From the community to the country, to the world -- one change that I would love to see is the slowing and ending of the global hunger crisis. Statistics in recent years (2019-current day) have demonstrated that approximately 811 million people still suffer from receiving adequate food to survive -- making world hunger one of the most crucial world problems that we face as people today. According to the World Food Hunger Program USA, it has been reported that countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Yemen, Nigeria, and are countries that suffer greatly from world hunger due to famine, economic decline, natural disasters, conflict, and many other variables. Even here in the United States, approximately 38 million people are impacted by the global hunger crisis -- an estimated 12 million of them being young children. The global hunger crisis is not a crisis that can be resolved very quickly -- but with the effort of anyone and everyone; we can help to slow down the struggle. It may seem like a daunting task, but taking the initiative and encouraging to work together as a team is what is able to truly accomplish something great in the world. No matter how small or big that effort is -- it still changes lives for the better-- and that is what truly matters. A way that I act locally that involves the slowing of the hunger crisis is through my local church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) that is hosted annually in the summertime. I volunteer as a child group leader and our church has an initiative every year to encourage both volunteer workers and the children attending the VBS to donate money and non-perishable food items that all go to our local food bank. Over the years of volunteering, I and my community have been able to donate hundreds of dollars and food items to our food bank. This collective effort to be able to give back to our community is able to put food on the tables for people that are struggling within our area. While it may not seem like a very large-scale effort and change; it contributes to the slowing of the hunger crisis. For every food item and dollar donated, the more families that we are able to feed as a community -- and ultimately contributes to slowing down the struggle of hunger. Besides contributing to the slowing of the global hunger crisis -- one change that I would undoubtedly love to see is more people getting involved in acts of volunteerism where more and more lives can be changed each day. The concept of volunteering is so versatile because there is an opportunity waiting around each corner that can be for anyone and everyone to contribute to -- getting involved is easier than ever and is rewarding in the idea that you are able to change another person's life for the better. I strive to actively contribute to my own community and encourage everyone to also take action as it contributes to a greater purpose and creates a better community and world for everyone.

When I think of cats, I think of my grandmother. She's always had a deep love for cats -- and quite frankly, it developed mine as well. I grew up spending a lot of time with my grandmother and her cats. Her and I bonded over taking care of them -- from a very young age I learned what gentle care, responsibility, and dedication meant. I would help feed them, replenish their water dishes, brush their fur, give them attention, and much more. The bonds that I developed with these cats became very strong and having them as a part of my life brought great benefits. Although, in 2019, my grandmother was diagnosed with a late stage of Bone Cancer that caused her to go into a nursing home -- leaving her cats stranded. Therefore, my parents and I took them both in under our care. She unfortunately passed away a few months later after going into the nursing home. That was when I realized that her "fur babies" -- her cats -- changed my life. While she is physically gone, her two cats that we took in under our care are physical pieces and reminders of her presence. Everyday I give them the love that my grandmother once gave them that gives me a sense of relief in the idea that it is something that she would have wanted me to do. Pets truly help heal wounds that we cannot see but feel -- and that is why I love having pets so much. Her two cats, Emma and Muffy, certainly changed mine and helped fill the voids that I felt while grieving her loss.

Sometimes the most simple and seemingly insignificant moments from your childhood are the ones that stick most with you -- simply due to funny and pure nature of them. A story that one of my close friends and I still laugh about till this day was during one of our sleepovers a couple years ago. For context, if you knew the both of us through the eyes of our peers, we're like a "power duo" -- and still are. To begin the story, we were at school one day and we talked about having this sleepover. We were so excited -- sleepovers are the highlights of a person's childhood, with the price of practically begging our parents to agree of course. Well, it was set! After I got there, we played on her Nintendo Switch for a little while and ate dinner, but then our childish boredom took over us. Like any child -- right? What do we do? We're booooored. Well, later in the evening of our sleepover, she found a disco ball in her closet (that barely worked, but still projected those rainbow reflective lights) and decided to turn it on. My friend also got the idea to play her music playlist, with one of the songs being "We like to Party!" by the Vengaboys. We were hesitant at first to have our version of a "party" (in fear of her parents questioning what the heck we were doing in her room) but our adrenaline was too high. WAY too high. We turned off the lights, danced and jumped around to the music, and yelled until we were out of breath. After the adrenaline wore off we both sat there laughing for a good 20 minutes before we both felt the exhaustion take over us and fell asleep. For how loud we were, and well, "partying", how did her parents not notice? Well, the morning came about and it was time for breakfast. Still laughing about the fun we had the night before, we had no idea how her parents have still not asked us what we did last night. Then, that's when the question came -- but not in the way we could have ever thought. My friend's mother while eating cereal goes: "What did you girls do last night? You both were awfully quiet!" I look over at my friend, she looks over at me, and we both have faces of pure comedy. We both had that face as if we were saying "seriously?" without having to say it out loud. We sat there at the dining room table and giggled at that thought. To this day her parents still have no idea, and it became a humorous story that we both will treasure simply due to how hysterical it was for us. Turns out her bedroom was sound, and well, party proof! Who would've known. Moments like these are ones that I live with. I know that this memory seems so insignificant, but looking back on it now, it's a memory that connects my friend and I together. Even today we still bring it up in conversations, remembering how funny it is to get away with something silly as a child. Also, it taught me something -- I learned how to "live in the moment" before I even truly understood that concept. I'm so glad that I have memories like those ones from my childhood. It is those memories that truly make us feel alive.

"A hundred bad days made a hundred good stories". Isn't it true? "100 Bad Days" by AJR has always resonated with me. 2019, to recapitulate, was a year of adversity for myself. One of my substantial fears — losing my grandmother — came true. After her being a previous breast cancer survivor, her cancer had metastasized in late 2018, causing her further decline in a span of 7 months. She unfortunately passed in June of 2019. Everyday leading up to her death was what I deemed a truly 'bad' day. That is where I turned to music to drown out my feelings, hoping to find a sense of inspiration and longing for a spark of hope that I craved so desperately. I remember anticipating AJR's release of the "Neotheater" album in April of 2019, introducing me to the song "100 Bad Days". I remember listening to it for the first time while my mom and I were in the car, driving to visit my grandmother. These car rides were dreary, for some time consisting of eerie silence and distress. This song changed it all. It brought my mom and I together. It helped to get us through the hours of car rides spent going to Concordia to back home. I even remember listening it on my own time, reading the lyrics, realizing that my "bad" days can be turned into something good. I now live in light of my grandmother — I live for her. I surely can never take back the bad days, but they are what led me to seeing the worth in living through them. Whenever I hear the phrase "music heals individuals", I truly agree. AJR's "100 Bad Days" inspired me to turn hardships into hope and positivity. It was my light.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, I have seen the cycles of the seasons -- and that is why I have fell in love with nature. The growth, renewal, death, and rebirth -- it relates to our lives without us realizing it. While there is death, there is always renewal -- but in the meantime, you learn to appreciate what is in front of you. That is what I truly appreciate about nature. Each year, I've watched the flowers sprout and then wilt, but come back again. I've seen the trees around me flourish with green, lose their leaves, and them grow back again. I've watched the blaring sun, the rain, the snow. I've seen a lot of what nature has to offer, and it makes me fall in love with it as it teaches you things. Walking around my local parks and exploring what nature has to offer, I appreciate that nature teaches you to appreciate things while they last. While the flowers can come back, they will not come back the same; which reveals the value of living in the moment and appreciating right what is in front of you. Nature also is what allows us to live -- the air that we breathe and the homes in which we live in come from the very nature around us. Sometimes the things that we least expect will teach us some of the most valuable lessons. I appreciate nature as it is something that teaches me to live in the moment and appreciate what is right in front of me.

Creativity is what allows for people to grow and flourish without even realizing it. A way that I apply creativity in my life is through my creation of artwork and seeing the value that comes from it. Since I was little, I remember making doodles with crayons and markers, depicting stories. I let my mind run wild with stories about princesses in their castles, drawing a house with a sun in the corner of the page, and drawing my parents and I as little stick figures with rectangles resembling t-shirts and pants. Those small moments are what allowed me to dream and made me realize the value of creativity today. As I became older, I realized that my creativity is what fueled a lot of my happiness. I found myself doodling during class and at home, pondering what my next art project would be. Right now in high school, I take numerous art classes where I can express myself through mediums such as drawing, painting, and pottery. Art is my personal way of expressing myself and finding an escape from the hardships that I face. Creativity undoubtedly highlights the importance of individuality -- and having an outlet where you can uniquely express yourself. Through being creative, I realized too that we should treat ourselves the way that we treat our creative outlets -- one with praise, care, importance, and value.

While the future is full of uncertainty, there is one thing that is constant -- my dream of helping others and fueling them with hope in their lives. Millions of humans suffer from mental illness -- with not enough accessible help. That being said, I want to pursue a career in psychology as I want to be yet another person who can contribute to the bettering of others' lives. Even if just one individual is saved, it is one less individual that we have lost to mental illness. In order to pursue this career path, I will be actively learning in a clinical psychology program that my college offers. I also dream of being an active researcher in a variety of topics surrounding psychology and mental illness that could lead to groundbreaking discoveries. Regardless of where I may go or where my career might take me, as long as I am helping others, I will have fulfilled my dream. While these goals and dreams will take time and a lot of work to achieve, I am eager and determined as it is a job that I truly feel inclined to do. I want to be someone that someone else can depend on -- as no one deserves to go through mental illness alone. That is the greatest dream that could ever come true.

While the future is full of uncertainty, there is one thing that is constant -- my future goals that surround helping others and fueling them with hope in their lives. Millions of humans suffer from mental illness -- with not enough accessible help. That being said, I want to pursue a career in psychology as I want to be yet another person who can contribute to the bettering of others' lives. Even if just one individual is saved, it is one less individual that we have lost to mental illness. To achieve this goal, I am pursuing college at the University of Pittsburgh and will actively learn in the clinical psychology program. I also have a goal of being an active researcher in a variety of topics surrounding psychology and mental illness that could lead to groundbreaking discoveries. Regardless of where I may go or where my career might take me, as long as I am helping others, I will have found success. While these goals will take time and a lot of work to achieve, I am eager and determined as it is a job that I truly feel inclined to do. I want to be someone that someone else can depend on -- as no one deserves to go through mental illness alone. While success means different things to everyone -- I view it as when you are happy and are doing something that you are truly passionate about.

Empathy is one of the most valuable traits that a human can possess -- and I actively strive to be an empathetic person as I want to be an individual that someone can depend on in times of struggle and hardship. One of the crucial aspects of empathy is listening. I actively listen to my friends and family that are facing struggles, letting them talk to me about anything they need to get off their chest. It is important to set all judgement aside and truly listen to their situation. I also practice empathy by putting myself in a person's shoes when I'm listening to their struggles -- it is important to have compassion rather than judgement. Having patience as well makes a difference and allows time to process the situation and let them express everything that they want to say. If someone looks visibly upset or not like themselves, I make the effort to ask what is wrong. You truly never know what someone is going through and simply showing signs that you care and want to help if it is needed can completely change someone's day for the better.

Life is about the little things that make it worth living. My family and friends, my passion for art, and my drive to help others fuels my life. My family and friends are everything to me. They are the people that truly empower you with love and appreciation for the person that you are -- and people like them are what drive you to keep going forward. The memories that I make with them I also carry with me. When I'm in a spot of sadness or struggle, looking back on those memories reminds me of why I continue to live in the moment each day. My passion for art is something that I also take great pride in. I love to create and make things with my hands and heart, from every brushstroke to sketch line. I believe it is vital for everyone to have an outlet where they can be creative and be distracted from the busy world around them. I find art to be relaxing and rewarding as I am able to express myself and it when I make art, I feel truly happy. My passion to help others and the thought of being able to do it as a career is a very large fuel in my life. Originating from helping my friends and giving them advice, I now want it to become a career where I can continue to actively help others. Knowing that I have the capability to give others hope as my family and friends have given to me is endlessly rewarding. There are so many components to the fuel in my life, but these ones, in particular, are of large importance to me. They are what truly make life worth living and experiencing -- even during the hardships that I face.

While the future is full of uncertainty, there is one thing that is constant -- my future goals that surround helping others and fueling them with hope in their lives. Millions of humans suffer from mental illness -- with not enough accessible help. That being said, I want to pursue a career in psychology as I want to be yet another person who can contribute to the bettering of others' lives. Even if just one individual is saved, it is one less individual that we have lost to mental illness. To achieve this goal, I am pursuing college at the University of Pittsburgh and will actively learn in the clinical psychology program. I also have a goal of being an active researcher in a variety of topics surrounding psychology and mental illness that could lead to groundbreaking discoveries. Regardless of where I may go or where my career might take me, as long as I am helping others, I will have found success. While these goals will take time and a lot of work to achieve, I am eager and determined as it is a job that I truly feel inclined to do. I want to be someone that someone else can depend on -- as no one deserves to go through mental illness alone. While success means different things to everyone -- I view it as when you are happy and are doing something that you are truly passionate about.

In this fast-paced and stressful world, something that always helps me to slow down and live in the moment is art and listening to music. Art truly heals people -- including myself. Art can capture emotions that I feel and put them into a greater form instead of balling them up inside. When I create art, it allows me to focus on singular brush strokes to make a larger picture -- similar to how life works. You have to take the time to focus on little things and takes things step by step instead of overwhelming yourself -- its a form of self-care without even realizing it. Besides creating art, going to museums and art galleries helps me relax as I'm able to immerse myself into other artist's worlds that they create through art. It serves as a distraction from the stresses of my life and makes me feel not so alone in this world. Listening to music is also a way that I take care of my mental health. The beauty about music is that you can always find songs that truly relate to you. It also serves as a comfort as you never feel alone -- there is always someone out there that may go through the same struggles that you do. Besides that, music can be uplifting, enjoyable, relaxing, and so many other things. I find myself being able to truly relax and drift into a good headspace when I'm listening to music. I learned that it is extremely important to always take time away from each day to relax and take care of myself. For me, art and music are just two ways that I'm able to relax and find importance of enjoying the little things in life.

Wisdom coming to you when you least expect it is rather cliché, but true. While sitting in my classroom during my psychology class last year, I remember my psychology teacher put a quote from psychologist and behaviorist B.F. Skinner on the board, mentioning the following: "A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying". Aspiring to be a psychologist myself, I find a lot of importance in psychological discoveries and strive to learn from those who have acquired wisdom that I have yet to possess. B.F. Skinner's proclamation is a concept that I believe we as humans lack to recognize the importance of at times -- and that is due to the fact that we have built so much value on succeeding, rather than failure. Although, failure is what can produce an individual's greatest success due to the motivation they gain from that failure. It is true to say that psychologists in their studies must make mistakes and learn from them before their hypothesis is proven true -- and that applies to anything in life, regardless of who you are. While navigating the world of acceptance and rejection, there will be times that I will fail. While I could dwell on what I could have done better, I can get up and try again. In the end, your motivation will prevail through the failure that you face -- and that mentality will lead you to one of success and fulfillment.

The future is in all of our hands -- and it is up to everyone, together, to produce a future we all dream of -- especially for teenagers like myself. Undoubtedly, our ability to advocate for productive and positive change will make the future much more hopeful going forward. While change can be viewed as a rather obstructive concept, change can also be uplifting and beneficial. For example, the concept of environmental decline and global warming is certainly one of the biggest stresses in the future for current and more importantly younger generations -- the impact that it could have within the next few decades could jeopardize our future indefinitely. Although, climate and environmental activists like Greta Thunberg, that has started a global social movement, are what truly give hope to our future. Her efforts in advocacy and engaging in productive conversations on how to save our planet have united people across the globe. The power that we all have within us to encourage change and be a part of that change is what we need to keep going forward and live the future that we once dreamed about. Due to her efforts and movements from people across the world, you start to see the changes that actively manifest into our future. The effort to clean beaches and coral reefs, reduce waste and recycling, limit consumption, and advocate for large companies to take part in this movement in their production are steps that are actively making the future more ideal and hopeful. It is not worth dwelling on how dreadful the future can be -- but rather the good that it CAN be because of how we have the power to encourage change. Change is always constant in our lives -- and we can advocate for it. The change will fix the instability that the future entails and will release the wariness and stress that we have. The future is worth fighting for together.

From the community to the country, to the world -- one change that I would love to see is the slowing and ending of the global hunger crisis. Statistics in recent years (2019-current day) have demonstrated that approximately 811 million people still suffer from receiving adequate food to survive -- making world hunger one of the most crucial world problems that we face as people today. According to the World Food Hunger Program USA, it has been reported that countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Yemen, Nigeria, and are countries that suffer greatly from world hunger due to famine, economic decline, natural disasters, conflict, and many other variables. Even here in the United States, approximately 38 million people are impacted by the global hunger crisis -- an estimated 12 million of them being young children. The global hunger crisis is not a crisis that can be resolved very quickly -- but with the effort of anyone and everyone; we can help to slow down the struggle. It may seem like a daunting task, but taking the initiative and encouraging to work together as a team is what is able to truly accomplish something great in the world. No matter how small or big that effort is -- it still changes lives for the better-- and that is what truly matters. A way that I act locally that involves the slowing of the hunger crisis is through my local church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) that is hosted annually in the summertime. I volunteer as a child group leader and our church has an initiative every year to encourage both volunteer workers and the children attending the VBS to donate money and non-perishable food items that all go to our local food bank. Over the years of volunteering, I and my community have been able to donate hundreds of dollars and food items to our food bank. This collective effort to be able to give back to our community is able to put food on the tables for people that are struggling within our area. While it may not seem like a very large-scale effort and change; it contributes to the slowing of the hunger crisis. For every food item and dollar donated, the more families that we are able to feed as a community -- and ultimately contributes to slowing down the struggle of hunger. Besides contributing to the slowing of the global hunger crisis -- one change that I would undoubtedly love to see is more people getting involved in acts of volunteerism where more and more lives can be changed each day. The concept of volunteering is so versatile because there is an opportunity waiting around each corner that can be for anyone and everyone to contribute to -- getting involved is easier than ever and is rewarding in the idea that you are able to change another person's life for the better. I strive to actively contribute to my own community and encourage everyone to also take action as it contributes to a greater purpose and creates a better community and world for everyone.

Last summer, I watched the anime film A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi). Since I've watched the film it has stuck with me because of the themes of bullying and suicide that regardless of our physical and personal differences amongst ourselves, it's important to respect one another. The film also makes the point that our actions and words have consequences. The main character, Shouko, is hearing impaired and is bullied in school because of it -- especially by one character, Shoya. As the movie progresses and the characters age, Shoya realizes the consequences of his actions and becomes a better person because he realizes what he did was wrong -- and ultimately saves Shouko from her suicide attempt. This film touched me as it makes you aware of how impactful our words are and how we should respect one another. It also reminded me to always stick up against bullying.

When talking to my teachers about the college process in high school, I was advised by them to start applying as early as I can to scholarships and to continue to apply to them throughout high school and college -- no matter how little or how big the scholarship reward amount may be. Every dollar adds up and helps in the long run. That was one of the most important pieces of financial advice that I received that made me more hopeful in being able to pursue the education I had wanted without worrying about financial costs. Thinking about college -- especially coming from a lower-income household, had caused a lot of stress as I was worried about how I could pay off the debt that I would have from pursuing further education. Although, when I realized how many scholarships are truly out there and how I can apply to them as early as freshman and sophomore in high school all the way through college, it made me feel relieved in the sense that I have a lot of opportunities to receive financial aid. Having the knowledge of how easy it really is to apply for scholarships and receive financial aid has made the process a lot more hopeful and comforting in the fact that there are so many organizations that are waiting to help aid my education. That being said, I am very thankful for my teachers who had shared the advice with me as I have now applied to many scholarships in hope that it will help pay for college tuition.

Self-love is not an easy journey to pursue, but it's one worth fighting for. Throughout my self-love journey, I learned to love something that I once hated -- my body -- that improved my self-image and confidence within myself. Growing up as a plus sized-girl throughout my life, I struggled with my self-image immensely because of the internal pressure that I forced upon myself due to the societal standards that I felt like I never fit into. I struggled to love my body even from a young age as I was never thin -- something that for a while, I aspired to want to be. Although, as I have grown older and older, I now realize that my body is beautiful regardless of my size and it's gravely important to nourish and take care of my body. I love my body for one of the most obvious reasons -- that it lets me live and experience life -- but it's so incredibly important and changed my perspective. Because of my body working each day to keep me alive, I'm able to experience things that I would miss otherwise -- traveling, spending time with family and friends, experiencing moments of love and happiness, and so much more. Being able to acknowledge how important my body is and being able to love it in its current state has made me feel much more confident and happier as a person as I truly love myself. Loving my body has not been an easy journey -- but all of the struggles up to my realization were more than worth it. I realized that my body is worth loving; regardless of my size -- and that it's what makes us unique as people.

Out of all of the pieces of art that I have come across, one that has stood out to me the most is Peter Max's "Umbrella Man" painting painted in 1990. Max's utilizing of intensely bright colors and his stylized strokes in his paintings contribute to his pop art style -- that I find much like his vibrant personality. The "Umbrella Man" painting is my favorite piece of art not only because of the art piece itself -- but also the story behind the painting and the artist behind those strokes. "Umbrella Man" was inspired after Max had seen cellist Pablo Casals holding an umbrella for his friend, famous artist Pablo Picasso, which resulted in the famous painting. The bright colorful atmosphere and anonymity of the umbrella man himself strike interest to me. Along with the physical art itself, the story behind the painting is also meaningful to me as it all relates to the universal theme that everyone, at some point in their life, has been and has had an "Umbrella Man" -- someone that has helped another person or has been helped before by someone. In that sense, Peter Max himself has ironically been an "Umbrella Man" demonstrated through his contributions to organizations that advocate for positive change and support; such as to the WFLF, the Twin Towers Fund, and creating art for SustainCommWorld events that advocated for protecting the environment. The beauty of art is the ability to fall in love with the physical art, but also fall in love with the artist behind that art -- and Peter Max was an artist that I could do that with. His "Umbrella Man" painting captivated my attention with the vibrancy and style -- and the story behind it made me inspired to be an "Umbrella Man" for someone.