Recently, my 99-year-old great-grandmother passed away, surrounded by loved ones. I traveled across the state to her funeral and watched her three living sons and a grandson deliver speeches regarding her legacy of service, connection, and kindness. I realized that my great-grandmother did not earn her legacy or trademark through a grand gesture or one monumental effort, but rather through sustained commitment to her values. If I could leave one legacy at the end of my career, and beyond that, my life, it would be helping others find and use their voices. At our dinner table, money was never a taboo subject. When the 2008 crash cost my parents thousands, terms like debt, interest rates, and 401(k)s were never foreign to me. Scarce resources and unlimited wants, the core principle of economics, transform the innocuous dollar sign into a symbol of humanism. I realized these discussions reflected a broader concept: every interaction people have with money illustrates a very intimate story. Money is often portrayed as a cold and impersonal subject. In reality, its struggles and joys are our common ground, and financial autonomy is often one of the greatest ways people can advocate for their needs. As a result, I hope to earn a B.S. in Economics, followed by a J.D., and dedicate my career to expanding financial autonomy and educational opportunity for others. Later in my career, I hope to become a law professor, helping students understand the law and find confidence in their own voices. I began this passion for educational access when I joined my high school’s debate team and later served as captain, recruiting members and creating educational resources. However, I wanted to expand debate accessibility beyond just my school because debate has strengthened my ability to reason and argue more than any other activity I’ve pursued. In response, two peers and I founded the East Coast Debate Initiative of Virginia. To avoid delays in obtaining 501(c)(3) status, we partnered with Outreach Debate to begin legally collecting donations. Through this partnership, we raised over $400 to improve debate accessibility. As an organization, we created free educational materials and judge-training resources while establishing correspondence with 16 local schools. The most rewarding part of this work has been its impact. Since ECDI’s founding, a Tidewater team won the state championship for the first time in years, and several local debaters have joined the initiative as volunteers and contributors. Watching students gain confidence via debate has reinforced my commitment to expanding access to education. If I leave one lasting legacy, I hope it is not a title or award, but the opportunities I created for others to find their voices.

At Clemson University in the fall, I intend to major in Economics, and following that, I hope to go to law school. The large majority of my coursework and activities throughout high school have been focused on the humanities and business, yet I've come to realize that many environmental challenges are also economic and legal challenges. I participated in debate for four years, serving as our team's captain, and one of my most memorable debate cases focused on the ethics of artificial intelligence. Throughout these rounds of debate, my competitors and I thoroughly discussed the semantics of legal personhood and job loss, but one aspect of artificial intelligence development that particularly captivated me was the environmental implications of water use. All over the world, people struggle to gain access to clean drinking water, yet no artificial intelligence CEO or innovator is held accountable for the gallons upon gallons of water that AI consumes. Additionally, this past year, I enrolled in AP Environmental Science and completed a research paper on fast fashion. The project showed me how business decisions can create environmental costs that extend far beyond the point of sale. This harmful industry pollutes our air, land, and water from production to disposal. It pollutes our oceans with microplastics while releasing harmful VOCs into the air, creating a slew of health issues, yet businesses are all too often not held responsible. Throughout my preparation for a career in economics and law, I've come to realize that environmental degradation isn't separate from economics. It affects public health, productivity, labor markets, and long-term growth. As I move into the workforce, I plan to advocate for environmental protection policies that allow industries to sustain themselves responsibly. Firstly, I will advocate for Extended Producer Responsibility policies, which place responsibility on businesses for the disposal or recirculation of their products, reducing waste and lowering the cost of public disposal. Policies such as these have already been implemented in countries such as France and are seeing promising results. Moreover, I intend to advocate for policies that frame environmental harms as human rights violations. Air and water pollution frequently cause illnesses that interrupt people's ability to work and, more importantly, enjoy life, while businesses are often the responsible parties. By falling into a continuous cycle of the Tragedy of the Commons, businesses actively undermine future economic activity. Through debate, research, and my future studies in economics and law, I hope to help develop policies that balance economic growth and environmental responsibility. The environmental challenges facing future generations are multifaceted and complex, but they are not insurmountable. As I continue my education, I hope to help create a future that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.

After a house fire displaced my family in 2023, I learned how powerful community can be. My community's support transformed one of the hardest periods of my life into one I still remember with gratitude. We often overlook community in everyday life, but it becomes essential during times of struggle. May 5th, 2023, I received a call from my mother in gym class, where she told me that we had had a house fire. An appliance malfunction had led to a small explosion that went up into our kitchen cabinets, charring our house. That night, all of my belongings fit into a 66-quart storage bin. Everything I owned was gone, yet I still found a home in the people around me. My neighbor, Missy, let my family stay at her house, while my neighbor, Kristin, took care of our dog and cat while we replaced necessities. In the chaos, my neighbor Sarah rescued my hamster and kept him in her home for two weeks, sending me daily photos. A local nursing home provided temporary housing, and our church supported us with meals and everyday necessities. The support I received changed the way I viewed my role in the community. From that point forward, I became committed to giving back through debate and music. Debate has been the defining commitment of my high school years. I served as my school’s debate captain throughout high school, fostering growth within our team. Beyond my school, I noticed major issues: inconsistent judge training, coaching resources hidden behind paywalls, and many schools without debate programs at all. In response, two peers and I founded the East Coast Debate Initiative of Virginia. To avoid 501(c)(3) delays, we partnered with Outreach Debate to collect donations, raising over $500 for debate accessibility. We’re securing our own nonprofit status. Our organization developed free materials, judge-training resources, and connected with 16 local schools. Since ECDI-VA's founding, the Tidewater team has won its first state championship in years, breaking Northern Virginia’s dominance. I’m proud to strengthen a community that supported me and expand educational access for future students. Next, I turned to music. I had played guitar since 2021, but following the fire, I wanted to use my passion for music to give back to the church that supported me. Volunteering weekly has taught me that community is sustained through countless small acts of service. Community is reciprocal; when you invest in others, they invest in you as well. Through my volunteer hours at church, I’ve made valuable connections with leaders who teach me daily how to improve as a community member. Having a house fire forced me to lean on my community, and my community’s response inspired me to spend the years since giving back. As I begin my next chapter at Clemson University, I plan to continue this commitment through sorority philanthropy and service initiatives. Beyond college, I hope to pursue a career in law where I can advocate for others and create meaningful change. Regardless of where life takes me, I hope to be the kind of person who shows up for others in the way my community showed up for me.

I am an 18-year-old senior from Virginia Beach, and I plan to study Economics on a pre-law track at Clemson University this fall. Community involvement has always been important to me due to the examples set by the adults in my life. Over the past four years, my service has focused on three areas: church production support, expanding access to debate, and working as an assistant counselor providing summer childcare. While each role taught me responsibility, my work in early childhood most shaped how I understand empathy, safety, and trust. I have worked as an assistant counselor for three summers. My responsibilities include supervising children, supporting emotional regulation, correcting behavior, and maintaining a safe environment. I learned that protecting children requires more than enforcing rules. It requires close attention. Many children cannot explain when something is wrong, so I learned to watch for red flags such as withdrawal, secrecy, changes in behavior, or inappropriate language. These signs can indicate bullying, exclusion, or exposure to harmful online content. I also observed how quickly group dynamics can become harmful. Social pressure can leave children feeling isolated or powerless. Addressing these situations requires slowing down, asking careful questions, and building trust so children feel safe being honest. Responding calmly helps prevent long-term emotional harm. My awareness of these issues is personal. When I was younger, I experienced bullying related to my acne. A group of girls pressured me to buy them food, mocked my acne, and targeted me through group text messages. The online harassment followed me home and disrupted my sense of safety. This experience made me aware of how invasive cyberbullying can be and how deeply it affects emotional well-being. Because of this, I am attentive to changes in behavior among the children I work with. In addition to childcare, I served as captain of my school’s debate team and co-founded a nonprofit focused on expanding debate access. In these roles, I work to create environments where students feel supported and confident. I believe strong mentorship and constructive outlets reduce the conditions that allow bullying to persist. As I enter college, I have financial needs. My family continues to face strain following a house fire, and we also support aging grandparents. Scholarships are necessary to make my education possible without adding further burden. This support would allow me to focus on academics while continuing my involvement in service and leadership. My experiences working with children, mentoring students, and serving my community shape how I approach responsibility and care for others. I plan to carry these values with me into college and beyond.