Throughout my life, I've always felt a little different from my peers; I was never very good at making friends and always wondered what could be wrong with me as it almost felt like everyone else got a handbook on how to fit in and, someone forgot to give me a copy, in eighth grade, after a year of finding no friends at my new school I was diagnosed with autism, I suddenly realized what it was that made me different and realized that if I wanted to have friends I might have to change and mask those parts of me that didn't fit in with the rest. It wasn't until ninth grade when I auditioned for my high school drama performance that I realized I didn't have to change. Every day in drama I am asked to be someone new, to put on a mask and pretend, to be an old grouch or a sweet maiden, a busy store owner, or a bratty child, through drama I was able to express myself and be appreciated like never before, suddenly I wasn't so scared to be myself, because in drama we are asked to be everything and anything, and being a little different only adds to your character, and via drama class I found an outlet to pour all my passions and all my quirks into something brilliant to be shared with the rest of my school as well as finding solace in a community of people where we applaud one another, laugh with each other and cry with each other. The secret to why actors love acting isn't that they get to go and be someone else, it's that this is the one moment where their individual talents and their unique behaviors get to be appreciated in a whole new way, and that is why I love drama. Across my time at Santiam Christian, I have participated and contributed in over six plays, eight roles, and a thousand memories, drama has inspired me to look under the surface instead of what's right in front of you, to question before assuming and to give everyone a chance, it inspired me to discover that what others might find offputting might be cherished by someone else, and that is one of the reasons I want to pursue a degree in psychology, to better understand the individuals of this world who aren't everyone's cup of tea because just like them I've been judged, I've been cast away and ignored only to realize that with just a little bit of community, you can find your people who accept you exactly as you are, just like I found mine, in Drama.

My name is Maci Shaw, and I want to be a lawyer. At the young age of thirteen I was diagnosed with autism, at the time I struggled to find friends and wasn’t good at fitting in and often found myself alone, during the same year I met a little girl named Kye. My family helped babysit this three-year-old toddler in foster care every other weekend. She was the happiest and craziest little bundle of joy that ever came into my life. She was taken away from her family due to a drug addiction endangering her, but despite it all, she was still a lively girl with a brave smile on her face. I haven't seen her for years, but her impact remains. As such through this I've gained a special kind of love for children and their funny little ways, and it all started with that little girl. And it is this that has inspired me to become a lawyer and an advocate. My dream job is to advocate for children and those who, like that little girl, didn't have a choice in the position that they found themselves in but still have hope enough in themselves and humanity to right those wrongs that they stumbled into. I plan to go on to college after high school and gain a degree in either psychology or social work, with the aim of gaining more of a perspective and skill set on the way that people work and how I can specifically help them, and then to law school to obtain a license to advocate. I know that I am the right person for this job because of the multiple motivating aspects and my experience with children in difficult circumstances, having participated in various community service opportunities directed at kids in need and those with difficult disabilities. My experience working at my school's daycare had also aided in my job inspirations, reinforcing my connection with kids, all while maintaining a 3.9 GPA. And I believe that all of these experiences have made me a resourceful person who can find solutions where others cannot. I've always loved to debate, argue, and use evidence to prove what I know is true. And with the pairing of my love for children and justice, these things will help me be successful in the world of law. I believe that I have what it takes to find justice in cases of civil rights, custody, adoption, abuse, and negligence to pave the way toward a better life for the young and innocent. I've heard that law, especially family law, can be a hard career to fall into, one of much grief and sorrow because we are influencing real people's lives. Lawyers are the advocates, and when they fail, they may lose a couple of bucks, but the ones that they represent lose everything, and even when you win, it's bittersweet. Some may find me foolish for thinking I can do such a thing, but I would call myself daring and downright inspired. This opportunity will help give me the resources I need in order to pave my way through college easier and more efficiently so that I can become the best advocate that I know I can be, and if given this scholarship, I promise to give back tenfold for everything that I've been given through my work and influence within the world.

Throughout my life, I've participated in many different sorts of community service opportunities and volunteering experiences, but by far my favorite and most influential program in my life at age sixteen and seventeen would have to be my experiences with Camp Attitude. Camp Attitude is a place designed to give disabled youth a chance to be a "normal kid," providing disability services and creating a place without judgment from others for whatever physical or mental ailment they may have. This is a camp that goes the mile to never say no to a camper and ensures everyone gets to have the real camp experience that they couldn't have before. My role in this camp was to supervise and hang out as a buddy for a disabled child I was assigned to while their parents and siblings bonded with the other camper families. Every day I would race around camp at their demand, doing every little thing that piqued their interest, whether it was riding horses, fishing at the pond, or picking flowers in a patch of grass. It never mattered to me whether it was my favorite thing to do or anyone else's, because I was doing this for a purpose, and knowing I was putting a smile on a child's face was all I needed. This type of service grew me in my values in that it taught me that we should never judge a book by its cover and never judge off of preconceived notions about a person's disability. It has helped me grow in compassion for others in similar situations and has also aided in giving me a special sort of compassion for children and their funny little ways. This camp holds a special place in my heart because, at the young age of thirteen, I too was diagnosed with a disability, autism, and for a long time I was judged for my disability and was often in discontent. Through my volunteer service at Camp Attitude, I hoped to show young people like me that it was okay to be different and that you could be celebrated as you were, whatever disability you might have; that although some people might find little worth in someone disabled, there was always a place in society for them; and that people like me and the volunteers at Camp Attitude understood and loved them for who they were, no matter their disability.

My name is Maci, and I want to be a lawyer. As I've grown up, I've gained a special love for children. When I was twelve, my family helped babysit a toddler in foster care on weekends. She was the craziest little bundle of joy that ever came into my life. She was taken away from her family due to a drug addiction endangering her, but despite it all, she was still a lively girl with a smile on her face. I haven't seen her for years, but her impact remains. My dream job is to advocate for children and those who have been wronged by the world. I want to listen where others have not, create justice where there is none, put a smile back on the faces of those who have lost it, and show them that the world has not forsaken them. As many know, children with disabilities are a large percentage of the victims of injustice in today's society, children who face mistreatment and disclusion in many areas of their lives. Through my career, I plan to right many of these wrongs and pave the way to a brighter future for children with disabilities.

Throughout my life, I've always felt a little different from my peers; I was never very good at making friends and always wondered what could be wrong with me as it almost felt like everyone else got a handbook on how to fit in and someone forgot to give me a copy. It wasn't until eighth grade, after a year of finding no friends at my new school, that I was diagnosed with autism. I suddenly realized what it was that made me different and realized that if I wanted to have friends, I might have to change and mask those parts of me that didn't fit in with the rest. It wasn't until ninth grade, when I auditioned for my high school drama performance, that I realized I didn't have to change. Every day in drama, I am asked to be someone new, to put on a mask and pretend, to be an old grouch or a sweet maiden, a busy store owner, or a bratty child. Through drama, I was able to express myself and be appreciated like never before. Suddenly, I wasn't so scared to be myself, because in drama we are asked to be everything and anything, and being a little different only adds to your character. And via drama class, I found an outlet to pour all my passions and all my quirks into something brilliant to be shared with the rest of my school, as well as finding solace in a community of people where we applaud one another, laugh with each other, and cry with each other. The secret to why actors love acting isn't that they get to go and be someone else; it's that this is the one moment where their individual talents and their unique behaviors get to be appreciated in a whole new way, and that is why I love drama. Across my time at Santiam Christian, I will have participated and contributed in over six plays, eight roles, and a thousand memories, drama has inspired me to look under the surface instead of what's right in front of you, to question before assuming and to give everyone a chance, it inspired me to discover that what others might find offputting might be cherished by someone else, and that is one of the reasons I want to pursue a degree in psychology, to better understand the individuals of this world who aren't everyone's cup of tea, to look beyond what society tells us to look at and come at it with a perspective of sympathy and understanding, because just like those who have struggled with disabilities and mental health problems, I've been judged, I've been told that I have to change in order to fit in, and because of that I've been cast away and ignored only to realize that with just a little bit of community, understanding, and determination, you can find your home and your people who accept you exactly as you are, just like I found mine.

My name is Maci Shaw, and I want to be a lawyer. As I've grown up, I've gained a special kind of love for children and their funny little ways, and it all started with a little girl. When I was in sixth and seventh grade, my family helped babysit a three-year-old toddler in foster care every other weekend. She was the happiest and craziest little bundle of joy that ever came into my life. She was taken away from her family due to a drug addiction endangering her, but despite it all, she was still a lively girl with a brave smile on her face. I haven't seen her for years, but her impact remains. And it is this that has inspired me to become a lawyer and an advocate. My dream job is to advocate for children and those who, like that little girl, didn't have a choice in the position that they found themselves in but still have hope enough in themselves and humanity to right those wrongs that they stumbled into. I know that I am the right person for this job because of the multiple motivating aspects and my experience with children in difficult circumstances, having participated in various community service opportunities directed at kids in need and those with difficult disabilities. As well as my experience working at my school's daycare, reinforcing my connection with kids, all while maintaining a 3.9 GPA. And I believe that all of these experiences have made me a resourceful person who can find solutions where others cannot. I've always loved to debate, argue, and use evidence to prove what I know is true. And with the pairing of my love for children and justice, these things will help me be successful in the world of law. I believe that I have what it takes to find justice in cases of civil rights, custody, adoption, abuse, and negligence to pave the way toward a better life for the young and innocent. Success for me means I'll be able to have a secure and fruitful job, enough to provide for my family and others, giving me the skills, time, and resources to fulfill the career aspirations I've found for myself and advocate for those who have little and found less. I've heard that law, especially family law, can be a hard career to fall into, one of much grief and sorrow because we are influencing real people's lives. Lawyers are the advocates, and when they fail, they may lose a couple of bucks, but the ones they represent lose everything, and even when you win, it's bittersweet. Some may find me foolish for thinking I can do such a thing, but I would call myself daring and downright inspired. This opportunity will help give me the resources I need to pave my way through college easier and more efficiently so that I can become the best advocate that I know I can be, and if given this scholarship, I promise to give back tenfold for everything that I've been given through my work and influence within the world.

My name is Maci Shaw, and I want to be a lawyer. As I've grown up, I've gained a special sort of love for children. When I was in sixth and seventh grade, my family helped babysit a little girl in foster care every other weekend. She was the happiest and craziest little bundle of joy that ever came into my life. She was taken away from her family due to a drug addiction endangering her, but despite it all, she was still a lively girl with a brave smile on her face. I haven't seen her for years, but her impact remains. My dream job is to advocate for children and those who, like her, have been wronged by the world, to listen where others have not, and to create justice in places where there is none. I want to put a smile back on the faces of those who have lost it and show them that the world has not forsaken them and that somebody still cares. I've always loved to debate, argue, and use evidence to prove what I know is true. With the pairing of my love for children and justice, these three things will help me be successful in the world of law. I want to work on cases of civil rights, custody, adoption, abuse, and negligence, paving the way for a better life for the young and innocent. I want a career in which I have a stable job, one where I can choose whom I represent in court and fight for what we jointly believe in. I want to do work that matters, be genuine, and create connections within my cases and with coworkers. A work where I can lead others to a better future through adaptability and creativity, knowing that although no solution is perfect, there always is one, as long as you work hard enough to find it. This will impact my job search in that I want to find like-minded people to work with who don't just do these things for the paycheck but because they believe in them. I've heard that law, especially family law, can be a hard career to fall into, one of much grief and sorrow because we are influencing real people's lives. Lawyers are the advocates, and when they fail, they may lose a couple of bucks, but the ones that they represent lose everything, and even when you win, it's bittersweet. Some may find me foolish for thinking I can do such a thing, but I would call myself daring and downright inspired. I will do all I can to become the lawyer that I know I can be, and if given this scholarship, I promise to give back tenfold everything that I've been given through my work and influence within the world.

On April 9th, 2006, around 9:30 pm, my mother was in the process of giving birth after hours of labor it seemed as if I was finally ready to join the world of the living when my mother began to have a strange urgency to play music, she turned to my father saying “Play music, get the cd player going” and minutes later I was born listening to Michele Buble. Ever since I began to talk my babbles turned into a song, my parents suddenly never needed to check up on me as they could hear me from the room next door, and suddenly, I was thirteen years old, performing in front of a few hundred people at the state fair singing “What I Know,” by Tricia Brook. Music and singing have built the way I grow and express myself, with thoughts that have always gone a million times a minute. Music became my inner peace that called everything else to leave my mind as I focussed on something I love and enjoy. Singing allows an outlet for expression, an invitation into trying new things, and not being afraid to pour every anxiety and emotion into a soothing melody to be heard by any who choose to listen. It is always important to bring passion to a song, for a song without it is like a prayer without faith, dead and useless. Through singing, I learned to be more open with sharing pieces of myself out loud, singing songs that comforted my innermost thoughts and resonated with the people around me. It has always been a sort of comfort to me to know that someone out there knows how I'm feeling and that by singing it to them, someone else might feel comforted too. Emotions are like a different language and a singer is its interpreter, communicating what many find complex to put into words. Nothing means more to me than a compliment about my vocals, and nothing brings me more peace than singing a melody I memorized so long ago triggered only by a few clicks on the piano as I fall into my own sense of style and begin to decompress, and that is exactly why singing is special to me. The way it brings you into another world, gives you a way to express everything you couldn't in a beautiful tune to be shared and enjoyed by others who the message resonates with.