Making a difference in the world seems like an impossible task for just one kid to accomplish. But to make a difference doesn't have to mean solving world hunger or curing cancer, even small impacts can make the biggest difference. Hello, my name is Maggie Lage and I am a senior at West Monona High School in Onawa, Iowa. I stay busy with involvement in many of my school's sports, clubs, and other extracurricular organizations. My hobbies revolve around my personal interests and the impact they have on my community and future. Recent studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic made the largest impact on the education of the class of 2024. Being in eighth grade in 2020, my class lost one of the most formative years of our lives. The transition from middle school to high school is a pretty big deal when you're young. This is the time when you find out just who you want to be. Luckily, though I lost the last quarter of eighth grade, Iowa's COVID restrictions allowed us to return to school in person my freshman year. That school year, however, was quite bizarre. We had dozens of new rules and regulations to follow such as the prohibiting of locker usage, mask mandates, desks 6 feet apart, dividers at the lunch table, and so much more. This was nothing like what I thought high school would be, but I didn't let my judgments interfere with my willingness to learn. Since then, four years have passed in the blink of an eye. Back then I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I learned from the impact the pandemic had on the world that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping others. Now, I am the most squeamish and easily grossed out person on the planet so the medical field has always been a definite ‘no’ for me. But in those four years, I have taken countless writing and public speaking classes that motivated me to pursue a career in law. I know that no one person can change the narrative of the world, but I know that I can make a difference through fighting battles in the courtroom for those who can’t speak for themselves. As of right now, I help others in any way that I can. Through organizations like 4H and National Honor Society, I have helped put on and participate in countless food and toy drives for local charities. I’ve volunteered at soup kitchens during the holiday season, helped to beautify my community, and led others to do the same through my Presidency. I’ve also been fortunate enough to share my talents as a form of helping others through teaching others. Over the summer, I volunteered at my dance studio to help the incoming freshmen prepare for their auditions. I’ve also participated in youth clinics for softball and dance alike. Finally, I was lucky enough to be an assistant teacher last year in the FCS room where I taught middle school students how to sew and cook. Every day, we make impacts on the world around us that we don’t even notice. The larger impacts we make are fueled by our desire to do so. The world has faced a major shift in culture over the past few years from home seclusion in quarantine to getting back to reality. I am beyond grateful for the return to normalcy, but I thank my experience through the pandemic for helping me decide that helping others is how I want to live the rest of my life.

Episode Title: Austin and Ally at East High To preface, anyone who knows me knows my love for all things High School Musical. I'm what one would consider a 'super-fan' due to my knowledge of the choreography, collection of memorabilia, and ability to quote all three movies by heart. Due to their musical connection, I would love to see the cast of Austin and Ally make an appearance at East High. It's a few years since Troy, Gabriella, and the gang's graduation, but everyone is home for spring break. Mrs. Darbus wants to put on an alumni show, which the returning main crew looks forward to. Meanwhile, Austin Moon is on his nationwide tour with a stop in Albuquerque. Being a basketball fan, Austin realizes that this is the hometown of the University of California, Berkeley's Troy Bolton, and conspires with Ally, Dez, and Trish to meet him. After a rehearsal for their show, Martha surprises the cast with front-row tickets to Austin's concert. On stage, Austin catches a glimpse of Troy and stops his show to bring the basketball star on stage. The two sing a medley of Austin's top hits to which the crowd responds with thunderous applause. Backstage after the show, the two groups meet up. Austin had no idea how talented Troy was, and Troy didn't know Austin was such a fan. The Miami crew learns of the alumni show at East High and anxiously asks to be a part of it. Mrs. Darbus is star-struck and flattered that she has the opportunity to direct THE Austin Moon and welcomes them with open arms. Of course, it wouldn't be a Disney episode without a few bumps in the road. Chad and Austin quarrel about who gets to play Troy's right-hand man, Dez and Ryan can't decide who has the better dance moves, and Trish and Sharpay battle for the spotlight. This leaves Ally and Gabriella to team up and help unite the cast so that they can put on a wonderful show. Austin calls up his manager and lets him know about all of the raw talent at East High. On opening night, the auditorium is filled to the brim, with a handful of big-name managers there as well. The show is a booming success and Mrs. Darbus is offered a position to direct on Broadway. The audience learns that this has been a dream of hers since she was a little girl and she graciously accepts. Before everyone leaves town, whether it be going back to college or continuing their tour, they say their tearful goodbyes. At the last minute, Austin gets an amazing idea. He asks the cast if they'd join him on his summer tour and they could put on their show in front of stadiums full of fans. Everyone is overwhelmed with excitement over the offer and in unison answers with a resounding "YES!" The episode closes with a final song from the cast, sung on a tour stage with tens of thousands in the crowd, as everyone joins hands and takes a bow.

"I was on the downward spiral on the express elevator to the bottom floor, wherever that might be." I want you to think for a second and ask yourself: Where would you assume this quote came from? What if I told you that these were the words of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps at the height of his career as a world champion? As fans, we see the strong, and successful icons of our time. Beyond the game, however, much goes unnoticed. Athletes are not immune to mental health challenges. The pressure to perform at a high level, especially in highly competitive sports, can take a toll on one’s mental wellness. Despite this, mental health is often stigmatized in sports, and athletes may feel pressured to hide their struggles to maintain a certain image. Though I am no Phelps, I, too, am an athlete who struggles with her mental health from time to time. I juggle a heavy workload from school, alongside a minimum of three practices a night, aside from clubs and outside-of-school organizations. I often see the effects of burnout, stress, pressure, fear of failure, constant strife for perfection, feeling like I can never make a mistake and the possibility of hating a sport I once loved. Dance is the sport that I face the most struggle with regarding mental health. I’ve been in a studio since I was three years old. I’ve always loved everything about it. The bright lights on the stage, the exhilaration of a standing ovation, the feeling of fully becoming the character you portray to the audience, and the fulfillment of accomplishment afterward are feelings I have grown up with and become very accustomed to. Unfortunately, however, there are feelings on the other side of the spectrum that some days outweigh the good. Dance is such a funny sport because many believe it isn’t one at all. But those who believe otherwise know that dancers work tirelessly to perfect their bodies. We rehearse for seven days a week, fifty-two weeks of the calendar year, with little exception for holidays, all for a ninety-second performance. It’s easy to grow tired of running the same choreography time after time - to the point where I’ve doubted myself completely - and receiving corrections that are morphed into insults in my brain. Most nights, I dread going to practice and come home in tears of frustration. How can a sport that once made me so happy make me feel like nothing? What hurts me the most is that these aren’t just feelings I have now, but ones I’ve faced since the beginning. When I was in sixth grade, my dad noticed the toll a busy schedule was taking on me and had me choose between dance and school-affiliated sports. At that point in time, I wasn’t strong enough to continue with the cycle of highs and lows and ultimately decided to give it up. I took two years away from dance. During that time, I grew up some and learned just how important dance was to me. I was reluctant to go back to that lifestyle but faced the challenge with my head held high. I still get those mental blocks and periods of hardship often. To take better care of my mental health, I constantly remind myself of my ‘why.’ Why do I continue to put myself through this? I do it for the love of the game. With this tactic, there is nothing low enough to keep me from building myself back up to those moments of resilience and pride.

I learned a lot about leadership through my experience at the NASA Space Settlement Design Competition in Houston, Texas last year. The challenge was to construct a settlement on the lunar surface that could house three hundred people and possibly the Space Force. Going into it, I was incredibly nervous. I am by no means a rocket scientist, which made me feel like I was going to be the most incompetent person there. When we were assigned our teams we also ran for official positions and each team was assigned a NASA official to help aid our thought processes. I ran for manager of the marketing department and lost the election by a hefty vote. After that, I was quite concerned that I wouldn't be able to contribute to my team at all. Later, I found out that the president of my team personally sought me out to head up the final timeline and costs of our project. This was the morale boost I needed to stay motivated, given it was a twenty-four-hour challenge and we'd only just begun. Since my job was totaling the numbers and timeline, I couldn't get my work done until everyone else had their plans figured out - which caused the majority of my work to be completed very late in the game. I battled terrible frustration because some refused to complete their work in a timely manner, which led me to continually have to keep my team on track. When the next morning came, I was tired, burnt out, and completely over the challenge. However, I was proud of the work I produced, as well as the final presentation our team prepared. During the final awards ceremony, it was announced that the NASA officials on each team got to nominate one person who stood above the rest and took the lead throughout the entire competition. Out of the 250 students in the competition, only 4 were given the award. When my name was called, the tired, burnt-out, and frustrated feeling left in an instant, and the biggest smile came across my face. I am honored to be a recipient of the Dick Ewards Exceptional Leadership Award because it was the result of my resilience and determination through one of the most difficult things I have ever faced. Coming home from Texas, my achievement wasn't neglected. It was announced over the school intercom and I was recognized at my church. My religious education director told the younger students that they could be like me one day and that I paved the way for small-town kids to make it big. I cannot believe that going into the trip, I thought I would be a non-impactful member of my team, but in the end, I became a top competitor and was recognized for my efforts by one of NASA's own. Because of this experience, I learned that leadership is taking the reins and not allowing obstacles to crowd your path to greatness. I had to overcome many challenges in this endeavor, many of which were purely mental, but for the good of the team, I kept pushing forward. Leadership also means not making empty promises. Many believe good leaders to be the motivational speakers of the bunch, but the motivation only comes if you uphold your end of the deal. Those who take charge have to give just as much, if not more effort than those whom they lead. The importance of leadership comes from the results that it yields. Under an effective leader, a group can work as one mind to achieve greatness.

How can one confidently write of a man who once was the one responsible for grading their writing? He was known as THE strict teacher. He was always to be addressed properly or you were showing signs of disrespect. Every student knew not to talk in the midst of his class. Some could say he was quite old-fashioned in the sense that he stood firm when it came to goofing off or messing around, but most especially getting his work done. On the surface, a young student may have seen him as intimidating and scary, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I was informed of Mr. Pitt as a sixth grader, though I wouldn’t have him as a teacher until my freshman year. I don’t think I will ever forget the time we first met. I was at the school’s open house that sixth-grade year when I mistakenly opened the door to the high school English classroom. Taking a quick scan, there he was. I will never forget seeing him sitting up behind his desk with a mustache so prominent and proper. I was thrilled to be his student, but he told me that the class I was looking for was next door. I left his room with such anticipation for what his class might entail in the future. My freshman year, I was lucky enough to have not one, but two classes with Mr. Pitt. The upperclassman made him out to be a dictator of the classroom, but I was optimistic. I gained an instant connection with Mr. Pitt because it was a one-on-one class. He applauded me for my writing ability, complimenting my advanced style at such a young age. I always enjoyed writing, but something about his class made me love it even more. In the second class, I was able to see both the disciplinarian and the comic. He put his foot down when it came to nonsense, but constantly made the class erupt in laughter and smiles. He would give such immaculate impressions and visuals. It could be anything from the screaming noise of a Cyclops getting his eye poked with a spear, to the picture of a depressed Romeo locked away in his dark room listening to punk rock to get over the loss of Rosaline. Other obscure but notable desires of his included Jack Black in Nacho Libre and Godzilla. All of this was merely a fraction of what Mr. Pitt brought into the classroom. He used comedy as a source of therapy, which the students weren’t opposed to whatsoever. To hear he was retiring early broke my heart. I couldn’t imagine picking up a novel without his input and interpretation. It was unfathomable to think of reading Shakespeare without his incomparable impressions. I found some of my favorite books and short stories through his classes. Mr. Pitt made literature easy to understand, even if it was written hundreds of years ago. Class was engaging and open and everyone had a chance to succeed. Each student had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the storytelling, and find hidden meanings in the text to justify the tone and theme within the writing, even creating personal connections with the characters and what they were experiencing. I am so grateful to call Mr. Pitt a teacher and role model of mine. His class was always the highlight of my day and the memories made in the classroom will live on with me forever. I aim to live a lifestyle half as exciting as the one and only Mr. Pitt.

"I live by the Beatitudes and give back to the community as much as I can." This is the response my dad, a religious education instructor, gave when asked how he applies Scripture to daily life. Throughout my own life, my family - specifically, my dad - has pushed me to succeed in aiding the community since I was very young. My dad is a major inspiration when it comes to my volunteer efforts. He has been a volunteer firefighter for over twenty years alongside countless other time-consuming community efforts and two full-time jobs. He has always pushed me to be involved and give back because I've been fortunate enough to live the life I do, but others may not be as lucky. My own volunteering history began around second grade when I joined 4-H. Through this organization, I've had numerous opportunities to give back. My club hosts annual hat, mitten, and clothing drives in December to donate to local shelters as well as volunteer around the holidays at soup kitchens. We also help to give back to 4-H by beautifying the community by planting flowers and updating exhibit buildings at the fairgrounds. Like my dad, I am also highly involved in my church. I have been an altar server for as long as I can remember. My sisters and I serve practically every Sunday, and if I'm not serving, I am lecturing. Being quite experienced, I get to train new servers in the Parish, which I feel is the ultimate way to give back because I get to pass on my gift of knowledge to the kids as they now get to volunteer themselves when they are ready. Last year I student-taught under the direction of my FCS teacher Mrs. Mann for her middle school classes. I helped to teach the students sewing and cooking for an hour every school day. This was a great experience as I was able to interact with the students on a more authoritative level whilst continually sharing my knowledge once more. At my local cemetery every Memorial Day weekend, my family hangs the American flags. I take home any damaged flags and repair them for the next year. Since my dad is the chairman of the township, this is a volunteer act I have taken part in since I was very young, but the feeling of fulfillment is always worth it. Being a part of so many wonderful things outside of volunteer work allows me to make a sizeable impact on my community. I am actively pursuing further ways to push myself to give back, whether it be assisting underclassmen in the dance studio, helping classmates with homework, or writing a thank-you note to a teacher. I chose to live each and every day with the purpose of helping others whenever I can. In conclusion, community involvement is a critical aspect of my life. Giving back to the community can take many forms, from volunteering at local shelters to teaching middle school students basic life skills. My personal experiences and inspirations demonstrate the importance of community involvement and how I can positively impact individuals and society as a whole. By living each day with the purpose of helping others whenever possible, I aim to contribute to building a more compassionate and caring environment. I chose to live by the 4-H pledge; "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service and my health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

"I live by the Beatitudes and give back to the community as much as I can." This is the response my dad, a religious education instructor, gave when asked how he applies Scripture to daily life. Throughout my own life, my family - specifically, my dad - has pushed me to succeed in aiding the community since I was very young. My dad is a major inspiration when it comes to my volunteer efforts. He has been a volunteer firefighter for over twenty years alongside countless other time-consuming community efforts and two full-time jobs. He has always pushed me to be involved and give back because I've been fortunate enough to live the life I do, but others may not be as lucky. My own volunteering history began around second grade when I joined 4-H. Through this organization, I've had numerous opportunities to give back. My club hosts annual hat, mitten, and clothing drives in December to donate to local shelters as well as volunteer around the holidays at soup kitchens. We also help to give back to 4-H by beautifying the community by planting flowers and updating exhibit buildings at the fairgrounds. Like my dad, I am also highly involved in my church. I have been an altar server for as long as I can remember. My sisters and I serve practically every Sunday, and if I'm not serving, I am lecturing. Being quite experienced, I get to train new servers in the Parish, which I feel is the ultimate way to give back because I get to pass on my gift of knowledge to the kids as they now get to volunteer themselves when they are ready. Last year I student-taught under the direction of my FCS teacher Mrs. Mann for her middle school classes. I helped to teach the students sewing and cooking for an hour every school day. This was a great experience as I was able to interact with the students on a more authoritative level whilst continually sharing my knowledge once more. At my local cemetery every Memorial Day weekend, my family hangs the American flags. I take home any damaged flags and repair them for the next year. Since my dad is the chairman of the township, this is a volunteer act I have taken part in since I was very young, but the feeling of fulfillment is always worth it. Being a part of so many wonderful things outside of volunteer work allows me to make a sizeable impact on my community. I am actively pursuing further ways to push myself to give back, whether it be assisting underclassmen in the dance studio, helping classmates with homework, or writing a thank-you note to a teacher. I chose to live each and every day with the purpose of helping others whenever I can. In conclusion, community involvement is a critical aspect of my life. Giving back to the community can take many forms, from volunteering at local shelters to teaching middle school students basic life skills. My personal experiences and inspirations demonstrate the importance of community involvement and how I can positively impact individuals and society as a whole. By living each day with the purpose of helping others whenever possible, I aim to contribute to building a more compassionate and caring environment. I chose to live by the 4-H pledge; "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service and my health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

"I live by the Beatitudes and give back to the community as much as I can." This is the response my dad, a religious education instructor, gave when asked how he applies Scripture to daily life. Throughout my own life, my family - specifically, my dad - has pushed me to succeed in aiding the community since I was very young. My dad is a major inspiration when it comes to my volunteer efforts. He has been a volunteer firefighter for over twenty years alongside countless other time-consuming community efforts and two full-time jobs. He has always pushed me to be involved and give back because I've been fortunate enough to live the life I do, but others may not be as lucky. My own volunteering history began around second grade when I joined 4-H. Through this organization, I've had numerous opportunities to give back. My club hosts annual hat, mitten, and clothing drives in December to donate to local shelters as well as volunteer around the holidays at soup kitchens. We also help to give back to 4-H by beautifying the community by planting flowers and updating exhibit buildings at the fairgrounds. Like my dad, I am also highly involved in my church. I have been an altar server for as long as I can remember. My sisters and I serve practically every Sunday, and if I'm not serving, I am lecturing. Being quite experienced, I get to train new servers in the Parish, which I feel is the ultimate way to give back because I get to pass on my gift of knowledge to the kids as they now get to volunteer themselves when they are ready. Last year I student-taught under the direction of my FCS teacher Mrs. Mann for her middle school classes. I helped to teach the students sewing and cooking for an hour every school day. This was a great experience as I was able to interact with the students on a more authoritative level whilst continually sharing my knowledge once more. At my local cemetery every Memorial Day weekend, my family hangs the American flags. I take home any damaged flags and repair them for the next year. Since my dad is the chairman of the township, this is a volunteer act I have taken part in since I was very young, but the feeling of fulfillment is always worth it. Being a part of so many wonderful things outside of volunteer work allows me to make a sizeable impact on my community. I am actively pursuing further ways to push myself to give back, whether it be assisting underclassmen in the dance studio, helping classmates with homework, or writing a thank-you note to a teacher. I chose to live each and every day with the purpose of helping others whenever I can. In conclusion, community involvement is a critical aspect of my life. Giving back to the community can take many forms, from volunteering at local shelters to teaching middle school students basic life skills. My personal experiences and inspirations demonstrate the importance of community involvement and how I can positively impact individuals and society as a whole. By living each day with the purpose of helping others whenever possible, I aim to contribute to building a more compassionate and caring enviroment. I chose live by the 4-H pledge; "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service and my health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

Many would consider dance to be an art form rather than a sport. I chose to believe otherwise. Since I was three years old I have been in the dance studio. Now that I am older, I spend six days a week at practice, dedicating myself to the sport in every spare moment because of what it yields. Nothing can compare to the feeling of being on the stage or competition floor, where the audience is only paying attention to you. It is up to you to entertain them, tell them a story through your movements, convey emotions to them, and leave a lasting impression. When I began high school, I made it my goal to one day dance at a collegiate level. Three years later I am weary of what that may entail, but I promised myself to further my dance journey no matter what obstacles come my way. I stay quite busy year-round, which tends to clog my schedule and push my aspirations aside. Though my dreams may seem out of reach, I justify this hesitation through a message my track coach often relays, "You are a student-athlete, meaning the 'student' part comes first." It seems I always have an excuse to procrastinate my academics, but I choose not to. I prioritize my education above all other sports, organizations, and extracurriculars I may be a part of. With all that being said, I've recently constructed a new goal: Just keep improving. I want to take little steps and work my way through the dance industry. This means there's a possibility I won't dance on a college team, but that doesn't mean I will stop dancing. As I work towards a higher education and career over the coming years, who knows what opportunities may arise? Having an in-depth conversation about my future one night with my dad brought up an excellent source of motivation... making it. What does "it" mean? I live in a very small town with a population of about 200. The sad thing is that many who graduate from my high school stick around this small town and don't think twice about it. I can guarantee that will not be me. I want to be the success that comes from this community. When others hear of what I've made of my life they will be proud and - hopefully - in awe of how I made it out and made it big. I now hope to one day be the source of some little girl's motivation. I pray she will look up to me and say to herself, "I want to be just like her one day!" In my head I can picture this outcome in one of two ways, as a dancer, and as a small-town girl who made it out. The dream still stands, however. I continue to put in hours to prepare myself for a college-level competition team, but I'm aware that my future is in my career. If I don't make the team as a freshman, that will not stop me from trying continually. If I don't make the team at all, I know that I came to college to learn first and dance second. When I come back home over the summer I will continue to attend my company's dance recitals and possibly participate in an alumni number or two. But most importantly, I will look to the younger girls, some only three years old, and remember what it once felt like to look up to and idolize the beautiful dancers. Of course, then, I will be reminded of the dream.