The Covid-19 pandemic has taught me that life is temperamental. During the pandemic, society has been forced to release the routines they held near and dear and adapt to what we call life now. The pandemic has forced humanity to face its flaws and accept the downfalls of life. From the Black Lives Matter movement that taught many around the world the challenges Black people face every day to the political discourse that forced Americans to learn and participate in their government, our society has faced many challenges. Every event that has taken place from February of 2020 to the present day has taught people that there is more to society than what meets the eye. Our world, our country, our state, and our small town, are all impacted by the events that take place around the world. The pandemic has taught people to reflect upon their selfish acts and how they contribute to the struggles of today's world. The world does not revolve around one person: that has been and continues to be the life lesson as the world continues to grapple with Covid-19. Teenagers and adults that were once not involved in politics are now intrigued by the health care debate. More people are frightened by the high number of deaths, and how many people were unable to afford proper treatment for the virus that has killed many loved ones across the world. Healthcare, in the future, will become a more heated and argued debate in the wake of the pandemic that has resulted in the loss of millions of lives. Healthcare has to become more available, especially for simple ailments without people having to make dire sacrifices like selling their car or missing a rent payment. Public transportation, as seen in New York, will become more sanitized. The idea that a simple two-minute proximity to an unknown stranger can lead to the wild spread of a deadly virus will forever stick with people. Transportation systems will be expected to maintain the daily sanitization routine that has been implemented during Covid-19 because now, people will be more aware of their surroundings. Children, college students, and young adults will all change how they interact with others. The loss of social interaction will cause high school teenagers and college students who have missed the necessary years of development and interaction will want to explore the world. Travel will increase by large numbers, possibly making interstate travel and abroad travel cheaper on certain airlines. More people will focus on spending time with their family members after a year of self-isolation and missed traditions. Like healthcare, education will be argued to become more accessible. In this present age of technology, one would think that the internet and education would easily coincide with one another, but as this pandemic has taught us, not everything is how it seems. Many children struggled and continue to struggle with the transition to online learning. Teachers also continue to struggle with the difference in teaching a class full of students to now teaching to a computer screen of blank faces and turned-off cameras. Education must be put at the forefront of concerns and debates because with the evolving scene of technology, students should be able to transition smoothly to online learning. Overall, society will change. People will change. The government will change. Race relations, the idea of social class, the need for convenience, transportation, all the things humanity was once accustomed to will change. As history continues to show us, the only way that the human species will continue to dominate this planet as it has for centuries, we must adapt. We must conquer our challenges. We must accept one another for who we are without unnecessary judgment and bullying. We must help those who can not help themselves. We must use our strengths to help those who are less fortunate. We must come together, people of different races, religions, and ideologies must lean into one another to push humanity forward into the future.

I live in a state that claims to be diverse, yet behind the scenes, I remain one of the few African Americans in my school. I am a high school senior, and for most of my life, I have always been the minority in the room. Yet for the longest, I never noticed that there was something wrong. As a young girl, politics had always been a topic I loved to discuss, but when talking to my friends, I realized there were many disparities in how we were raised. I was always taught that I had to give my all in everything I did. My parents always told me that nothing would be handed to me; I had to go out in this world and take it for myself. Those life lessons have stuck and will always stick with me. To enact those life lessons, I have dedicated myself to taking challenging courses in school to better prepare myself for college and my future career. Throughout high school, I have often gone against what was expected of me from my friends and sometimes even family. During my Sophomore year, I switched from a regulars world geography class to an advanced placement European history class. It was a challenge to switch to the new amount of coursework and expectations of the advanced placement class, but I conquered the challenge and made a 5 on the exam. After that year, I have taken advanced placement classes whenever I got the chance. I am now in three advanced placement classes this year: English, Spanish, and United States Government and Politics. Furthermore, I have taken the chance to pursue mastering Spanish two years past the standard requirement, and I have elected to take a Law Studies and Contemporary Issues class my senior year. With all the classes I have been able to take in high school, I plan to go to university to major in international relations and philosophy, and minor in Spanish language. With that degree, I then plan to go to law school, while interning at the White House. My plans after law school entail becoming an attorney in criminal and international law, owning a private law firm in the United States and a couple of other foreign nations. I would love to play a key role in developing policies for the United Nations that is palatable and beneficial for all parties. At some point in my career, I want to run for district judge, and then, I want to move my way up to appellate court, then a supreme court justice. No matter what point I am at in my career, I always want to remain dedicated to solving the important issues at hand. I want to be an active member in my community, making a change one act at a time. I have gained my passion for community service through volunteering with Habitat for Humanity at my school. Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity has given me the chance to step out into a different atmosphere, meet new people, and witness what it is like to help make someone’s life easier. On the Saturdays that we worked, I was able to work alongside the families that were building their homes and hear their stories. A few stories had issues with the legal system inhibiting their chances to move forward from past incidents, and those stories inspired me, even more, to pursue a career in the political and law field. Inspired, I became more dedicated to ensuring that the general public is benefited by the legal system not injured or gutted by the decisions made in the courtroom or by public officials. Compared to my peers, I am the only one engaged in civil discourse and the social issues at hand in our society. I try to spread as much information as I can to my peers, so they are, in some form, aware of state and world issues. From my experiences, I have recognized my passion for quite a few social issues: teenage involvement in societal affairs, affordable housing, diplomacy between nations, domestic terrorism, and cultural awareness to prevent racism and discrimination. These are the fundamental issues that I plan to play a role in changing for the younger generations. My overall goal is to make this world a better place for everyone in this nation and around the world. Though to some, it may seem impossible or unattainable, I plan to use my education and experience in international relations, philosophy, and other outside sources to create a plan that engages people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, etc… to form a unanimous effort dedicated to solving issues that have too long been ignored. Inspired by the challenges I have faced and the criticism I have received, I have made it my mission to advocate for young women like me, so I can pave a way for future generations and contribute to the betterment of the future for all.