My favorite local community event that I have participated in is our Teen Canned Food and Gift Drive. This drive is put on by the National Honors Society which is a club for students who maintain a 3.5 GPA and donate at least 20 hours of community service yearly. Our school always goes all in with this drive and our community always shows out. Typically my friends and I will sign up to be designated bag deliverers. We are handed a map of a neighborhood and must deliver bags to every house in the specified neighborhood. We park our cars, get out and place the bags on each porch. This is always such a fun experience and reminds us all how grateful we are that we live in a community that is able to donate to others. This event humbles me and helps me to reflect on all that I am thankful for. When we deliver bags it is always in the middle of winter leading up to Christmas, freezing cold and super windy. I can't help but think about all of those individuals who do not have a warm, cozy place to call home. All of the individuals who do not get to go home to a warm meal or gifts under the tree at Christmas time. It breaks my heart. By participating in this drive, knowing that my community will wholeheartedly donate dozens of items for the sake of others, reminds me of the good still left in the brokenness of this world. Our community is given about two weeks to collect the items needed for the bags. Once they have packed their bags they place them on their porch and another group of students picks them up. These students then bring the bags back to our school where they will be separated and sorted through by once again another group of students. We have hundreds of bags yearly containing thousands of canned goods and gifts. From here our Student Council group will deliver them to local contact ministries. As a result of this event, I hope that my community continues to see the importance of donating resources and goods to others. I hope that my community feels more selfless and kinder after they donate. I would like to see my community put on more food drives or fundraisers to help local charities and ministries. My community has been challenged a lot recently, there have been many unexpected tragedies and sicknesses. Our community has come together to support these families in significant ways, we know the importance of donations and simply caring and showing up. I hope all communities can be as tight knit and selfless as mine, but for now, we will continue to do our part.

Pursuing a career in education is something many people are hesitant to do. Teaching is a lot of work, it is more than a job. From as far back as I can remember my dream has always been to teach. Many people have tried to talk me out of it specifically because of the money, but it is so much bigger than a paycheck. I have been blessed to have had such wonderful teachers from Pre-K all the way up to high school. My kindergarten teacher by far made the biggest impact on me. She was kind, patient, and loving. When you are dealing with twenty-five kids at once it is hard to make each one of them feel seen, however, day after day she never once made a child feel alone or forgotten. At the end of the school year she gave us CD's that included pictures and videos recapping our first year of school. I remember so vividly bawling my eyes out saying, "I never want another teacher for the rest of my life." She was truly my Miss Honey. My jr. high and high school teachers have been just as amazing. My teachers time and time again show me that they see me and care for me. I have spent countless hours talking with so many teachers about many different subjects. From college decisions to high school heartbreak, I know they will always listen and give me advice. High school tends to be either the best years of your life or the worst. I have had many ups and downs throughout my four years. My father got diagnosed with cancer this past year and the first person I told was one of my teachers. She comforted me and consoled me, sharing her personal experience with her mother's diagnosis. The next day two of my other teachers found out about my dad. They called me into their office and reminded me that if my family needed anything that they were one call away. These three teachers are without a doubt more than teachers to me, they are family. They have entrusted me with their children who now look up to me as more than just "mom and dad's student" or "mom's player." We have grown a bond that goes beyond the classroom. Being a teacher is so much more than just going to school and teaching. It is about the bonds and the relationships that you make with your students and coworkers. It's about the lasting impacts that you as a teacher will make on your students, on the next generation. As I pursue my dream of teaching I can only hope that I can impact my future students in the same ways that I was impacted by my teachers.

Pursuing a career in education is something many people are hesitant to do. Teaching is a lot of work, it is more than a job. From as far back as I can remember my dream has always been to teach. Many people have tried to talk me out of it specifically because of the money, but it is so much bigger than a paycheck. I have been blessed to have had such wonderful teachers from Pre-K all the way up to high school. My kindergarten teacher by far made the biggest impact on me. She was kind, patient, and loving. When you are dealing with twenty-five kids at once it is hard to make each one of them feel seen, however, day after day she never once made a child feel alone or forgotten. At the end of the school year she gave us CD's that included pictures and videos recapping our first year of school. I remember so vividly bawling my eyes out saying, "I never want another teacher for the rest of my life." She was truly my Miss Honey. My jr. high and high school teachers have been just as amazing. My teachers time and time again show me that they see me and care for me. I have spent countless hours talking with so many teachers about many different subjects. From college decisions to high school heartbreak, I know they will always listen and give me advice. High school tends to be either the best years of your life or the worst. I have had many ups and downs throughout my four years. My father got diagnosed with cancer this past year and the first person I told was one of my teachers. She comforted me and consoled me, sharing her personal experience with her mother's diagnosis. The next day two of my other teachers found out about my dad. They called me into their office and reminded me that if my family needed anything that they were one call away. These three teachers are without a doubt more than teachers to me, they are family. They have entrusted me with their children who now look up to me as more than just "mom and dad's student" or "mom's player." We have grown a bond that goes beyond the classroom. Being a teacher is so much more than just going to school and teaching. It is about the bonds and the relationships that you make with your students and coworkers. It's about the lasting impacts that you as a teacher will make on your students. As I pursue my dream of teaching I can only hope that I can impact my future students in the same ways that I was impacted by my teachers.

Pursuing a career in education is something many people are hesitant to do. Teaching is a lot of work, it is more than a job. From as far back as I can remember my dream has always been to teach. Many people have tried to talk me out of it specifically because of the money, but it is so much bigger than a paycheck. I have been blessed to have had such wonderful teachers from Pre-K all the way up to high school. My kindergarten teacher by far made the biggest impact on me. She was kind, patient, and loving. When you are dealing with twenty-five kids at once it is hard to make each one of them feel seen, however, day after day she never once made a child feel alone or forgotten. At the end of the school year she gave us CD's that included pictures and videos recapping our first year of school. I remember so vividly bawling my eyes out saying, "I never want another teacher for the rest of my life." She was truly my Miss Honey. My jr. high and high school teachers have been just as amazing. My teachers time and time again show me that they see me and care for me. I have spent countless hours talking with so many teachers about many different subjects. From college decisions to high school heartbreak, I know they will always listen and give me advice. High school tends to be either the best years of your life or the worst. I have had many ups and downs throughout my four years. My father got diagnosed with cancer this past year and the first person I told was one of my teachers. She comforted me and consoled me, sharing her personal experience with her mother's diagnosis. The next day two of my other teachers found out about my dad. They called me into their office and reminded me that if my family needed anything that they were one call away. These three teachers are without a doubt more than teachers to me, they are family. They have entrusted me with their children who now look up to me as more than just "mom and dad's student" or "mom's player." We have grown a bond that goes beyond the classroom. Being a teacher is so much more than just going to school and teaching. It is about the bonds and the relationships that you make with your students and coworkers. It's about the lasting impacts that you as a teacher will make on your students. As I pursue my dream of teaching I can only hope that I can impact my future students in the same ways that I was impacted by my teachers.

Pursuing a career in education is something many people are hesitant to do. Teaching is a lot of work, it is more than a job. From as far back as I can remember my dream has always been to teach. Many people have tried to talk me out of it specifically because of the money, but it is so much bigger than a paycheck. I have been blessed to have had such wonderful teachers from Pre-K all the way up to high school. My kindergarten teacher by far made the biggest impact on me. She was kind, patient, and loving. When you are dealing with twenty-five kids at once it is hard to make each one of them feel seen, however, day after day she never once made a child feel alone or forgotten. At the end of the school year she gave us CD's that included pictures and videos recapping our first year of school. I remember so vividly bawling my eyes out saying, "I never want another teacher for the rest of my life." She was truly my Miss Honey. My jr. high and high school teachers have been just as amazing. My teachers time and time again show me that they see me and care for me. I have spent countless hours talking with so many teachers about many different subjects. From college decisions to high school heartbreak, I know they will always listen and give me advice. High school tends to be either the best years of your life or the worst. I have had many ups and downs throughout my four years. My father got diagnosed with cancer this past year and the first person I told was one of my teachers. She comforted me and consoled me, sharing her personal experience with her mother's diagnosis. The next day two of my other teachers found out about my dad. They called me into their office and reminded me that if my family needed anything that they were one call away. These three teachers are without a doubt more than teachers to me, they are family. They have entrusted me with their children who now look up to me as more than just "mom and dad's student" or "mom's player." We have grown a bond that goes beyond the classroom. Being a teacher is so much more than just going to school and teaching. It is about the bonds and the relationships that you make with your students and coworkers. It's about the lasting impacts that you as a teacher will make on your students. As I pursue my dream of teaching I can only hope that I can impact my future students in the same ways that I was impacted by my teachers.

I am worth the dreams I aspire to achieve because I am compassionate and hardworking. My goals in life are to spread love and kindness by my profession and by who I am as a person. I hope that when I get my degree I am able to touch the lives of my students in significant ways so that I can inspire them in one way or another to be kinder, more compassionate and loving humans. Despite the challenges that may stand in my way such as pay and conflict, I will remain devoted to my dream of being the teacher that all my students feel comfortable around. I have already begun my teaching journey by being a volunteer Sunday school teacher for four and five year olds. These kids have made a lasting impact on my life and have encouraged me to go into teaching. Being a teacher requires love and a lot of patience. Seeing my kids every Sunday excites me, their excitement to come into our classroom and hangout is not only touching to me but also to their parents. I have been able to learn the personalities of each of my students. I have very outgoing and energetic children and on the other hand I have very quiet, reserved children. Regardless, my love for them is no different. I have spent almost two years teaching every Sunday and have loved every minute of it. In my four years of high school I have served over 250 volunteer hours. Community service is something that has become incredibly important to me in these past few years of my life. I have gone on a few life changing mission trips domestically and internationally. About two years ago I took a trip to Kenya and immediately fell in love with the children and the environment. I was able to tour multiple school buildings and play with the kids there. While I was there I began sponsoring a young girl. Through this sponsorship I am able to send letters to her, send her to school, and send her gifts or other items that she may need. I also had the opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic this summer. While there I was able to remodel an elementary school and interact with the locals through VBS. These experiences have influenced me to consider studying abroad or potentially teach abroad for a little while before I settle down and start a family of my own. I would love to be able to live out my dream of being a teacher while also being able to teach about Jesus! These mission trips have allowed me to make lasting relationships with people from all across the world all while further solidifying my dream to become a teacher.

An issue in my community that I have taken the initiative to address is mental health. I have personally experienced mental health in a multitude of ways. Seeing the effects that it had on me and how it made me feel inspired me to reach out and address the issue. Not only have I seen and experienced the mental health battle completely dominate and win in many people's lives, I have seen the effects it has from person to person when this happens. It is never easy when someone dies, but to know that they took their own life makes it that much harder. These individuals felt as if life could not get any better and the only way that it would get better is if they left this world. This simply did not sit right with me. As social media has become a major factor in the world in these past few years, mental health issues have been at an all time high. Instead of using my platforms for negativity and hatred, I have chosen to use them to spread awareness and love. By doing this I have made many friends and talked to people who just needed to be seen and heard. There is a huge stigma around mental health and reaching out to get help. If I notice a friend or classmate struggling I always make sure to ask them how they are or engage in conversation. A simple gesture or conversation can change someone's day and have an incredible impact on them. I hope to expand my efforts by making it a more common subject to talk about in person and in school.

My favorite Team USA athlete to cheer on is Simone Biles. She is an incredibly skilled athlete who is making a huge impact on the sport of gymnastics. The first time I saw Simone compete I was amazed by her abilities, personality, and demeanor. To have multiple skills named after you is something many athletes only dream about. Her backstory and how she got into the sport is very touching and super encouraging for many young athletes. Her drive and consistency are something that is so inspirational, she always has so much pressure put on her, yet she never lets it get to her. When she is competing, she always has a smile on her face and the second her routine is done she is ecstatic no matter the outcome. Simone's attitude towards her competitors is something I strive to attain. She has outstanding sportsmanship; throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics she was seen multiple times going up to other athletes congratulating them on their performances. As an athlete myself, I know how difficult it can be to stay positive and show good sportsmanship throughout the entirety of any competition. Simone is a wonderful role model for many young athletes and stays true to her morals despite the attention she receives. I love when the camera men zoom in on her after she has just competed, the joy and utter passion that viewers can feel through the screen from miles away shows the true love she has for the sport and the country she is representing.