Every 15 minutes a person passes away due to drunk driving; whether by themselves or others. Over that past five years, three of my classmates have died. Two of them in drunk diving related accidents. I've also personally seen alcohol tear my family apart, so the subject is near and dear to me. Each year, my school hosts an event called Every 15 minutes. Throughout the school day, a 10 foot tall grim reaper (actor in makeup and stilts) comes into the classroom lurking, as a police man reads aloud a obituary written by the parents for the selected student. The students selected are dressed in black and have their faces painted white for the remainder of the school day. Then a bus comes to take them to a hotel with no phones or ties to the world where they stay for the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, fake tombstones with their names, a police corner, and a totaled car are placed in the school's court yard. With the absence and cut off communication, it is as though they are really dead. As an under classmate who wasn't allowed to participate, I thought it was so fun and never took it seriously. But as my senior year came, and it was my graduating class's turn to be in Every 15 Minutes, my paradigm shifted. I watched as one by one, a total of 20 classmates were pulled out of the room. I listened to their obituaries, and learned so much about them. Every 15 Minutes was no longer some random school event, it was real. I thought about my classmates who actually died in a drunk driving accident, and it meant so much more to me having grown. In Idaho, DUIs and drug/gang crimes are the most common arrests. In fact, I've had neighbors arrested for vehicular manslaughter and bootlegging related murder. It would mean the world to me for my community to grow and mature as I did. Every 15 Minutes, is not just a fun event, it is a reality. A reality I've experienced. Five years ago I would have never imagined I would be attending the funerals of my best friend and other classmates. Alcohol is dangerous, especially when paired with driving. It isn't something to fool around with and I wish people would see that. My dad would tell me stories of when he was eight years old, his dad would take him to the bar to be a designated driver. Sure, having a designated driver is more responsible, but a child shouldn't have to drive home their drunk parents. Nor should we have to rely on unlicensed children to take care of the drunk. Events like Every 15 Minutes helps create the environment of losing a loved one in a drunk-driving accident. I believe that if more schools and communities did Every 15 Minutes, or similar events, we could see progress and have positive effects. There is a statute of limitations to everything we do. It is time we take them seriously.

Hello! I am McKinzie Adams and I am a senior at Twin Falls High school and a third-year at the College of Southern Idaho. I'll be graduating from both educational faculties this May. I love writing songs and poems about my life experiences and the people I admire. This scholarship will help because my dream school, University of Minnesota, only grants in-state tuition to students with a Minnesota HS diploma. Although I plan on living in St. Paul year-round, I'll have to pay the cost of out-of-state tuition my entire enrollment, costing over $125,000. Minnesota remains my dream school, and any money, no matter the magnitude, will help me be able to attend UMN. My biggest career goal is working in sports media/broadcast with either larger corporations, such as Bally and ESPN, or being on the media team for one of the professional teams in the Twin Cities. Journalism is unfortunately a dying industry, but that's how our stories are told. Oral notation isn't as accurate or personal. Women in sports departments are often looked down upon. Fans prefer male coaches and announcers. Athletics are meant to unite society. From cross town rivalry games, the Olympics, the soccer game on Christmas in WWI, to family coming together to watch the Superbowl, even if it isn't their favorite team; sports has served as entertainment for hundreds of years granting common interest for people of all backgrounds and ages. I dream to be apart of the community who shares the games and the stories of the players with the world. Times are evolving, and I hope that I become a part of the movement of women entering men's fields. I was born and raised in Twin Falls. It's homely, but I like it here. I'm in seven school organizations: Key Club, DECA, News Team, National Honor Society, Pep Club, Sources of Strength, and Environmental Club. I feel so privileged in the opportunities I've had because of them. I personally accepted a $300 grant from ICCU to help provide meals for struggling students, spend Wednesdays in the library tutoring math students for free, and teaching kids at the elementary school to write. It has been some of the most memorable moments in my life. I've been in Environmental Club for three years, and served as president for the past year. I have spent over 20 hours voluntarily picking up trash at local recreational parks and Idaho's national forest. A local plant nursery has also gifted Environmental club a tree upon our request. We've gotten permission to plant it outside the Ingram Field (my school's ball park) in honor of Laney Morgan, a classmate and softball player who unfortunately passed away in September 2024. This town has always been my home, its residents are my family. I try to give back to them whenever I can. One of my failures that affected me the most was losing at my DECA competition. I had practiced for hours, reviewing tests and material. I compete in Sports Entertainment Marketing, which is my planned major. Every time I competed in S.E.M, I never placed. After being eliminated once again, I felt horrible. How could I major in something if I can't even qualify for semi-finals? It made me question if I was good enough. I realized my mistake was confidence. When communicating, it is best to be bold and make connections. I had to step outside my shell to improve my performance. You don't have to be perfect. That's what school's for, to learn how to progress. This has grown me as a news writer and person.

I'm McKinzie Adams and I love sports with a huge passion. There energy of the crowd, the lively the atmosphere, the mostly healthy competition; there is really nothing like it. I thought, why not combine the two things I love most, athletics and writing, and hopefully make a career out of it. My parents tell me the journalism industry is dying and most fans don't like female broadcasters, but it would be a dream come true to be able to do this with my life. Firstly, I figured I need to step up my role with the athletic department at my high school. All throughout middle school, I was the manager for the basketball team. I loved booking, in fact, I still book every single baseball game I go to no matter what league or division it's in. However, I do this in my own time. By becoming the book keeper for school teams, I can build that reliable ground while still doing the things I love. Secondly, I need become more sports focused. I mostly manage/edit the opinion column of the paper. In order to make the news more diverse, we are told not to do popular kids. This is nice and important, but ultimately eliminates the athletes. Hopefully though, I can see if I can switch or at least substitute to the Sports and Clubs column. This can help me practice sports related subjects. At the very least, I can ask for a recommendation letter from the advisor. I have more experience with the Bruin News compared to any other staff writer or editor, so it would be great to have a trust worthy instructor who knows of my work help me accomplish my goals. Thirdly, I need to go to a university with a solid communications and sports management program. For me, that is the University of Minnesota. While I was a Twins game, we stopped by to visit the campus and it is so beautiful. the way I felt on that campus I have never felt at any other school. I just knew I wanted to be there. What makes Minnesota so great is they have a technical communication program focused specifically on sports and are a BIG 10 school. The Twin Cities is also home to ten different professional (minor leagues included) sports teams ranging from football and women's hockey all the way to baseball and soccer. I figured that a school with an athletic department as large as the BIG 10 and with the surplus of local sports as well, Minnesota would be an outstanding school to go to. Out-of-state tuition is 48k a year. UMN will only accept enough of my CSI credits to enter as a sophomore, meaning I'll still have to pay for roughly 100k out of my own money and loans. This will be my biggest setback. Fourth, I would apply for internships/media positions in the area. School sport teams often have accounts and websites run by students. I can look into becoming one of them, hence building my resume and hopefully secure a job. Thank you so much for providing me with the opportunity to work towards my dream and not giving up on students.

One of my biggest regrets in life is that I have spent most of my time doing things for other people's praise. My sister did very well in school- homecoming queen, valedictorian, and D1 athlete. I have spent so much time trying to be as great as her that I never did anything for myself. Once I realized this, I fell in love with sports. I love her more than anyone else, and she has pushed me not to be afraid to achieve my dreams. Having been born and raised in Idaho, I have attended school with the same kids my entire life. Each one of them is like family to me. My favorite thing to do with them was attend baseball games. The student section has always been my safe place. It brings us all together, and there is nothing I love more than baseball. Yet, on this particular day, it was different. I can recall the moment so vividly in my memory. I was sitting on my knees, being rained on in the middle of the centerfield, surrounded by hundreds of my classmates. I could taste salt in my mouth from all the tears. Nickleback, which had been playing in the background, turned into some static noise muffling my thoughts. You could have given me a hundred years, and I still would never be able to guess that this would be something that was to happen in my life. I never imagined I would be attending a funeral that played rock music and took place in a softball field, but there I was. One day, I'm interviewing Laney for the school paper; the next week, I'm attending her funeral. Over the past five years, three of my classmates have passed away. All of them were incredible students and some of our school's best athletes. While I was walking home from her memorial service, I realized what my dream in life is. I decided to go into sports broadcasting. I've worked on the school's newspaper team for three years. Having the opportunity to tell people's stories has been such a tremendous blessing and privilege in my life. I want to continue to tell people's stories beyond high school. We all have a story to tell; even if your life may seem boring, our stories are not. By working in sports broadcast, I can continue to work in the athletic journalism I love and tell the stories of determined, hard-working individuals. People shouldn't have to wait until your funeral to hear your story. One thing I love about Minnesota is its beauty. Everyone there seems so friendly and wonderful. They call it Minnesota Nice for a reason. I hope to gain my post-secondary education and learn how to tell people's stories from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities because they will provide me with the best education. We all have a story that deserves to be shared, and if you have a voice, why not use it?

When I was around 18 months old I started having seizures. When I went to the doctor to get help, it was this same time that they diagnosed me with NF1. I am the first person in my family to have any genetic disorder, so it was difficult to understand at first. I was born with three cafe au lait spots, which, up until that point, we believed were freckles. I don't know how many I have now, but it feels like dozens. I began taking speech therapy lessons from the ages of three up until sixth grade. I was on an IEP during this time as well but recently switched to a 504 in high school. Nobody even told me what was going on. They'd simply begun pulling me out of the classroom more and more. My older sister is an amazing person: valedictorian, Honor Roll, and Homecoming Queen. Upon meeting people, my parents would even introduce her as an outstanding student and then motion to me, saying I have "special" classes too. I always felt that I was nothing compared to her. My parents would reassure me saying that I am my own person, but the feeling always stayed. I began seeing neurologists annually to help me progress with my ADHD, epilepsy, and neurofibromatosis. Granted, I was young and shy, but they wouldn't t let me speak. the conversation felt one way. I never got to tell them how I was feeling. I remember learning in school about different gentic disorders. I was surprised that not once NF was ever brought in any of the lectures or textbooks. This only made me feel more isolated like no one even knew what it was like. In all 17 years of living, I have never met anyone else with NF, but I know now that I am not alone. In an effort to make myself feel more accomplished, I began pushing myself a lot in high school. It was overwhelming being in advanced or dual credit classes and participating in multiple clubs, but it made me feel more like everyone else. I finally got to sit in places other than the front row of class or closest to the teacher's desk. I was my own student paving my own way. I want to attend college to continue overcoming my learning disabilities and become my own person in the world. I wouldn't say I am more deserving of this scholarship than others. There are thousands of other students who are good candidates for this scholarship. However I do hope I am one of those students. I want to continue showing others that I am capable of what they do despite our learning differences. I often have a hard time focusing and understanding, but that hasn't stopped me from becoming a member of the NHS, and I won't let it stop me in the future. My NF and other disabilities are not stronger than me; I can do things just as great as my peers. My dream is to be a sports announcer for Bally Sports or ESPN, both highly dominated by men; and the few women there tend to receive distasteful remarks from viewers. However, I hope I can be a part of the crowd to change that. I want to go to Minnesota since it has 7 professional sports teams and is a Big 10 school, so I feel like it would be a good place for a sports broadcasting program. Thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to possibly acquire the funds to help me achieve this dream.

Living a sustainable life requires being mindful. Educating ourselves is important. It's so unfortunate how many people either don't understand and/or don't care to the needs of our environment. I try to be aware of what I am doing in my life and use any available resources to keep the Earth clean. In the city I live in, you can't recycle paper or cardboard, which definitely makes things difficult, but not impossible. You can turn off vampire devices, keep lights off when you're not in the room, wash your clothes in cold water, and so much more. Being in/running environmental club over the years and taking AP Environmental Science has taught me so much. We need to keep Educating ourselves. I'm lucky enough to live in a city that uses a lot of hydropower, but there are still problems nonetheless. I think it is important to reduce our carbon footprint because of the negative change in climate we are facing. Although it is a semi-arid/desert climate, Southern Central Idaho has been in a drought my entire life. I have never seen the area in its fullest potential. Fossil combustion, such as driving cars, releases volatile organic compounds along with chlorofluorocarbons into the air creating a thermal inversion. Keeling charts over the more recent use have shown an ever increasing amount of carbon ppm in the atmosphere. More and more people are getting sick each year from breathing the polluted air. We all live on this planet and hopefully will one day raise people on it, so we need to care for it. I can't imagine my childhood without rolling around in grass fields and picking dandelions. I used to go a little Lake Beach every summer as a kid, but now that beach is littered in trash. Children of the future will one day not be able to enjoy the activities I did. We need to care for this Earth not because it affects us, but it will impact the lives of future generations. I care for the environment because Earth is my home, it is all our homes. I wouldn't keep trash on the floor of my house, I would throw it away. I wouldn't leave my car in idle, I would walk inside where it is warm. I wouldn't drive my scooter to get to the other side, I would walk because it really isn't that far. We need to think the same way with our planet. We should dispose of trash properly, use compost and recycle when possible. I wouldn't wait in my car on a cold winter morning with the engine running just to stay warm. I can simply go inside and wait in the classroom; and when possible, I will bike and walk. We can improve our carbon footprint by being mindful of our actions. We can carpool with friends or take the bus. We can use compost instead of synthetic fertilizers that leach excess nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil and groundwater.

When I was a freshman I decided that I wanted to enroll in Bruin News, my school's newspaper class, for my sophomore year. My sister was graduating the following year and was also enrolled in the course, so I thought it would be nice to have a class with her before she leaves. Mr. Davis was the Bruin News Advisor. When I asked him to sign the registration paper for the class, he told me that he normally doesn't take sophomores, so if I wanted to take News, I would have to take Honors English. I was never too interested in advanced courses, but I agreed. Little did I know at the time, but this would greatly alter my life. Davis is also over Honors English 10, so every morning the first hour, I would go to his class. Davis is an incredible teacher. Not only did he teach us the material, but her taught to learn how to love what we do. My passion for writing has grown so much because of. I continued to take advanced writing courses including AP Literature, English 102, and AP English. With this meant taking more dual credit courses. Half way through my sophomore year I realized that if I were to continue to stay on this path, I would be 12 credits short of graduating with a Liberal Arts degree from the local community college. So I thought, why not? If it were for Mr. Davis I would have never had the courage to have my writing published monthly and to take on being fully enrolled in college as a high school student. I have now had Davis as my teacher for three years and eat lunch in his room everyday. I admire how he treats us like people and creates a positive learning atmosphere. My favorite thing about Davis is how he was a highschool drop-out, and is very open about it. He doesn't encourage his students, or really any for that matter, to quit school, but he also isn't ashamed. Yet he overcame his setbacks. He moved to Idaho, attended ISU and is now an AP teacher, lead of a paper that is published all across town, and head of the English department. Davis has survived cancer as well. He has set such a strong example to me and has shown time and time again to never give up, to keep on reaching for something greater. I wouldn't be where I am in my life right now without Mr. Davis. If I didn't have him as a teacher, I wouldn't be graduating with my associates before a high school diploma (thus would have an even hard time attending my dream school), I wouldn't be pushing myself as much as I am now, but most importantly, I wouldn't have any of my friends. The people closest in my life I've met through my AP English Classes and Bruin News, classes I only took because of him. Without my friends, I don't know if I would have the strength to continue fighting my own mental battle in life. Davis has taught me to love school and to never limit my potential. Ultimately, he is the most impactful teacher I have ever had the privilege of learning from. Life is hard, but it is harder when we limit our worth. However, through him I have learned that there is so much more. We can always grow into a better place, we can always improve. You just need to have an open mind.

Writing is one of my favorite hobbies. I love taking an hour or so of my day to just sit, breathe, and write. You can feel all the emotions and develop them into art. My favorite thing to write is poetry and songs. They say a picture can paint a thousand words, so why not write that picture. I love writing music by creating an image with the words I write down. It encapsulates the emotions, the feelings, in the finest of details and art. I joined my school's newspaper as a sophomore. At first, I joined because my sister was on it and I wanted to have a class with her before she gradurated. However, I quickly fell in love with the program and began to invest hundreds of hours into making the paper the best it can be. I began as a staff writer and now work as the opinion editor, which basically is the head of the opinion column. I've written over 50 articles over the past three years in our monthly editions of school headlines. Working on the newspaper team has made me love writing in ways I never thought I would. Although articles are less artistic compared to poetry, it shares how the students feel. I get the privilege of making a lasting impact on my school's tangible archives. Working with the students one on one has grown my love for journalism immensely. It gives me the chance to connect with people of all backgrounds and interests; people I otherwise would have never spoken to. To strengthen my writing, I also enrolled myself in a plethora of english classes including but not limited to: AP literature and Composition, AP English, English 102 Rhetoric, and Honors English. I even got the opportunity to speak with Drew Nash, a writer and photographer from Times News, my city's local paper to work with. I can become a better editor myself. I have loved writing so much and do not want to stop when I go to college. I have considered taking music writing class so I can learn how to add an emotional depth to my songs. I'm proud of what I've written so far, but I know I can be better. When I learned that the University of Minnesota has a news paper team as well, I knew I had to go there. I've always been obsessed with the midwest schools, UMN - Twin Cities in particular, but that sealed the deal. So many school news programs these days are digital or broadcast, which is bad by any means, but it loses the value of writing. I hope I can become a member of their paper as well. Writing has become such a huge part of me and my life, I can't imagine my education path without it. I'm grateful for are the blessing and opportunities that writing has brought into my life and I yearn that I can continue traveling this path in my post-secondary career.

Good day, I'm McKinzie Adams and I've been having seizures ever since I was 18 months old. I was born mostly deaf, and though I have since had procedures to improve it, it was difficult to grow up not being able to fully understand the world and function in it. I was on a IEP from preschool up until the start of middle school to fit my needs. I couldn't play certain sports in school since difficulty breathing would be a trigger. I would be anxious a lot of the time since I'm also triggered by fatigue, and my insomnia plus sleep apnea made me average about 5 hours of sleep at night. The first doctor I remember going to didn't even believe me at first. He thought I was simply either unknowingly faking it, or doing it for attention. Since he was a professional, my parents went along with it. They took off my medicine for months. Eventually they took me to a different doctor. Scheduling appointments has always been difficult. The closest neurologist is a 3 hour drive from my house and often has a waiting period extending multiple months. Thankfully, I secured an appointment and schedule and EEG. On June 15, 2023, I was officially diagnosed, for the second time, with epilepsy. I started taking 500mg of Keppra everyday twice a day, but showed little improvement, so they moved me up to 750mg twice a day. I am currently on 1000mg everyday twice a day. Having epilepsy does have some limitations. The biggest by far, at least for me, is driving. I haven't been able to drive since 2022 because of my seizures. It makes me feel like I'm stuck between a rock and hard place because I either choose between going against my doctor's orders and driving, which is a hazard to me and others, walking everywhere, or relying on others to take me. Since I'm alone at home and both my parents work, it is a struggle to get to places on time. Some of my classmates even make fun of me for this as well. Idaho lets you get your license at 15, which is freshman year for some people. However, I'm a senior and still rely on my friends to take me places. They say they don't mind, but it always makes me feel like a burden, especially since I live in the opposite direction of town. I began wearing a medical alert bracelet two years ago and finally got put on a 504 this year. I had to reconsider my career options. Growing up I wanted to be a nurse, but many states won't let you work in the medical field if you have issues such as epilepsy or are seizure prone. I am currently leading towards something in either psychology, sports media, or environmental science. These are some of my biggest passions, I find so much joy in them. I've taken similar classes at the College of Southern Idaho. I've done well in them, which makes me feel so proud and accomplished, it makes me feel like I can actually do something. However, I want to go to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, which has a steep cost for out of state students. I am 10's of thousands of dollars short of affording tuition, and my parents say they won't be endorsing the loan. I don't blame them for this, in fact they shouldn't have to pay my debts, but it leaves me struggling to find the funds to go to my dream school. If I were to receive this scholarship, I would like to try and advocate for people with epilepsy. Although it creates setbacks, it doesn't have to stop you. You are stronger than epilepsy and still amount to great things and achieve an education and/or a great job. People who struggle with seizures should still be able to live life to the fullest. I would like to teach people the importance of understanding seizures. I've had classmates have grand mal seizures in the middle of class, without a teacher in the room, and never did anything to help, nor get someone to help, because they didn't understand. Knowing how to help can make such a difference in people's lives. Thank you so much for providing the opportunity to apply for epilepsy-specific scholarships and giving us a chance at a post-secondary career.

Good day, I'm McKinzie Adams and I'm from southern Idaho. I try to stay involved in school by attending various sporting events from volleyball and wrestling to baseball and basketball. I admire how lovely the student section is and love being apart of a loud crowd. Despite being a relatively small town compared to other states, we actually get really big into sports here. I'm involved in five different clubs, but my favorite is the Environmental Club. I joined Environmental Club late in my sophomore year of high school and am now the president. One thing I love about this club is all the chances we have to give back to the community. We have spent dozens of hours over the years picking up trash alongside the beloved Snake River Canyon and even go down to state parks from time to time, such as the Sawtooth Forest. At least in Twin Falls, the Environmental Club tends to attract the crowd of people I otherwise would never really hang out with. However, they are so incredibly nice, talented people who I have had the greatest pleasure of working with. One thing I've been trying to do is plant a tree on our school campus. Idaho is a semi-arid climate, so we don't get a lot of trees. I really want to go to the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. While visiting the campus this summer I fell in love with the vast fields, floral creations, and the trees. The Midwest in general has a large multitude of trees in juxtaposition to Idaho. I hope that if I can plant a tree on my high school's campus, I can leave something good behind after I graduate and add to the green scenery I love. My junior year of high school I took AP Environmental science, APES for short. My teacher would often complain about the way our baseball and football teams fertilize their field. They would mow the fields very often to keep it trim and appealing, but would always throw away the clippings. The grass is filled with synthetic fertilizer and paint. This will eventually be consumed by the ground and enter the watershed. This isn't good for anyone, but especially in farming communities like the ones in Idaho. After taking APES and attending over 17 baseball/football games at my school, I got to thinking on how can I make this better. Most athletes don't like turf due to the carpet burn like markings and extreme temperatures. The MLB uses chalk, so that would solve the paint issue to an extent, but football moves around too much. The chalk wouldn't work for very long. By weighing out the possibilities, I still haven't found anything that would to well in long term aspect. I haven't quite decided what I want to do in college yet, but sports media and environmental studies are on my list. I hope if I follow this pathway I can find a way to maintain the beauty which can be found in nature and improve its role in sporting entertainment. I have found so much joy in my environmental works and attending sports games over the recent years. If it all works out in my post-secondary education, I would love to combine these two interest in some way to make the hundreds of sports field across the nation better, cleaner place.