It was a random day in the Spring of my Freshman Year. I had seen on the news about a minor outbreak of some virus at a college in the United States. I thought nothing of it. Most of us thought nothing of it. As the weeks passed, my Freshman year was cut short, and I was then learning from home. During my Junior year, after learning from home, social distancing, and wearing a KN95 mask every time I left my house, I was finally allowed to get my vaccination. I was considered a high-risk essential worker at the time, employed at Synergy Services as a peer mentor, so I received my vaccine at the same time as many doctors and other front-line workers. On my way into the clinic, however, something stuck out to me. There were tiny protest groups outside the clinic with tiny posters demanding that the vaccine was unsafe for use because of how short it had taken the FDA to approve it. I was 16, braving through these crowds of adults with much more life experience than I had, to get injected with what many Americans believed to be a microchip for tracking my every move. As I saw more of these popup protests against the vaccine mandates; I got to thinking, and with the support of the Girl Scouts, I developed an organization among my peers called VaxFacts Kansas City. I developed VaxFacts with inspiration from the Vaccine Ambassadors at Malcolm X college in Chicago. Our members target misinformation through social media, specifically regarding vaccination for COVID-19. We have conducted interviews with civilians regarding the information on the COVID-19 vaccine to combat misinformation through genuine conversation. By determining some of the root causes of vaccine information, such as celebrity influence, TikToks, and false remedies circulated between Facebook Groups, we can help demonstrate to the community how using unreliable sources is dangerous. Furthermore, we created information handouts with citations from WHO and CDC to give out to community members in order to help educate our community on vaccine misinformation. I believe my efforts have benefited the community, as it has allowed for people to learn about vaccinations in a safe environment. Rather than focusing our efforts on debating and proving people wrong, we have dedicated our time to the conversation and learning why the opposition to vaccinations is so harsh. Through VaxFacts, we have been able to talk to people about the benefits of getting vaccinated, and how vaccines are vital for the safety of our community.

Hi! My name is Mara, and I would consider myself a pretty unique person. Let me tell you a little bit about myself- my favorite color is lavender, my favorite food is Thai Curry, I love house plants and recently just got my first Pink Princess Philodendron, I have been vegetarian since I was 6 years old, I an a Beginner Skiier, I am on Varsity Winterguard and Varsity Shotput, I am the President of Science club, Founder of VaxFacts Kansas City, Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient, Virology Intern at MRI Global, Certified Pharmacy Tech in Missouri and Kansas, Owner of Apex Martial Arts in Kansas City, Certified Taekwondo Instructor, National Medalist, and World Champion Martial Artist. I have documented over 200 hours of Volunteer service in High School through completing both my Girl Scout Gold and Silver Awards, as well as having completed multiple Mission Projects at Synergy Services in Kansas City. My most impactful project thus far has been about tackling vaccination misinformation, and for my Girl Scout Gold Award, I developed an organization among my peers called VaxFacts Kansas City. VaxFacts is an organization that aims to target misinformation through social media, specifically regarding vaccination for COVID-19. We have conducted interviews with civilians regarding the information on the COVID-19 vaccine in order to combat misinformation through genuine conversation. By determining some of the root causes of vaccine information, such as celebrity influence, TikToks, and false remedies circulated between Facebook Groups, we can help demonstrate to the community how using unreliable sources is dangerous. Furthermore, we created information handouts with citations from WHO and CDC to give out to community members in order to help educate our community on vaccine misinformation. I believe my efforts have benefited the community, as it has allowed for people to learn about vaccinations in a safe environment. Rather than focusing our efforts on debating and proving people wrong, we have dedicated our time to the conversation and learning why the opposition to vaccinations is so harsh. Through VaxFacts, we have been able to talk to people about the benefits of getting vaccinated, and how vaccines are vital for the safety of our community. My passion for Vaccine Research extends further than just VaxFacts, and I plan to give back to my community once I graduate medical school by providing medical treatment and vaccinations to impoverished communities around the world. I plan to go to school for Infectious Disease Research, and it is a passion of mine to one day keep preventable diseases preventable. I believe that no one deserves to be neglected of care just because they cannot afford it, and it is a goal of mine to travel abroad and deliver healthcare to those who need it.

I own Apex Martial Arts Academy in Kansas City and have dedicated time to developing my skills as a leader throughout my entire Taekwondo journey. Starting at the age of nine I was enrolled in the instructor program which allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a Taekwondo instructor. Although my goals and dreams have dramatically changed since I was nine, my desire to teach Martial Arts has stayed constant. At 15, I was entrusted with the role of head instructor. This gave me many roles and responsibilities which I had never been allowed to experience. Being young, yet well-decorated left conflicting feelings among the parents and families of my students. Through genuine conversation and countless hours of building a positive reputation, it was clear I had been an active leader in the lives of my students. Within my time as an instructor of Martial Arts, I have been given the honor of awarding my students a total of eight black belt ranks, six Midwest Champion Titles, and two top-ten worldwide placements. My becoming as a mentor, teacher, friend, and even parental figure of some of my dearest students has given me a role in leadership that I had never been able to achieve without beginning my instructor training so young. I will forever be grateful to my students for allowing me into their lives and letting me influence their futures.

I am a high school senior, and I am the president of Science Club, an intern at MRI Global, A certified pharmacy technician in Missouri and Kansas, a Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient. However, most importantly I am the owner of Apex Martial Arts Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. I am an internationally certified instructor through the American Taekwondo Association, as well as a Certified Rank Facilitator, which both allow me to train and test students for new ranks. In partnership with Synergy Services in Kansas City, I opened Apex to provide to low income families and not for profit workers in the area. I serve families who desire giving their students a positive outlet for success, and I want to keep my services accessible to everyone. A common question people find themselves pondering once they meet me: How does someone who is still in High School run a Martial Arts Academy? Let alone by themselves? A simple answer: I have fantastic time management skills. I was 6 years old when I began training in Taekwondo. 12 years of dedicated training, I am now at the top of my class. I have always had a strong competitive spirit, and was 12 when I won my first Midwest Champion Title, that same year I won my first Missouri State Champion title. During Covid-19, my schooling was virtual, so I was able to spend 10 hours each day training, and another 5 hours a night teaching, and make leaps of progress. I still maintained high marks at school by completing work on the weekends. I won 2 world titles that year. Although I had the primary focus of competition, I refused to let my teaching skills lack. Starting at the age of nine I was enrolled in the instructor legacy program which allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a Taekwondo instructor. Although I was efficient and effective, I had to learn very fast about how to run a school by myself. At 15, I was entrusted with the role of head instructor. This gave me many responsibilities which I had never had the opportunity to experience. In spite of my qualifications as a competitor, it was difficult for families to feel comfortable with paying a teen to instruct their child. Although my age was held in question by families, the proof of the process was shown after our competitive rankings skyrocketed. I was extremely qualified for my position as an instructor, and I was able to mold each of my students into disciplined martial artists. At this time, I was able to teach for 5 hours a day, and train for 10. I was dominating rings, my students were dominating rings, and I had built myself a reputation. After my instructor sold her school and moved to Florida, new instructors naturally replaced me. Although a difficult transition, this gave me a prime opportunity to open my own academy. And thus, Apex was born. Within my time as an instructor of Martial Arts, I have had the honor of awarding my students a total of eight black belt ranks (6 first degree black belts and 2 second degrees), six Midwest Champion Titles, and two top-ten worldwide placements. My becoming as a mentor, teacher, friend, and even parental figure of some of my dearest students has given me a role in the taekwondo community that I had never been able to achieve without beginning my instructor training so young. I will forever be grateful for my students for allowing me into their lives and letting me influence their futures.