I can remember that day in vivid detail. October 5th, a Sunday morning, with clouds across the sky and cold moisture in the air. That day had been another unsuspecting Sunday morning at first. I awoke comfortably in my bed, satisfied by a night’s rest. I called a boyfriend of mine, content with teenage bliss. I hadn’t planned on going anywhere, but we didn’t have any tissue at home and Dollar Tree was right up the street. When my parents suggested I go get it, I didn’t have an argument. I was happy to have an excuse to drive my Jeep Patriot. I’d spent my paychecks from Zaxby’s decorating the car and covering the wear and tear evident on its seats after so many years. I left my house and made the trip to Dollar Tree, getting the tissues I was there for. I didn’t bother dressing up. I left the house in a light blue DECA shirt, with no bra on, and black cartooned pants. I snapped a picture of myself when I returned to my car before making my way home because despite my outfit, I felt gorgeous. I made my way home, listening to music as I drove. As I neared a familiar turn that guided me home, a white sedan pulled directly into my path. I remember the gasp that left my body. I tried to swerve, but the collision was unavoidable. Our cars hit in a T-bone manner. The airbag exploded upon impact, and the smell of burning rubber filled the air. My car was pushed into a ditch, and I remember watching helplessly as everything went down. When the car stopped, instinct took over. I tried to get out immediately, gripping my seatbelt frantically, convinced something worse might follow. I was shaking so hard I could barely think. Bystanders came to help and pulled me from the car. I felt completely disconnected from my own body. I called my mom, and she answered immediately. She arrived within minutes since I was so close to home. That moment felt unreal, like I was watching my life instead of living it. At the hospital, I learned I had a deep gash on my chest from the airbag impact. My eighteenth birthday was the next day. I spent the rest of that Sunday in shock, crying every time I tried to explain what happened. My chest burned, and my thoughts kept replaying the crash. Over time, I had to rebuild myself. I learned how to drive again, returned to school, and eventually faced the roads that once terrified me. That process taught me resilience and awareness, how quickly life can change, and how important communication and support are to people in crisis. I want to work in a field where messaging and empathy shape how people understand moments that matter, through public relations. I’m drawn to how public relations bridges information and emotion, making sure that what is communicated is not only accurate, but also thoughtful and responsible. My goal is to grow within the public relations world and eventually step into a role where I help guide organizational communication during calm and high-pressure situations, ensuring that messages are clear, honest, and intentional. Higher education will give me the training and experience to move in that direction. More importantly, it will help me continue building on the resilience I discovered after my accident. I’m not defined by what happened to me, but by how I chose to move forward from it, and what I plan to build because of it now.

When I was in the third grade, which seems like forever ago, I had a teacher named Mrs. Inglehart. She was an older woman with platinum blonde hair and a fragrance that seemed to follow her everywhere. While her appearance gave the impression of a kind-hearted grandmother, her behavior was quite the opposite. To me, she was my toughest critic. She did not allow me to slack off or behave wildly. At times, I was scared to even laugh around the woman, in fear that she would hear me and force me to move my clip down for misbehaving. I complained to my mother, convinced that Mrs. Inglehart hated me, because how could she not? She was always so hard on me, more so than the other kids. Why was I different? What did I do wrong? It may seem as if this essay is a story of mistreatment by a teacher, but it is actually a tale about one of the most compassionate women I know, one who touched my life and whose impact I still feel to this day. Mrs. Inglehart wanted to motivate me because she saw in me what I did not see in myself: potential. She saw a child who could do great things and become even greater than she imagined. Compassion, in my book, is not always displayed through affection and obvious kindness; sometimes it can hide itself in tough love. I thought my teacher hated me because she demanded more from me than she did from others, when in reality, her compassion and desire to see me succeed stemmed from admiration and encouragement. I can still vividly remember the end of the school year, when I shed my skin as a third grader and prepared to move on to fourth grade. Mrs. Inglehart sat me down in her lap, her soft hands patting my knees, and apologized to me. She apologized for how hard she had been on me and explained that she pushed me because she saw potential in me. She felt guided to motivate me to work harder, because hard work is not possible without inner drive. Mrs. Inglehart’s words have stayed with me throughout the years, and I have learned to show compassion by working hard and striving to live up to my potential. It takes strength to strive for a better version of yourself, even when it is easier to remain content and comfortable. Compassion, to me, is kindness and the ability to be understanding. However, compassion is also motivation, and sometimes tough love is the greatest form of compassion one can show. Compassion in action means being the motivator someone does not yet realize they need, just as Mrs. Inglehart was for me. It means encouraging others to recognize their worth and potential, even when they cannot yet see it themselves. As I continue to grow as a young woman, I intend to carry my compassion with honor and motivate others just as I was motivated years ago.

While approaching the topic of college, especially as a child, I can admit I thought of college as another form of school; something I had to do because I was told to. As I've grown older, so has my perspective, and I now realize higher education will serve as the foundation that allows me to grow not only as a student but as a person capable of creating meaningful change. While I often envision a better world, one that’s defined by equality, opportunity, and understanding, I recognize that real impact begins on a smaller level. It begins with self-improvement, discipline, and the willingness to grow beyond my comfort zone. College will challenge me to do just that. I've come to understand that becoming a better person is easier said than done. I struggle at times with my selfishness and procrastination, often choosing comfort over growth. However, I’ve learned that real development comes from facing those challenges directly. Higher education will provide me with the tools for success: knowledge, structure, mentorship, and new perspectives, but it will ultimately be up to me to use those tools effectively. My growth will depend on the effort and accountability I choose to bring to the table each day. There is a saying that has stuck with me over time, and it states, “You must put on your own oxygen mask before helping others.” What once felt like a selfish idea now represents responsibility to me. College will allow me to strengthen myself academically, professionally, and personally, so that I can better serve my community in the future. Without first building that foundation, my ability to create lasting impact would be limited. As I pursue a path in public relations and corporate communications, higher education will equip me with the skills needed to communicate effectively and ethically. I plan to create a positive impact both through continuous self-reflection and through my career. By continuously evaluating my actions, acknowledging my weaknesses, and striving to improve, I can become someone who positively influences others around me. Professionally, I hope to use my voice to help organizations build genuine connections with their communities, promoting transparency, trust, and accountability. The impact I hope to create is rooted in both personal and professional growth. Through self-reflection, I will ensure that I'm always working to become a better version of myself. Through my career in public relations, I aim to extend that growth outward, helping the community and its organizations communicate with honesty and fostering relationships that make people feel heard and understood, always. Higher education is more than just a step toward a career for me; It’s an opportunity to become a woman I can respect. While I know there will be setbacks, I am committed to choosing growth over comfort and persistence over failure. By using the tools higher education provides and remaining dedicated to self-improvement, I will not only work toward my own success but also contribute to a more understanding and connected world.

As I sit by myself and envision a better world, I see what everyone would wish for. The cure to world hunger, equality for all, and prosperity. Those are things I’d hope to see achieved by the time I graduate college, but the one thing I can do easily, from the comfort of my bedroom if I wish, is choose to be a better person. It seems simple enough, doesn’t it? If you want to be a better person, be one. However, I find this easier said than done. It’s hard to release ourselves from the shackles we call our bad habits. I, for one, find it to be a struggle. I struggle to let go of my selfishness and procrastination. I allow myself to get comfortable, when sitting in the uncomfortable leads to the most growth and development. Making the world, or even my community, a better place starts with me. How can I dream of bettering my environment if I'm not better internally? There's a saying I've always found interesting. It goes, "You have to put your own oxygen mask on first before you help others." As a child, I found this saying to be selfish. Why wouldn't you immediately try to help another? How could the first response not be "help them, not me"? I judged this saying through a childish lens. How can you help another if you find yourself unable, because you haven't first helped yourself? Choosing to be the better version of myself includes taking accountability for my faults and fueling them into passions. In college, I want to be someone who has a goal and doesn’t stop until the goal is achieved. As I pursue a path in public relations and eventually corporate communications, I hope to use my voice and communication skills to positively influence how organizations connect with their communities and the world around them. There will be times that I fail. I will most likely let myself down sometimes; however, I will be presented with two choices: accept failure or try again. I'd like to be the person who tries again, no matter what. How do you take the steps to be better? You observe yourself through another lens, one where you're not "self" but simply a person. Recognize your strengths, and recognize the room where you can grow. Are you able to look in the mirror and admire the person staring back at you? Not for physical attributes, but for a soul? Can you say that you like who you are as a person, and you're your own hero or champion? Striving for a better you isn't selfish; it's the most selfless thing you can do. Bettering yourself means bettering those around you, and in a field like public relations, that impact can reach communities through honest communication and meaningful connection, allowing the opportunity to feel heard and understood. After college, I want success and happiness throughout the world, but most of all, I want to be proud of the woman I've become, because it wasn't easy getting there. I hope to make the world a better place by being a better person and by using my role in corporate communications to promote transparency, responsibility, and positive change within organizations and the communities they serve. I hope to be a person I respect as each day ends and another begins. As Michael Jackson once stated, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make the change." I hope to make that change and be a better person because of it.