Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant. I am yearning to learn how I can stand out, for my family, and for me.

Could telling my background story, using figurative language and flowery words, pulling at your heartstrings, cause me to stand out from the rest? I could simply tell you, my dad left me the day after my thirteenth birthday. Or, I could tell you, my father, who was the financial stability figure in my family, cheated on my pregnant mother, abandoned her, my younger brother and I the day after I had turned thirteen, and has continued to cause absolute havoc over my family’s lives ever since. I could simply emphasize that he had a drug problem. Or, I could explain that he has suffered the effects from the use of methamphetamine, cocaine, medicines that he did not need to be taking, alcoholism, etc., thus causing him to take actions on things as attempting to make my family become homeless, make false CPS calls to torment my mother as well as his children, take partial custody just simply to scar my family further on, send police to my house because I did not want to associate with prostitutes, and touch me in places I did not want to be touched or leave me around men who looked at me like I was a fresh piece of meat. Could my personal struggles somehow catch your eye? Such as how paying for my college education was not an issue for me until it finally mattered? Or even how I struggle to communicate with over half of my family for the reason that my father urged them not to speak with me and even went as far as disowning me and having me emancipated in court? Or how it feels like my family problems have robbed me from having any sort of a normal high school experience? Could my wants and aspirations possibly help determine my eligibility? Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet, and absent parents are not unheard of. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant. I am yearning to learn how I can stand out, for my family, and for me.

Could telling my background story, using figurative language and flowery words, pulling at your heartstrings, cause me to stand out from the rest? I could simply tell you, my dad left me the day after my thirteenth birthday. Or, I could tell you, my father, who was the financial stability figure in my family, cheated on my pregnant mother, abandoned her, my younger brother and I the day after I had turned thirteen, and has continued to cause absolute havoc over my family’s lives ever since. I could simply emphasize that he had a drug problem. Or, I could explain that he has suffered the effects from the use of methamphetamine, cocaine, medicines that he did not need to be taking, alcoholism, etc., thus causing him to take actions on things as attempting to make my family become homeless, make false CPS calls to torment my mother as well as his children, take partial custody just simply to scar my family further on, send police to my house because I did not want to associate with prostitutes, and touch me in places I did not want to be touched or leave me around men who looked at me like I was a fresh piece of meat. Could my wants and aspirations possibly help determine my eligibility? Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet, and absent parents are not unheard of. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant. I am yearning to learn how I can stand out, for my family, and for me.

Standing out has always been drilled into my mind. “Standing out is how you create a legacy for yourself,” “standing out is how you get accepted into any college,” “standing out is how you get a job, find love, and overall succeed in life.” But, how do I stand out in a world with a population of almost 8 billion people? What difference could I possibly make that has not been thought of already? What attributes make a person truly stand out these days, other than the amount of money they have or how much beauty-related surgery they have had? Could telling my background story, using figurative language and flowery words, pulling at your heartstrings, cause me to stand out from the rest? I could simply say, my dad left me the day after my thirteenth birthday. Or, I could tell you, my father, who was the financial stability figure in my family, cheated on my pregnant mother, abandoned her, my younger brother and I the day after I had turned thirteen, and has continued to cause absolute havoc over my family’s lives ever since. I could simply emphasize that he had a drug problem. Or, I could explain that he has suffered the effects from the use of methamphetamine, cocaine, medicines that he did not need to be taking, alcoholism, etc., thus causing him to take actions on things as attempting to make my family become homeless, make false CPS calls to torment my mother as well as his children, take partial custody just simply to scar my family further on, send police to my house because I did not want to associate with prostitutes, and touch me in places I did not want to be touched or leave me around men who looked at me like I was a fresh piece of meat. Could my personal struggles somehow catch your eye? Such as how paying for my college education was not an issue for me until it finally mattered? Or even how I struggle to communicate with over half of my family for the reason that my father urged them not to speak with me and even went as far as disowning me and having me emancipated in court? Or how it feels like my family problems have robbed me from having any sort of a normal high school experience? Could my wants and aspirations possibly help determine my eligibility? Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet, and absent parents are not unheard of. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant.

I would have to say that one of my greatest achievements in my life, though very recent, was winning first place in a personal narrative writing contest. It really gave me the realization that I have a story to tell and things to say that others will actually listen to. Coming from a family that cannot afford the school supplies I need to come out at the top or afford all the extracurricular trips that the rest of the students go on (even though public school is supposed to have these equal opportunities for everyone), it is hard to fit in, or be seen as one of everyone else. I was a bit considered as different, being a low-income student active in theatre, and in all of the advanced courses, it is a bit unheard of, or at least where I come from. What do you think of when you hear about a low-income student? Someone who does not try in school? Someone who does not care about education? Someone who is disrespectful to their teacher? The type of student who cares for drugs more than homework? This is such a ridiculous stereotype that our world has come to identify itself with. If you saw me on the street, you probably would not identify me as a low-income student. Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet. I am yearning to learn how I can stand out, for my family, and for me.

Standing out has always been drilled into my mind. “Standing out is how you create a legacy for yourself,” “standing out is how you get accepted into any college,” “standing out is how you get a job, find love, and overall succeed in life.” But, how do I stand out in a world with a population of almost 8 billion people? What difference could I possibly make that has not been thought of already? I do not live in the ages where I could think of a new communication device, I live in the era of Apple. I do not live in the age where electricity has not been heard of, I live in the era of solar panels and hydroelectric dams. I do not live in the age of thinking of new transportation ideas, I live in the era of vehicles being created to drive themselves, or fly. What attributes make a person truly stand out these days, other than the amount of money they have or how much beauty-related surgery they have had done for themselves? Could my wants and aspirations possibly help determine my eligibility? Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet, and absent parents are not unheard of. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant. I am yearning to learn how I can stand out, for my family, and for me.

Could my wants and aspirations possibly help determine my eligibility? Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet, and absent parents are not unheard of. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant. I am yearning to learn how I can stand out, for my family, and for me.

This picture was taken in April 2021, or the first time I had seen my boyfriend since his wreck that caused him a serious brain injury that will last forever. How does that make me bold? I had to take so many risks during this time. While any other high school kid might have just left, I not only stayed, but helped my incoherent partner to learn to talk, read, walk, and stay motivated during the months-long hard times, all over the phone. Not all bold photos may share the whole story, or involve a physically risky task.

Standing out has always been drilled into my mind. “Standing out is how you create a legacy for yourself,” “standing out is how you get accepted into any college,” “standing out is how you get a job, find love, and overall succeed in life.” But, how do I stand out in a world with a population of almost 8 billion people? What difference could I possibly make that has not been thought of already? I do not live in the ages where I could think of a new communication device, I live in the era of Apple. I do not live in the age where electricity has not been heard of, I live in the era of solar panels and hydroelectric dams. I do not live in the age of thinking of new transportation ideas, I live in the era of vehicles being created to drive themselves, or fly. What attributes make a person truly stand out these days, other than the amount of money they have or how much beauty-related surgery they have had done for themselves? Could telling my background story, using figurative language and flowery words, pulling at your heartstrings, cause me to stand out from the rest? I could simply tell you, my dad left me the day after my thirteenth birthday. Or, I could tell you, my father, who was the financial stability figure in my family, cheated on my pregnant mother, abandoned her, my younger brother and I the day after I had turned thirteen, and has continued to cause absolute havoc over my family’s lives ever since. I could simply emphasize that he had a drug problem. Or, I could explain that he has suffered the effects from the use of methamphetamine, cocaine, medicines that he did not need to be taking, alcoholism, etc., thus causing him to take actions on things as attempting to make my family become homeless, make false CPS calls to torment my mother as well as his children, take partial custody just simply to scar my family further on, send police to my house because I did not want to associate with prostitutes, and touch me in places I did not want to be touched or leave me around men who looked at me like I was a fresh piece of meat. Could my wants and aspirations possibly help determine my eligibility? Unlike the commonly heard of “doctor” or “lawyer” I have always aspired to be an interior designer. It was not because of the artistic appeal, although it was a major plus to me. It is simply because it brings me joy to make others feel more comfortable in their homes, as I was not, and see their raw reactions when they are revealed to their dream spaces. The happiness that I could potentially bring to others fully overrides all the struggle I have previously dealt with and makes me feel as if it had never happened at all. Making a positive future for both myself and others around me has always been my goal and I have pulled through many obstacles and bumps to get there with full determination. My grades may not be outstandingly special. My test scores may not blow you out of the water. Maybe my story does not, either. Maybe you have heard something like it before. There are almost 8 billion people on this planet, and absent parents are not unheard of. I’ve grown up being told I need to learn to stand out, and apparently, the stage was not what they meant.