The existence of the STEAM field means that I can do what I have dreamed to learn and do since middle school. STEAM has been my main priority for several years. As a middle school, I attended a STEAM program that included programming Arduino, playing instruments that we engineered ourselves, and learning about the physics of sound, energy, and objects. It is truly one of my greatest passions. Technology became the area that I was the most invested in as an eighth-grader. Then I found out about a local STEM high school that offered similar education and I was so excited. I got to learn about a variety of topics. Due to mental health issues and the toxicity of the environment regarding the people that I surrounded myself with, I was transferred to an online curriculum. Honestly, it was both relieving and sad to be enrolled in a school that didn't offer the same opportunities as the STEM school. The school itself was amazing, but I was bullied, sexually harassed, and abused by two particular people and now I associate the school as negative and toxic. However, that never stopped me to work towards my passion. In fact, it made me work harder towards my dream: working in the technology field. Enrolling in classes such as Python Coding, Javascript, Cyber Security, and Advanced Computer Science, I have stepped up with learning the very topic I have been passionate about since middle school. Being a female pursuing a degree in the STEM field, there have been several times where people underestimate my abilities. This leads to my second reason why I want to go to the STEAM field: breaking stereotypes for females. There isn't a lot of girls in the STEM field, in fact, the STEM high school that I was previously enrolled in was mostly males. Being the only white female with maybe a couple of other girls with different ethnicities in a class full of guys is really intimidating. There were several times when I wanted to give up, but I reminded myself, going into the programming world as a female would be an amazing opportunity. My biological parents never graduated high school or took the steps to go to college. I am already taking the steps that my biological parents never took. Doing so will make me feel accomplished and grateful for the resources that I was I have that my biological parents never have had access to. The past couple of years have interfered with my progress with my dream of being a computer scientist. Going to a couple of mental facilities, being held back for a year for a school, and other tragic events that have occurred in the past year have almost made me give up. I have to remind myself that giving up is what my biological parents did. I don't want to end up like them, I want something better for my life, which includes going to a college to pursue an education that I am interested in. Most of my class of 2021 have gone away to college, as well as my sister. Watching her go through the college experience and getting a job has influenced me as well. It wasn't until recently that I was ready to take the steps to look at colleges near my area that offer degrees that I am interested in and apply for scholarships to help with my parents paying for my education. Personally, I don't really want to work at a job that is repetitive that doesn't require a college degree, such as Mcdonalds' or a cashier. I want to do something more that challenges me and is interesting to me.

Giving myself a second chance in life has been the greatest gift I gave myself. Obviously, it wasn't easy to choose something that benefited me in a healthy way. First a little backstory. At the beginning of high school, I frequently got myself in trouble with the police, school, and my parents. I was in a dark place emotionally, mentally, and physically. As a former foster child, I had a lot of emotional baggage and did not want to let go of the pain and suffering. I got into lethal drugs, pills, and alcohol at age 15. I didn't want to change. Convinced that I was happy in those situations, I began to take risk-taking to a whole new level. Getting arrested a couple of times, being charged with domestic violence, damaging relationships, smuggling alcohol into a mental facility, and showing up high on meth laced marijuana at a police-run program with my parents to clear my record. Those were just a few instances where I really messed up. I was supposed to go behind bars at age 15 because I was deemed a threat to society. I attempted to run away with my sociopathic boyfriend, hoping it would solve all my problems. That's when my parents sent me to a therapeutic boarding school to give me the support that I needed to be successful in life. For two years I refused to change by going into resistance. At one point I threatened to leave the facility at age eighteen and go to a homeless shelter. Six months ago was when I decided to make a shift. I decided that it was time for me to change my behaviors and start a new life that didn't involve drugs, illegal activities, or uncontrollable emotions. I chose to follow a path of opportunities, healthy relationships, and accountability. I have heard over and over again of peers who are inspired by my story of redemption. I am a potential leader for those who want to change but are stuck in their habits and patterns. I frequently mentor others that struggle with drug abuse, anger, PTSD, and depression. I love to think of myself as a resource for those in need because I have a big heart and would risk anything to serve someone. Now I'm near the end of high school and in a completely different mindset. Am I perfect? No. However, I have lowered my high expectations of doing everything and helping everyone. This scholarship would honestly mean the world to me. I have been working so hard and put time and effort to progress toward a dream I have had for years that I have finally chosen to put energy into. Getting this scholarship would prove to me that working hard in the path I have chosen can result in getting closer to my goal to become whoever I choose to be. In this case, I would be using it to help pay the tuition for learning about computers and how to fix/configure them.

First, a little background. I was born into poverty, domestic violence, and parents who were absent most of my life. My father was in and out of jail, committing felonies and possessing illegal substances. My mother, I barely remember her. She chose drugs over me. I went through about a year of foster care, not including the instances where I was put back in my home after my parents decided to "get their act together". At age 7, I was adopted into a caring loving family that was willing to support me. Since I was still processing the trauma, I couldn't physically bond with them. I never let them touch me. Near the age of eight, I was diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, Anxiety, Depression (both clinical and seasonal), ADHD, and Complex PTSD. Given these labels, I was ashamed. I believed that I was mentally insane and ill because I needed to be numbed on medication in order for me to function properly. I attempted suicide near age seven/eight by running through windows, screaming that I wanted to die and be with Jesus. The only thing that stopped me was my adoptive parents restraining me. Until now, I never had an actual relationship with my parents. I never associated myself with them. The disconnection was the result of Reactive Attachment Disorder. The relationships with my peers were a direct parallel with my biological parents; abusive, controlling, manipulative. I was convinced that I deserved to be with a sociopathic boyfriend who tried to control who I talked to, my beliefs, and my viewpoint on my parents. I truly believed I was happy with him. I recently graduated from an all-girls therapeutic boarding school that gave me a second chance in life and allowed me to finally process all the pain, trauma, and anger. The bad news is it shut down due to several reasons: insurances not wanting to pay for it, accusations of sexual abuse, recent suicide, multiple instances of the director being sued. I lived through all of it. I was there for the suicide, the accusations, and the drama involving the CPS coming in and out of the campus for a month. The program itself wasn't traumatic, it was the drama concerning the media and mainly the suicide of my close friend. For the last couple of months, it kept on getting worse and worse. Students kept on getting pulled from worried parents and I never saw them again. Then we were all relocated. Some of us got the opportunity to go home, others were moved to a separate program. Now, a couple of years ago I would have been like "my life sucks", but I learned from the pain and I am stronger than ever. I have also pushed myself to the max, determined for what I want in life. I am committed to getting a degree in computer science. Because I have proven myself that I can accomplish hard things in life, whether it is taking off the lens that changed how I saw the world, or grieving the recent death of a friend, I have pushed through Hell and back (quite literally) and came out stronger. I am also determined to mentor others who have been through similar situations, support others, and be a leader and role model for others who are doubting their capabilities. I know now that mental illness is just a label that others place on people who are struggling. I am committed to putting my time and effort to share my wisdom and experience of my journey.

First of all, 100 million dollars is a lot of money that can potentially be used for efficient hardware and computers for schools and areas where education might isn't modernized. According to www.edweek.org, between 9 million and 12 million children in the United States alone don't have the necessary resources for internet connection. By using that money, I could purchase several thousand computers for children who don't have access to tools, resources, or research what opportunities they can potentially apply for, like scholarships, FASFA, and internships. Areas with minimal technology need to be modernized. I'm not talking about the areas where people practice cultural traditions. It's the areas where the adult literacy rates are lower than average. Such as areas in Africa, Mexico, and even some parts of our own country. So by installing/replacing fiber optics or another form of internet cables, we could provide access for children in need of education. Especially during Covid where in-person schooling might not be the best option for students, technology such as computers can be effective and reliable to connect the student to the teacher. Installing proper internet connection to rural areas, whether it's wired or wireless, can total to a pretty hefty amount. As I was researching the average amount for installing internet cables in a rural area, I got ranges from $4,000 (normal internet cables) to a whopping $27,000 (if we were using fiber optics) per mile. If I were to portion out the cost of installing such materials, 1/2 of the $10 million could be used for the physical installation of wired internet cables. Assuming that we were using normal internet cables, we could install up to 1,250 miles. That's more than 1,250 opportunities for children to access the information that they might need for schooling. For computers, if they cost around $1,000, then there could be potentially over 4,000 singular laptops purchased for children. The other 1 million dollars could be used for Information Technology to configure the computer for restrictions and additional software needed. The city where this would take place could range from areas in Montana or even my own town. I value education and the opportunities it provides for students. The topics in school that are taught are important for their future with careers. However, if the student doesn't have access to extra help it's almost setting them up for failure. By providing resources with technology and access to teachers through internet, the future of children can be smarter and given an advantage.

Artificial intelligence is both an exciting, yet terrifying invention. It's amazing that we as humans have created software that is getting closer and closer to becoming one of us. AI isn't really new, but it is constantly progressing and evolving to accomplish tasks that would have been out-of-this-world insane at the beginning of the 2000s. AI is capable of "thinking", making its own decisions, and problem-solving. I have read numerous articles about how smart these programs are. From self-driving cars to even the Amazon company, it is used for daily tasks. The thing that strikes me the most is the fact that it hasn't been around for that long. Programmers and scientists are still trying to find out ways to improve Artificial Intelligence as well as make it more dependable for humans. (Honestly, despite the fact that AI is one of the most complex inventions, I am still hesitant to fully trust high-functioning computers.) It's an ongoing maintenance process based on user feedback and the potential existence of bugs within the coding. The complexity of the code is advanced, which can lead to human error. Artificial Intelligence, however, can eliminate cases with human error by precision as well as efficiency under stress, which the computer doesn't feel due to lack of emotions. Siri, Alexa, and Cortana are all examples of daily AI that we use and depend on. From creating timers, playing music, and looking up quick facts, all we need to do is command them, which makes our lives 10 times easier. Other examples of AI include eye scanners and monitors on social media and messaging systems. Without AI, our world would most likely look like the early 1900s. In the future, AI is going to be the main usage for controlling machinery and technology and it's only going to get more advanced as time progresses.

At age 8 I attempted to commit suicide. It's terrible if not, extremely painful to know that I wanted to escape the memories and pain at such a young age. The only thing that was stopping me from harming myself and killing myself was my adopted parents. Ever since I was diagnosed with ADHD, Complex PTSD, Anxiety, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Seasonal affective Disorder, and Clinical Depression near the age of 10, I began to identify with the disorders and was convinced that I will never be capable of accomplishing my dreams. I had a horrific experience going back and forth between foster care and my biological family. RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) created a barrier from creating a relationship with my adoptive parents. I trusted no one. The closer they attempted to reach out to me, the more I refused their love and affection. The relationships that I was committed to were the ones that were toxic and abusive. The friends I made were almost parallel with my biological parents' actions and morals. I gravitated toward the guys who were narcissistic and sociopathic, just like my biological father. Looking at my situation from an outsider's perspective, it doesn't make sense, but I told myself those were the people that I deserved and it made perfect sense to me at the time. At the beginning of High School, I used cutting, drugs, and starving myself as coping skills. I truly believed that I could never be accepted or loved by my family even though they were right in front of me. I pushed away from the people who were willing to support me. My parents eventually had enough of my anger and eventually sent me to a facility to help me with my mental health. A few months ago one of my close friends from the program committed suicide. I became angry at God and strongly believed that our world is corrupt and broken and there was no good on Earth. I focused on the negative and viewed everything through a lens that I refused to take off. I eventually calmed down but even now I still see the world through a filter that screams "our world is broken". Three years later, I am clean from cutting and drug abuse. I am currently choosing a better life for myself. Due to my past, I have always had an interest in helping others by volunteering, serving others, and going to downtown Seattle and giving clothing to the homeless because I personally know how it feels to live in the streets. I also have been interested in being a therapist for children who have been through similar situations, giving them the choice and chance to break the cycle of domestic violence and drug abuse. At one point, I want to help those who have been through domestic violence from a spouse by volunteering at a facility that serves those who have been through such experiences. I still have depressive episodes, which affect my self-motivation and mood, but now I am handling it better than ever. I also have a healthy relationship with my family and friends. My self-esteem has risen and shown improvement. Although I still have ideations, I have learned to communicate and tell myself that is not what I want to do. I still have a full life in front of me.

Society often looks at women as objects and not as people who are as capable of the other sex. That's the issue, it's not empowering women. Ever since history has been recorded, women are seen as lower than in the hierarchy. In order for our media to see females not as weak, incapable, quiet, submissive, we need to promote the message that our culture's views on women are the result of a broken world, not because we need to lower our expectations for ourselves. The sad thing is that we are feeding into it, making it a social norm with allowing society to label us. Even though it would be nearly impossible for everyone to allow and believe in equal opportunities for women, change can happen one person at a time. Whether it be an article that someone writes that provides information about women who have broken free from our culture's chains and reached their dreams or even just treating women with respect can make a difference. Often when a female who poses as a leader works hard to complete her goals, other women will follow. We need more women who are willing to attempt to risk the case of rejection of society because they will be the first out of millions who follow in her footsteps, knowing that if she could accomplish her dream, others can too. Change occurs when someone decides to break the cycle despite the fear. In this case, the only thing stopping us from empowering ourselves is us. Feminism isn't necessarily the answer to solving this ongoing issue. There isn't a need for females to dominate over males. It will only create an issue for males. Instead, we as women need to simply be there for each other, creating opportunities for ourselves and others to stand up to the crowd and go against the stereotypes that have been labeled on women. Our view of females has been distorted and corrupted by our culture. We need those women who are willing to fight for their lives and their rights, women who empower themselves and others by speaking about their beliefs about women empowerment, women who involuntarily speak up for themselves instead of staying quiet. We all have a choice and voice and it is our job to use it to its fullest potential. We are part of society and we have the opportunity to change it.

The song that inspires me the most is "The Rose Song" by Olivia Rodrigo. Originally featured on the show "High School the Musical, the musical, the series", there is a deeper meaning underneath the lyrics. Despite the sad melodic melody, she talks about basing her self-worth not on what others think, but on what she knows is true. I get chills and emotional when I hear this song because it was(and still) an eye-opener. For years I was stuck in a relationship with a person who was a manipulative, controlling, angry, abusive, and possessive sociopath. The song gives me hope for not letting him attempt to control my thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs or give him power, which he craves. As the lyrics progressed, it made me realize that I am more than capable of leaving this toxic relationship that I held on to for so long. It sends a powerful message to all who have experienced relationships that restricted them from being who they truly are.

Patience allows others as well as me to grow. Without patience, there would be no learning, which is one of my favorite things to do. I am a fairly patient person and have been labeled as patient, empathetic, and understanding by many of my peers. I know if I were struggling with something such as academics or even personally, the thing that I would want is patience. I wouldn't want others to push me farther than I am capable of at that moment or put an expectation that I'll deal with it fairly quickly. I am a very understanding person. I know by personal experience that certain things can take more time to process for someone than for another person. By being a mentor to others, I have learned to support others through compassion, love, and judgment-free interactions. I don't expect people to "build Rome in one day" or force themselves to make a decision in a certain amount of time.

Marie Currie completely changed how women are viewed in the STEAM area. By studying the very element that causes long-term health issues, she discovered the attributes and characteristics of radium and polonium. Not only did she find a way to isolate radiation, but she also earned the first Nobel peace prize that was won by a female. Without her dedication to understanding radioactive elements, we would not be as advanced with our medicine relating to the use of radiation for cancer.

The best mentors are those who have been through a lot of challenging obstacles in life but have overcome them. I want to use my past as a crutch to help uplift and create hope for others. I want to be inspirational to others and guide them throughout their struggles in life. By showing them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel even through pain and suffering, I can help direct them to a better spot within themselves. I have mentored a couple of dozen people in my therapeutic boarding school. It is amazing to see them listen and change their mindset. Mentoring others who are struggling within themselves are my favorite people to mentor. I know that by telling my story that it has caused others to be inspired and realize that they are making life alot harder for themselves than they need to. Mentorship also has created oppurtunities for making mutual relationships that are healthy.

I was given a pretty poor hand when I was born. I was a feral child with several other complications. Disconnection from my family who adopted me was the result of foster care, abuse, and neglect. I didn't want a relationship with my parents. My idea of independence was totally disconnecting from them. From the start of middle school, my life was going downhill pretty fast. I surrounded myself with people who were pessimistic, angry, and encouraged behavior that was destructive in Highschool. I was charged with domestic violence and was supposed to go to jail. My softmore year I was sent to a facility to help with my PTSD and Depression. At first I refused and threatened to leave the program when I turned 18. I wanted to go back to my sociopathic ex. As soon as I had my 18th birthday, my plans changed. My confidence began to grow as I realized that the family that I wanted was right in front of me. My self-compassion and forgivness of myself was the result of not defining myself as my diagnoses or my past. I'm currently breaking the cycle of what my biological parents have handed down me. Trust me, the cycle of domestic violence, poverty, and abuse is hard to change. Before I was motivated to create something different for myself, I was going down the same path as my biological parents. I wasn't going to graduate high school, I wasn't going to have a future. Now I have a HUGE future in front of me. The more steps I take, the more I'm closer to achieving the goal. I'm honestly super proud that I chose to choose something different for myself.

Years ago, I allowed my mental illnesses to control me. I identified myself as my diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Seasonal affective Disorder, Clinical Depression, ADHD, severe anxiety, and Reactive Attachment Disorder. I have been suicidal ever since I was 8. The people I surrounded myself with were negative and damaging to my well-being. In high school, I dated a sociopath that controlled me and emotionally abused me. Drugs and cutting became coping skills that I depended on. I viewed the world through a lens that portrayed everyone and everything as a threat. I hated everyone, but out of everyone I hated myself the most. Medication wasn't helping. There was no hope for my future. Then I was sent to a program in Montana. I did a lot of therapy so I could work on managing my emotions. I learned how to create healthy boundaries, love myself, not follow the same path that my bio parents have gone through. In June 2021, I lost a close friend to suicide while I was in the Therapeutic Boarding School. Depression became the thing that began to control me again. I was angry at God, myself, and the world. I started to cycle and focus on suicidal ideations. The program that I was enrolled in recently shut down. So, now I'm at home working on myself to be the best person I can be. Not going to lie, there are some times where I want to give up, but I have to remember that my past does not have to define me. My relationships are now a lot healthier and supportive than the ones I chose to surround myself with before I went to the program. I may be mentally ill, but my diagnoses do not have to define me. Mental illness is a disability that is invisible to others. Over the years, I learned that mental illnesses don't mean that I'm incapable of things, it just means that I have to fight more for my life than others.

In order to have the mindset to grow, I have to choose to be open to the possibilities of change. Change can only happen if I am committed to what I want in the future. Every day I wake up determined to reach my vision of getting a bachelor's degree in Information Science. In order to succeed in accomplishing my vision, I need to be open to new possibilities or doors that appear when another one closes. The mindset to grow also requires optimism and hope through doubtful times as well as not giving up. There will be many times where I might want to settle for something less, but my mind needs to be open to all possibilities. In life, it's not what happens to you that matters, it's how I handle setbacks and things that get in my way. The mind is a powerful object. It allows me to determine how capable I want to be in something. If I were to tell myself "oh, I don't know if I can do that...", then of course I wouldn't be capable because my head is not open to doing so but doing the opposite, people can do what others thought was impossible. My openness to growth and change can only be done if I tell myself that I want to. The growth mindset can be kept by knowing what I want in the future and how I'm going to get myself there.

I am a survivor of neglect and abuse by my biological parents and foster care. For a year I was transferred to over 8 homes, struggling to trust people enough to connect. At one point my biological brother and I were placed in separate homes, which created distrust, anger, and sadness. As soon I would create a relationship, I was stripped from them and put into a new home. The last home I was placed in abused my biological brother in front of me. After I told someone, I was immedietly removed the next day. In 2010 I was adopted by my wonderful parents but had trust issues. To be blunt, I hated myself. I told myself I was unloved because I was rejected over and over again in the foster care system. I never saw foster care as an opportunity to help children whose parents were incapable of caring for them. From June 2019 to October 2021 I was enrolled in a therapeutic boarding school because of trauma, constant fear, and anxiety. I slowly let my guard down and dealt with the PTSD and anxiety from being in foster care that has run my behaviors for years. I plan to be working in the technology field. Women are not necessarily known to work in that area, but that doesn't stop me. For so long I let my past of being a former foster child control me. I sold myself short. I allowed myself to play it safe by being a perfectionist. Now, I understand that my past doesn't need to define me. Being in several foster homes is just an event in my life. In fact, being in foster care has shown me that I am determined as well as capable of handling change. I'm going to accomplish many things that my parents couldn't. My biological parents never graduated high school or went to college. I'm taking the oppurtunity to take my schooling seriously and continue to gain an education that will help me in the long run with working in the Information Technology and computers. I may have gotten a rough start in life, but I plan to do something about it. I want to support others who have been through similar situations. In life, it's not what happens to you that matters, its how you handle it. And yes, in the beginning I did not handle the pain and anger appropriatly, but I am now.

For the last three years, I have been enrolled in a therapeutic boarding school. Prior to going to that program, I had no insight of myself. I didn't know why I participated in behaviors that were not healthy. Now, I know more about myself than the average teenager, if not, most adults. The biggest thing I have learned about myself is my impulse to judge others based on looks and actions is because I deflect my judgements of myself. Judgments are caused by my own insecurities. I have also learned in the 3 years that my control to do things myself is not healthy. Everyone needs help at one point (everyone includes me.) For years I refused help from therapists, my parents, and peers. I wanted to be independent, but now I know that being independent doesn't neccisarrly means that you do everything by yourself. Of course, sometimes it's a struggle to ask for help, but I understand how important it is to distribute the weight so I don't have to carry all of it. Whether it's communicating my emotions, mechanical stuff, or school related, I know that I can. Proir to the last year, I hated myself. I put myself in situations that hurt me and could of potentially harm others. Relationships to others were difficult to maintain. Now, loving myself is a daily routine. I have forgiven myself for the pain I caused to others and created relationships that are healthy. I am a natural leader and help others to reach their greatest potential. By far the greatest thing that I have learned is that I am capable of doing everything that I want to accomplish in life.