and be vulnerable. To be able to experience all of that, I understood the phrase "with hard work and dedication, anything is possible" on a whole other level. From this experience, I can understand that, in the future, I will have to work even harder to reach those bigger milestones. Whether it's thinking about upgrading my car, paying off school, buying a house, or even just health insurance, money is something needed for those and will require true dedication to ensure I can live independently. In addition, I have now learned about the additional work that comes with owning a car, which is that even though the goal has been met, it still requires work. Insurance, gas, maintenance, and taxes are not old news anymore but rather a reminder of how I must keep in mind other things to keep such an important object. I hope to continue making myself and my mother proud. Life is not going to be easy and I am ready to tackle my hopes and continue learning. It's a never-ending thing for me but rather my fuel for life. With school, I can gain more independence skills and build connections that can help me succeed in the future. I used my car recently to drive over 2 hours to get to my first fellowship of the summer and be able to use it as a stepping stone to something bigger. Thank you for your consideration, Louisa D.

Since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to sharing a garden plot, she has always ensured I was in nature. I looked at her as a strong independent solo parent, who could maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. Over the past few summers, my mom introduced me to a volunteer opportunity at Grow Food Northampton, a community garden with their “Giving Garden,” which produces food for food pantries and food kitchens. From this experience, I learned I like volunteering as it always leaves me with a proud feeling and believing I can create change. I was able to mix passion and volunteering. It also helped that I enjoyed gardening as it did bring me back to my roots. Even though I loved the simple act of harvesting kale (I promise it's satisfying), I also loved that I could harvest bins of kale that would be brought to the food pantry later that day. Volunteers were crucial to the garden to ensure food could be produced and donated. I want to be part of the change that the future needs. I care about what our future holds and at the same time, I am helping to improve the world around me. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing will get better. It’s not.” It’s crucial to keep participating in actions that will help those around us. While volunteering at the Giving Garden, I also became educated and passionate about food equity and the web of food access. Even recently, when my town experienced a sudden day of flooding, resulting in farms being destroyed, I could lend a hand to the Giving Garden and a local farm nearby by helping with cleaning up debris and restoring their land. Even if I don’t volunteer as frequently, I have found it’s very much still possible to do in my community no matter the times. Another example is how during my Spring break at college, I participated for a couple of days with Habitat for Humanity for a town nearby. By pushing myself to want to be part of many school activities and build up my resume, I have built motivation to try my hardest in school. I made the Dean's List last fall and have been part of my schools honors program. I am now a student ambassador for my college (College of Life Sciences) within the university and will help with welcome events next fall. My past experiences with animals and volunteering have helped boost my motivation for my goals and I want to continue being part of the change in our world during and after college. Whatever it may end up being, I hope to be working for the greater good and conservation of our planet, people, and future generations to come. This could be looking at ways to conserve a native species that is experiencing a decline in its population or creating a sustainable produce truck that delivers fresh produce to families who are unable to access it (especially in cities). I always believe in giving back and recognizing the different ways I can support others. Thank you, Louisa

Since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to sharing a garden plot, she has always ensured I was in nature. I looked at her as a strong independent solo parent, who could maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. Over the past few summers, my mom introduced me to a volunteer opportunity at Grow Food Northampton, a community garden with their “Giving Garden,” which produces food for food pantries and food kitchens. From this experience, I learned I like volunteering as it always leaves me with a proud feeling and believing I can create change. I was able to mix passion and volunteering. It also helped that I enjoyed gardening as it did bring me back to my roots. Even though I loved the simple act of harvesting kale (I promise it's satisfying), I also loved that I could harvest bins of kale that would be brought to the food pantry later that day. Volunteers were crucial to the garden to ensure food could be produced and donated. I want to be part of the change that the future needs. I care about what our future holds and at the same time, I am helping to improve the world around me. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing will get better. It’s not.” It’s crucial to keep participating in actions that will help those around us. While volunteering at the Giving Garden, I also became educated and passionate about food equity and the web of food access. Even recently, when my town experienced a sudden day of flooding, resulting in farms being destroyed, I could lend a hand to the Giving Garden and a local farm nearby by helping with cleaning up debris and restoring their land. Even if I don’t volunteer as frequently, I have found it’s very much still possible to do in my community no matter the times. Another example is how during my Spring break at college, I participated for a couple of days with Habitat for Humanity for a town nearby. I can't even write in words the pain I felt in my arm after the first day from hammering in at least 50 nails. The next day it went away slowly and by the third team, my group had put up 1 whole wall that we made. It was exciting and eye-opening for me. Despite the early hours and trekking through the cold air, my group connected well and it was motivating to be in a group surrounded by people wanting to make an impact. Every other weekend for the rest of the semester, I volunteered a morning with the Habitat for Humanity Club at my school and have continued to meet passionate people My past experiences with animals and volunteering have helped boost my motivation for my goals and I want to continue being part of the change in our world during and after college. Whatever it may end up being, I hope to be working for the greater good and conservation of our planet, people, and future generations to come. This could be looking at ways to conserve a native species that is experiencing a decline in its population or creating a sustainable produce truck that delivers fresh produce to families who are unable to access it (especially in cities). I always believe in giving back and recognizing the different ways I can support others. Thank you, Louisa

Bleeding hearts. Pink and certainly look their part, that is my favorite plant. Growing up, nature has always been around me and I owe it to my mom for my burning passion for it. She raised my sister and I as a singe mother our whole lives and would always bring us to the beach or on hikes to keep us entertained. I was adopted from Guatemala at two years old. When I got to high school and started taking more challenging science courses, I learned that despite the pain it sometimes brought me (as in the long hours of studying to understand what I was learning), I liked the difficulty of it. I liked that I didn't have much knowledge of our world and being able to understand how important everything is to each other. Did I notice that as I entered college and throughout high school, I typically was one of the only few people of color in my classrooms? Yes. Did I sometimes doubt my ability to be in those classrooms? Yes. I reflected on how that made me feel because I usually would feel a bit uncomfortable and anxious as I continued to take more science classes. Mostly because I didn't see others that looked like me. However, I like to think that by continuing to be part of these STEM classes, I and others (especially women) will increase the numbers for the future. We are the future. It helps when I see others pages of other empowering women who look like me who are doing amazing work and being successful and confident with how they do it. Currently my major is Wildlife and Conservation Biology for which I hope to have a job looking at the conservation of different species and finding ways to best support them. I also want to look at connecting groups that may not have a voice and recognizing how the future changes in our world could impact them. I will be honest and say that I don't have a specific idea for how I am going to make an impact but I like to believe that my current volunteer work is already helping in a small way within the different communities I have lived in. For example, in my hometown I have been involved in my local community garden that contains a Giving Garden. The Giving Garden donates its produce to different food pantries/kitchens and relies heavily on the work of the volunteers to be able to run. From preparing garden beds to weeding, watering, and then harvesting. Every role is important. During the holidays I help with the Manna Soup Kitchen and drop off meals to homebound people. This past college semester I started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and I am proud to say my hammering in nail skills are improving. To conclude, this scholarship would help my family and I greatly. My mom is currently 68 and is nearing the age of retirement because despite her doubts, she is getting old. I want to greatly decrease the burden on her and try to bring my college cost down as much as possible. So far, she has been able to contribute a little bit and I am very appreciative for that. I have and will continue to take out loans to pay for the rest of my college but any amount put towards my college cost would help. It also would enable me to have a bit more time to get involved with my school and other volunteer activities as I hold an on-campus job. Thank you, Louisa

Since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to sharing a garden plot, she has always ensured I was in nature. I looked at her as a strong independent solo parent, who could maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. Over the past few summers, my mom introduced me to a volunteer opportunity at Grow Food Northampton, a community garden with their “Giving Garden,” which produces food for food pantries and food kitchens. From this experience, I learned I like volunteering as it always leaves me with a proud feeling and believing I can create change. I was able to mix passion and volunteering. It also helped that I enjoyed gardening as it did bring me back to my roots. Even though I loved the simple act of harvesting kale (I promise it's satisfying), I also loved that I could harvest bins of kale that would be brought to the food pantry later that day. Volunteers were crucial to the garden to ensure food could be produced and donated. I want to be part of the change that the future needs. I care about what our future holds and at the same time, I am helping to improve the world around me. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing will get better. It’s not.” It’s crucial to keep participating in actions that will help those around us. While volunteering at the Giving Garden, I also became educated and passionate about food equity and the web of food access. Even recently, when my town experienced a sudden day of flooding, resulting in farms being destroyed, I could lend a hand to the Giving Garden and a local farm nearby by helping with cleaning up debris and restoring their land. Even if I don’t volunteer as frequently, I have found it’s very much still possible to do in my community no matter the times. Another example is how during my Spring break at college, I participated for a couple of days with Habitat for Humanity for a town nearby. I can't even write in words the pain I felt in my arm after the first day from hammering in at least 50 nails. The next day it went away slowly and by the third team, my group had put up 1 whole wall that we made. It was exciting and eye-opening for me. Despite the early hours and trekking through the cold air, my group connected well and it was motivating to be in a group surrounded by people wanting to make an impact. Every other weekend for the rest of the semester, I volunteered a morning with the Habitat for Humanity Club at my school and have continued to meet passionate people My past experiences with animals and volunteering have helped boost my motivation for my goals and I want to continue being part of the change in our world during and after college. Whatever it may end up being, I hope to be working for the greater good and conservation of our planet, people, and future generations to come. This could be looking at ways to conserve a native species that is experiencing a decline in its population or creating a sustainable produce truck that delivers fresh produce to families who are unable to access it (especially in cities). I always believe in giving back and recognizing the different ways I can support others. Thank you, Louisa

Since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to sharing a garden plot, she has always ensured I was in nature. I looked at her as a strong independent solo parent, who could maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. Over the past few summers, my mom introduced me to a volunteer opportunity at Grow Food Northampton, a community garden with their “Giving Garden,” which produces food for food pantries and food kitchens. From this experience, I learned I like volunteering as it always leaves me with a proud feeling and believing I can create change. I was able to mix passion and volunteering. It also helped that I enjoyed gardening as it did bring me back to my roots. Even though I loved the simple act of harvesting kale (I promise it's satisfying), I also loved that I could harvest bins of kale that would be brought to the food pantry later that day. Volunteers were crucial to the garden to ensure food could be produced and donated. I want to be part of the change that the future needs. I care about what our future holds and at the same time, I am helping to improve the world around me. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing will get better. It’s not.” It’s crucial to keep participating in actions that will help those around us. While volunteering at the Giving Garden, I also became educated and passionate about food equity and the web of food access. Even recently, when my town experienced a sudden day of flooding, resulting in farms being destroyed, I could lend a hand to the Giving Garden and a local farm nearby by helping with cleaning up debris and restoring their land. Even if I don’t volunteer as frequently, I have found it’s very much still possible to do in my community no matter the times. Another example is how during my Spring break at college, I participated for a couple of days with Habitat for Humanity for a town nearby. I can't even write in words the pain I felt in my arm after the first day from hammering in at least 50 nails. The next day it went away slowly and by the third team, my group had put up 1 whole wall that we made. It was exciting and eye-opening for me. Despite the early hours and trekking through the cold air, my group connected well and it was motivating to be in a group surrounded by people wanting to make an impact. Every other weekend for the rest of the semester, I volunteered a morning with the Habitat for Humanity Club at my school and have continued to meet passionate people My past experiences with animals and volunteering have helped boost my motivation for my goals and I want to continue being part of the change in our world during and after college. Whatever it may end up being, I hope to be working for the greater good and conservation of our planet, people, and future generations to come. This could be looking at ways to conserve a native species that is experiencing a decline in its population or creating a sustainable produce truck that delivers fresh produce to families who are unable to access it (especially in cities). I always will believe in giving back and recognizing the different ways I can support others. Thank you, Louisa

Growing up, I have always had a passion for animals. Typical of an 8-year-old but even at 18 years old, I still am fascinated with them. From taking the neighbor's dogs for walks to caring for my very own cat, my goal of working with all animals grew. I am interested in the pre-veterinarian path to explore becoming a veterinarian (especially one that works with big or exotic animals) or other careers that involve animals. This could include working as a wildlife biologist/technician, marine biologist, or something else that may surprise me but will surely end with animals and the wilderness. Nature or animals, I can take on the two things I love in a job since animals contribute to our ecosystem which impacts us. I have had several different jobs and the ones I felt most passionate about included working with animals. I feel that in the future, being a vet or another career path with animals will be rewarding as I am working to make a difference in many people's different lives. I knew that animals would be in my future. I have found that I liked to learn about animals and decided that I could have education be fun if I am learning about something that truly interests me. In addition, I like a challenge and am happy to have an education that will have a mix of different subjects. I also can be learning how else to benefit animals and humans at the same time, since veterinary science focuses highly on controlling diseases and improving the health quality of animals, that in return can ensure better health conditions for humans. Science is changing all the time and I would like to see more ways to improve animals lives. I would like to continue being part of the change in our world during and after college. However, during college, I hope to utilize the education given to me and increase my knowledge greatly. I will be double majoring in Animal Science (which will be including veterinary medicine as it's not a major offered at my school) and Wildlife and Conservation Biology, which will benefit me well. I am excited to work hands-on with the local farm and bring my level of knowledge of animals to another level. Whatever it may end up being for my future, I hope to be working for the greater good and conservation of our planet, people, animals, and future generations to come. Thank you, Louisa

Ever since I was little, my mother has been a huge role model for me. Although this may be a cliche answer, without a doubt it’s true. From surrounding me with plants and dirt from age two to sharing a garden plot with me, she has always ensured I was in nature. She was there for the core memories that seemed to almost always involve the ocean or flowers. I looked at her as a strong independent solo parent, who was able to maintain a garden business for 25 years while also caring for two young children at the time. When we went on walks, she would quiz my sister and me on different types of plants and I would always be in awe of how she would know each plant. She has been a wonderful support system for me. I always think of her as the main influence to my independence. Although it was true that there was some financial hardships at times, I was still able to buy my first car by myself by having a couple different jobs and encouragement from my mother. I feel that I am a lot more financialy aware now of things, which is something important for me especially as I enter my freshmen year at college. Many of my goals in life are inspired by her, like traveling the world, owning my own business, making a difference, and being exceptionally active and fit at her age. Who could imagine that a 67-year-old would be leading a two-week hiking trip in the Alps next week? Well, my mom certainly can. Despite never having a partner by her side as she raised my sister and me, she has always made sure we have unique experiences and be connected to nature. I now want to do as much as I can and succeed well. She has led workshops and will now have done one podcast and radio interview. Every time I describe the type of work she does to others, they always are in awe. I also can’t seem to get over everything she has done. On top of having a brain packed with plant facts, my mom doesn’t stop learning. I love her eagerness to learn as it provides her with important knowledge. Knowledge constantly fuels me to keep learning; it’s never-ending. I found that math and science subjects in school had endless amounts of information and were often hard times, which motivated me to indulge in the stem field more. Whether it’s from a friend, a stranger, or even a mistake; I always learn something new and I anticipate my continued learning about our world after college and strive to be successful with the work I do. I feel I am deserving of this scholarship as I am a dedicated community member and want to use my passion to pursue an education that will help the environment, animals, and humans. I will use the scholarship for an education but it will also allow me to have more time to continue another passion of mine for volunteering and learning about our world and different cultures at the same time. It would mean a lot as it would help me fulfill and reach my dreams. I would like to make my mother very proud by reaching the highest potential level of education for me and stay devoted to learning. I will do as much as I can, just like my mother and never give up. Thank you for your time and consideration, Louisa

Growing up, I have always had a passion for animals. From taking the neighbor's dogs for walks, to caring for my own cat, my goal of working with them grew. I fell in love with the cats my family owned and always felt a connection with them. I am interested in the pre-health path to explore becoming a veterinarian or other careers that involve animals. This could include working as a wildlife biologist/technician, marine biologist, or something else that may surprise me but will surely end with animals and the wilderness. Nature or animals, I can take on the two things I love in a job since animals contribute to our ecosystem which impacts us. I have had several different jobs and the ones I felt most passionate about included working with animals. I knew that animals would be in my future. Knowledge constantly fuels me to keep learning; it’s never-ending. Whether it’s from a friend, a stranger, or even a mistake; I always learn something new and I anticipate my continued learning about our world after college and strive to be successful. Over the past few summers, I have volunteered at GrowFoodNorthampton, a community garden with their “Giving Garden,” which produces food for food pantries and food kitchens. From this experience, I learned I really like volunteering as it always leaves me with a proud feeling and believing I have the ability to create change. I want to be part of the change that the future needs. I care about what our future holds and at the same time, I am helping to improve the world around me. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” It’s crucial to keep participating in actions that will help those around us. While volunteering at the “Giving Garden”, I also became educated and passionate about food equity and the web of food access. My love and interest for the environment grew and I decided to take additional science courses in order to continue learning more about our world and dive deeper into the field of environmental studies. My past experiences with animals and volunteering have helped boost my motivation for my goals and I want to continue being part of the change in our world during and after college. I envision myself adding to that percentage of underrepresented women in STEM (especially as a woman of color) as I explore an Animal Science or Environmental Science major. I look up to other powerful women and felt that growing up, it was crucial to have others like me to be my inspiration. I want to be an inspiration to others and the younger generations of women to come. I feel I am deserving of this scholarship as I am a dedicated community member and want to use my passion to pursue an education that will help the environment, animals, and humans. I will use the scholarship for an education but it will also allow me to have more time to continue another passion of mine for volunteering and learning about our world and different cultures at the same time.

During the summer of my sophomore year, I started to feel isolated from the world around me. Most summer camps were closed or restricted. I felt like I wasn’t able to be involved in my community anymore. My mom suggested that I try volunteering at our local community gardens as I would be outside and still be with other people. We got in touch with a volunteer coordinator so that I could pick out days I would go regularly and not have to sign up each time since they had limited spots each time due to covid restrictions. My first day started out rough as I didn’t necessarily enjoy waking up at 6:30 AM on a summer morning and biking first thing. Once I arrived, I was introduced to the main person in charge of the garden. I would mainly be helping the Giving Garden where they donate their produce to local food pantries/kitchens. I soon realized that the volunteer job was very important as we helped plant, grow, and harvest the produce. We were making access to healthy food possible for our community. Soon after, I began to feel connected with others in my community and have a better sense of what volunteering meant. Who knew that one of the best parts of my summer would end up being harvesting kale? I had managed to make my summer amazing and life-changing, all in the midst of the pandemic. With my new knowledge of the food system, I participated in a Youth Climate Summit and took it upon myself to take more science classes to continue learning about different connections within our environment. I talked more about the importance of our food system to my friends and encouraged them to volunteer well. I also am a founder of one youth council, called Leaders of Today Youth Council. I remember being uncertain whether I could have the courage to join others in making it happen. However, I had wanted to see myself take a leadership role in my final senior year of high school and worked to ensure it would happen. In one month we expect to launch our website which will be a helpful resource for connecting more youth together and serving as one platform with events and groups dedicated to youth in our local towns. Ever since, I have continued to be a dedicated supporter and volunteer for GrowFoodNorthampton and it has motivated me to participate in other volunteer activities. With my passion for the environment and equal accessibility for everyone, I took on the role of leadership for myself and led the way to more opportunities. As I prepare for my first year of college I am excited to join the Leadership Institute offered and learn about other ways to be a leader in the college community and at home.

To start off, college is expensive! Not just for me but for thousands. I have a dream to help animals and the environment but it won't be one I can easily achieve and will require me to obtain more knowledge and experience to do so. This scholarship will fund my education and essentially, my dreams. My mother and I will split the costs of college but that will not deter me from attending as I am determined to do so. I have good grades, am an active volunteer in my community, founded one youth council with Spiffy in Northampton (Leaders of Today Council), and am in two other youth councils. I have volunteered ever since I was 13 and have found it to be a very amazing and beneficial experience. In fact, I think that is the one thing that sets me apart from my peers. Usually, when I mention my volunteering, other adults are surprised. I remember not long ago when my tennis instructor had said I was a great person to be doing this (volunteering) at my age and found it amazing to hear about. It’s a very impactful act to do and ties into my goals, like going bungee jumping in a foreign country or swimming with dolphins. Then there’s the Presidential Volunteer Service Program, which is one I will achieve in hopes of pushing myself to volunteer more. It’s a prestigious award given to someone who has completed a year of service continually and 100 years of service. Especially in times that were more difficult than others, like the pandemic, I found something that brought me joy and also allowed me to learn at the same time. When I first started volunteering at the Giving Garden (a garden associated with Grow Food Northampton that donates produce to local food pantries/kitchens) during the summers, I always left feeling more appreciative than before but also with a better sense of purpose and community. Recently, my town experienced an unexpected amount of flooding, which left several farms destroyed and debris everywhere. I joined a work party and was amazed at the number of people who showed up, all wanting to support our local community in the best way possible. In addition to being an active participant on my Varsity Tennis team and Environmental Club member, I am part of the National Honors Society. Volunteer hours are necessary to be a member and I have been able to volunteer about 10 hours just with the school and an additional 15 with outside places.

During the summer of my sophomore year, I started to feel isolated from the world around me. Most summer camps were closed or restricted. I felt like I wasn’t able to be involved in my community anymore. My mom suggested that I try volunteering at our local community gardens as I would be outside and still be with other people. We got in touch with a volunteer coordinator so that I could pick out days I would go regularly and not have to sign up each time since they had limited spots each time due to covid restrictions. My first day started out rough as I didn’t necessarily enjoy waking up at 6:30 AM on a summer morning and biking first thing. Once I arrived, I was introduced to the main person in charge of the garden. I would mainly be helping the Giving Garden where they donate their produce to local food pantries/kitchens. I soon realized that the volunteer job was very important as we helped plant, grow, and harvest the produce. We were making access to healthy food possible for our community. Soon after, I began to feel connected with others in my community and have a better sense of what volunteering meant. Who knew that one of the best parts of my summer would end up being harvesting kale? I had managed to make my summer amazing and life-changing, all in the midst of the pandemic. With my new knowledge of the food system, I participated in a Youth Climate Summit and took it upon myself to take more science classes to continue learning about different connections within our environment. Ever since, I have continued to be a dedicated supporter and volunteer for GrowFoodNorthampton and it has motivated me to participate in other volunteer activities. With my passion for the environment and equal accessibility for everyone, I took on the role of leadership for myself and led the way to more opportunities. I had volunteered with the Manna Kitchen(a local food kitchen that regularly serves meals to people who may be in need) but I never really learned about where some of their food came from. It would be satisfying to pick tomatoes and know that it was going to the Manna Kitchen later and they would be making it into a meal. It’s interesting to learn about the unique organizations that we have that are tackling different social issues, like food insecurity in our town. I have been able to talk to my friends about food insecurity and new knowledge that I have gained from my experience at the Giving Garden.

To begin, our world is filled with unique and smart people. Starting from Einstein and ranging to Steve Jobs, there have been several breakthroughs in the history of technology. Even from what we eat to how we do our daily actions in life, a lot of it can be credited to different people. New technologies in agriculture to increase food productivity or the simple things that millions use every day; light. The light bulb. What would we do in a world of darkness during the night? Not a question we need to know right now since we thankfully have light. Shout out to the wonderful Thomas Edison for his invention. Now, I am going to try and narrow in on one innovation for this essay, which definitely proved to be hard at first. One example that comes to mind is the innovation of cars, specifically electric vehicles. I sit writing this as I listen to the background sound of cars and think about how useful they are in our society. We have evolved from mainly using animals and carriages to fast-moving objects that can easily transport us short and long distances. On the other hand, with the advancement of technologies, there will be some difficulties that arise. For example, cars emit carbon dioxide which isn't great for our world as we tackle global climate change. They also are incredibly dangerous. We take the risk though and have created larger machines. Electric vehicles have been on the rise and have put a creative twist on the traditional car. If we continue to increase this usage and make it more accessible, we can help with the everyday challenge of climate change. Or even increase buses and other public transportation vehicles to be more environmentally friendly. We have taken the first step in a large list of things needs to help ease the impacts of climate change but it will continue to be a challenge for a while but in the end, the challenge has been lessened a little. Not a lot but a small dent has been made at the very least. Another creative idea that has yet to be made is to have cars that are based on solar energy. Houses are already able to be fueled by solar power so there is a chance for cars to have the same opportunity. This would be especially useful for places that receive more sun and are heavily populated, like Florida. I believe that if we continue building on current innovations and thinking outside the box, we can tackle other current problems that arise.

One thing I am very proud of is my car...and myself as well. However, my car was one of the first big milestones I have achieved since I bought it myself. When the pandemic occurred, I created my own gardening business and started saving. In the fall I had a seasonal job at a Orchard where I would be essentially running food back and forth for 8 hours each day, every weekend. Although the bee stings and level of stress were harsh, the paycheck in the end was worth it. It went right into my savings account without me looking back at it. Once I started to look at cars, I realized the unfortunate prices that I would be met with as car prices were increasing a lot. I started another part-time job at my local hospital as a food service assistant where I would be working in the evenings mostly with grumpy patients and that would prove to be quite an experience. After a year of looking, my local mechanic found me a 2007 Honda Fit with 200,000 miles. Yes, not quite the best but it would get me from point A to point B. I went to the bank and learned about a Cashier's Check that I would use to get my new car. After years of hard work, I had reached my goal. I had been independent in getting jobs and working toward this goal. I have now learned about the necessary work needed and that even though the goal has been met, it still requires work. Insurance, gas, car fixes, and car taxes are not old news anymore but rather a reminder of how I must keep in mind other things to keep such an important object.