My mother is my hero. When my father passed away, she didn’t just step up, she transformed. She became both my mother and my father, my protector and my provider, my biggest supporter and my firmest teacher. Every time I searched for the presence of my father, I found my mother standing there, strong, steady, and unshakable. Her love filled every void. She is the light of my life, my peace in the storm, and the rock I can always depend on. She taught me what it truly means to be a woman: strong yet gentle, passionate yet calm, and endlessly loving. I watched her work long hours, pay bills, cook dinner, help with homework, and still find the energy to smile and ask about my day. She poured herself into every moment of my life, the endless, unpaid hours spent driving, cooking, helping, and caring. She carried the weight of two parents on her shoulders, yet she never complained. Instead, she showed me through her actions that perseverance, faith, and love can overcome anything. Growing up with a single mother is not for the weak. There were times when we didn’t have much, but my mother made sure we never felt the absence of love or stability. She pushed me to always be better, study harder, speak louder, and believe that I could achieve anything I put my mind to. She never let me settle for “good enough,” and because of her, I developed a deep sense of determination and self-worth. Her lessons extend far beyond academics. She taught me to take responsibility for my actions, to be kind even when it’s difficult, and to use my voice for good. When I was accepted into college, it wasn’t just my achievement, it was ours. Every late night she spent helping me study, every pep talk when I doubted myself, and every sacrifice she made led me to where I am now. Being a parent means raising a child who will one day not need you, and my mother has done that beautifully. Because of her, I am strong, independent, and unafraid to stand up for what I believe in. She taught me that love, when rooted in strength and compassion, can conquer all. Everything I do, from the way I treat others to the goals I chase, is a reflection of her influence. My mother didn’t just raise me; she shaped me. And for that, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make her proud.

My family was blended from the start, my mom with her son from a previous marriage, my dad with two children from his, and then me. Unfortunately, the mix of families never truly blended, and my parents divorced when I was four years old. From then on, I spent half my time with my mom and the other half with my dad. It wasn’t always easy, moving between homes and feeling like I didn’t completely belong to either family. But those years taught me how to adapt, how to find stability within myself, and how to appreciate the different forms of love that shaped me. Ten years after their divorce, in 2021, my father passed away. His death was sudden and life-altering. For a long time, I couldn’t imagine my future without him in it. When I closed my eyes, all I could see were the moments he would miss, my high school graduation, my first day of college, the day I achieve my career goals. As a little girl I often imagined my wedding, a grand event filled with loved ones. I had always dreamed of my father walking me down the aisle someday. Never did I imagine a life where he wouldn’t be there. Through that loss, my mom became my constant source of strength. She let me sleep in her bed when I was scared to be alone, cheered at every play and school event, and showed up for me in every possible way. Every time I looked for my dad in the crowd, it was my mom who was standing there, proud, steady, and unwavering. She took on the role of both parents and taught me what resilience, determination, and unconditional love look like. With her support, I began to rebuild my vision of the future, piece by piece. I graduated high school, chose a college, and joined organizations that challenge me to grow both personally and professionally. I plan to study law because I want to use my education to help people, just as my father helped others as a nurse and my mother helped me through her devotion. My goal is to become a voice for those who struggle to be heard, to advocate for fairness, understanding, and change. Even if I am still discovering exactly what form that will take, I know that my purpose is to make a difference. My experiences in a single-parent, blended family have shown me the power of empathy, perseverance, and education. These lessons are not just part of my past, they are the future I am determined to build, one that honors both my parents’ legacies by using my talents to do good and help others.

It wasn’t me who had the chronic medical condition, it was my father. It was that same condition that ultimately robbed me of him four years ago, when I was fourteen. It came quietly in the dead of night, taking him before anyone could react. One night, I was playing video games with him, and the next morning I was checking the box for “single-parent household” on my college applications. Overnight, I lost my father because of a lack of knowledge and awareness about his condition. His death was preventable, and that’s what hurts the most. If we had known more, if we had been better informed, he might still be here today. That realization drives me to advocate for education and awareness about chronic medical conditions. I want to give others the power my family didn’t have, the power that comes from knowledge. No one should lose a loved one because they didn’t understand what was happening. Knowledge is power, and I want to use mine to empower others to take control of their health and their futures. There are moments when I wish I could pick up the phone and tell my dad about my life, about college, my classes, my friends, my dreams. But every time I speak up in class even when I’m nervous, or push myself to make new connections, I think of him. My father is what inspires me to push past limits and strive for excellence. He taught me, even in his absence, that I am capable of more than I think. His memory is my motivation. The first time I watched Hamilton was with my dad. We were both obsessed, and he even looked into buying tickets for Christmas one year. In Hamilton, there’s a line that has always stayed with me: “You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.” My father didn’t get to choose who tells his story, but I have taken it upon myself to be that person. His legacy lives through me, through my words, my actions, and my determination to help others avoid the pain I endured. It is a sad story, but it is one I will continue to tell, again and again, so that others can learn from it. My father’s story will not end with his death; it will live on through my purpose: to educate, empower, and make a difference in the lives of others.

My family has never been “traditional,” whatever that word means. My mom had a son from a previous marriage, and my dad had two children from his. Then they had me. As much as they tried, their families just never blended, and they divorced when I was four. I spent my childhood living half with my mom and half with my dad, but I never felt like I truly belonged in either home. I was often embarrassed to bring friends over because I worried they wouldn’t understand my family situation. Everything changed in 2021 when my dad passed away. I moved in full time with my mom and tried to grieve, but it was hard when I felt like I was the only one who truly understood the loss. My mom did her best to comfort me, but it was her ex-husband who had died, she didn’t love him anymore. My brother, who had a different dad, tried to support me, but he was eighteen and had never lost a parent. I felt isolated, surrounded by love that couldn’t quite reach the pain I felt. My dad had been my confidant, the person I could tell anything to. Losing him wasn’t just losing a parent; it was losing my best friend. After his death, I began to see a new side of my mom. She let me sleep in her bed when I was scared to be alone, showed up at every school event, and became both mother and father to me. She worked long hours and sacrificed her own comfort to make sure I had every opportunity possible. Her strength and devotion became my foundation. I will always be grateful for the countless ways she put me first, even when it meant carrying the weight of two parents on her own. Watching her has shaped who I am and who I want to become. This past summer, I worked two jobs, often 40 hours a week, to help pay for my college expenses. My mom has always shown up for me, and now I want to show up for her. In college, I’ve pushed myself to succeed academically, joining clubs that challenge me to grow both as a person and as a future professional. I plan to use my education to make a difference, to turn the love, sacrifice, and resilience my mother has shown me into something that impacts others. I want to become a lawyer to help people find their voice and seek justice, just as my father once helped his patients find healing as a nurse. My education is not just my future, it’s my way of honoring both of my parents: my father’s compassion and my mother’s strength. If I can serve others with even a fraction of the love my mother has given me, I know I can change the world, one person, one act, one life at a time.

I have always considered myself a lucky kid. My parents divorced when I was four years old, but at least they were both alive, and I had my mom and brother to lean on. My father passed away when I was fourteen, but at least I still had my mom and my brother. When my brother was arrested the following year, it was once again my mother who held my hand and wiped away my tears, as she always had. Everyone faces hardship in life, and mine is no exception. I don’t believe my experiences make me more deserving than anyone else because pain and perseverance are universal. The girl sitting next to me in class has her own battles, just as I have mine. What defines us is not the difficulty of our circumstances, but how we rise from them. Through every challenge, my mother has been my constant source of strength. She sat beside me through every loss, every heartbreak, and every setback. When I was accepted into college, she immediately began figuring out how to make it work financially, even if it meant taking on another job. When I offered to find work on campus, she insisted that I focus on my studies and promised she would handle the rest, as she always had. Her selflessness has been both humbling and motivating. That is why I will say that I don’t deserve this scholarship, my mother does. She is the reason I am here today. She pulled all-nighters to keep our home running, let me sleep in her bed beside her for months after my father’s death, and carried our family when we could barely stand on our own. Every opportunity I have now is a direct result of her sacrifices. If receiving this scholarship can relieve even a fraction of her burden, it would mean the world to me. My mother is the light of my life, my greatest example of courage, compassion, and perseverance. But beyond easing her load, this scholarship represents something even deeper: a chance to honor everything she has instilled in me by putting it into action. Because of my mother, I have learned resilience, discipline, and empathy, qualities that now define my academic and professional goals. I plan to pursue a career in law, where I can advocate for others who, like my family, have faced difficult circumstances and needed someone to believe in them. My mother’s unwavering belief in me taught me the power of faith, hard work, and hope, and I want to extend that same support to others. If I have an advantage over others, it is not wealth or circumstance, it is the example of my mother’s strength. She has shown me that success is not measured by what you have, but by what you give. Her sacrifices have shaped my determination to succeed not just for myself, but for her and for those who will come after me. I carry her lessons into everything I do, and I intend to make the most of every opportunity, including this scholarship, to build a future worthy of her love and her faith in me.

Everyone used to tell me I looked just like my father, same hair, same eyes, same everything. I never liked hearing that; what little girl wants to be told she looks like a middle-aged man? But all of that changed when my father passed away in 2021. Suddenly, I was grateful for those features I had once disliked. They were the only parts of him I had. As I grew older, though, those similarities began to fade. I stopped wearing glasses. I dyed my hair. And just like that, I had lost my last ties to my father. The words I used to roll my eyes at, you look just like your dad, became the words I longed to hear, but no one said them anymore. My father’s funeral was packed, relatives, friends, and even people unknown to me, filled the room. He had worked as a nurse at the veterans’ hospital since before I was born, and so many of his patients came to say goodbye. At just fourteen, sitting in that crowded room, I found myself thinking about my own life and the kind of legacy I wanted to leave. My father had touched so many lives, and in that moment, I promised myself that one day, I would too. When it came time to choose a college and a major, I remembered that promise. I chose a Catholic college and decided to study law, a field where I could help people, just as my father had in his own way. Now, as I sit in a coffee shop on campus, I think back to the days when my dad and I played video games together. Whenever I got frustrated, he would smile and say, “Megan, you can do anything you put your mind to, from video games to anything in life. Believe in yourself, and it will come true.” At twelve years old, I thought he was being cheesy, turning a simple game into a life lesson. But now I see that those words shaped who I am today. I am thriving in college because I know I can. I earn the grades I work for, join clubs that challenge me, and pursue a future where I can make a difference in people’s lives, just as my dad did. Every time I push through a difficult assignment or speak up in class when I’m nervous, I hear his voice in the back of my mind reminding me that I’m capable of more than I think. His belief in me didn’t fade when he died; it became part of who I am. There are moments when I wish I could ask him for advice, to tell him about my classes or the friends I’ve made in college. But in a way, I already know what he would say. He would tell me to keep going, to keep helping others, and to never stop believing in myself. That’s what he taught me, that impact isn’t measured by how long you live, but by how deeply you touch the lives of others. My father’s legacy continues in me. Every goal I set, every person I help, every challenge I overcome, they are all reflections of him. I used to think I lost my connection to my father when I stopped looking like him, but now I realize it was never about appearances. The part of him that matters most is still with me: his compassion, his strength, and his faith in the good we can do for others. That is the part of him I carry forward with me today.

Diabetes is a killer, silent and deadly. For me, it came in the dead of night. One night my father was alive and laughing with me over a video game and the next morning, I suddenly found myself checking "single-parent household" on college applications. Diabetes had killed my father and I had been unable to stop it. Diabetes shaped who I am because I lost my father. I found myself unable to confide in my mother, the way I had my father and without my closest confidante, my mental health plummeted. I felt isolated, alone and was somehow supposed to start high school in two weeks. I didn't want to completely shut out my remaining parent, and so, after a while I began to confide in my mother. I confessed to her that while I was certainly mourning the loss of my father, I was also mourning two other things. The first being my health. My dad and my brother have diabetes and my doctor thought I would also get it. This changed my life. I realized I needed to do as much as I could to not get diabetes. I didn't want what happened to my dad happen to me. I had seen the way diabetes ran his life. It control him and not the other way around. We would have to pull over on long-distance car rides because his sugar dropped and he didn't have the energy to continue. He found it difficult to walk around places such as zoos because of the nerve damage in his feet caused by diabetes. I refused to let this happen to me. I started working out more and eating healthier. Within a year of his passing, I became vegan. Today, I can thankfully say my chance of getting diabetes is close to none. Everyday I make conscience choices, knowing the chance of diabetes could come. The second thing I was mourning was my dreams. Every little girl dreams of their future wedding and I was no different. As I got older, those dreams developed and became more mature. I dreamt of going to prom, getting my high school diploma, graduating college, and getting my law degree. My father was present in all of these dreams, walking my down the aisle at my wedding, cheering me on as I walked across the stage at graduation, and telling me that no matter how grown up I became, I would always be his little girl. I became forced to change those dreams, not the dream itself, but rather, change where my father was in them. Instead of by my side, he would now be up in heaven, cheering me on and telling everybody that I was his little girl, of whom he was so proud. Diabetes has shaped my life in ways I would have never expected. I lost my father, my ability to be carefree about my health, and my dreams. Diabetes will always be a part of who I am and has impacted my past, present, and I know it will impact my future. I am always thinking about what would have happened if my father hadn't had diabetes. But he did and I cannot change that. Instead, I can educate people about how serious diabetes is. It took my father without warning and my only hope is I can prevent the next little girl from losing her father.

They say grief is not something you can truly ever recover from. I first handedly know that is true. After losing my father in 2021, I felt as though my world was ending. The future seemed bleak and although my world seemed to have stopped, others had not. Just two short weeks after his funeral I started my freshman year of high school, still under covid-19 restrictions. It was a hard and painful process as my mother supported me, trying her best despite never losing a parent herself. At times I felt myself not wanting to continue on in life and wanting to make time stand still long enough for me to properly grieve the loss of my father. Alas, time did not stop and neither did I. As I continued to live my life it got easier not having my father around. I threw myself into my school work, activities, and family hoping they could provide a welcome distraction. As I started to meet with a therapist, she helped me understand that if I never took the time to mourn for my father it would consume my life. Instead I should accept the moments of grief as they come, allow the emotions, take a deep breath, and move on. Today I am living my life the way my father would have wanted. There are still moments of sadness and longing such as when I realized my father would never be there to walk me down the aisle at my wedding or see his grandchildren, when I have kids. Perhaps, the hardest moment most recently was the three year anniversary of his death, July 21, when I was sitting down writing essays for college scholarships, preparing to go into my senior year of high school and I had the realization that my father will not be there to see me graduate. He will not be there cheering me on as I accept my diploma, become a young adult, and move into the next stage of my life. It is hard planning for a future without my father in it and yet it is something I must do. I plan to major in psychology while getting my pre-law degree. Following that, I will go to law school to get my degree in international law. I want to make a difference in other people's lives just as my father did in other people's, including mine. Grief never fully goes away. It simply gets easier to live with and it is something I will live with for the rest of my life. Although my father is not with me physically anymore, his legacy and his spirit will live on through me and what I do with my life.

Let me start by saying I neither have diabetes nor am I going into research for diabetes. I have, however, been affected by diabetes. I understand if you choose not to award me this scholarship. I hope that you will still take the time to read my essay. My dad was diagnosed with diabetes long before I was born. Despite his best efforts at managing it, I always felt like his diabetes ruled our lives. The day we were supposed to go on a vacation, my dad suddenly changed his mind and dropped me off at my mom's house. I later found out he had checked himself into the hospital because his blood sugar had dropped to dangerously low levels and he had been unable to raise it. His diabetes also caused nerve damage in his feet and made wounds harder to heal due to poor circulation. He fell often and it seemed like the wounds he would get from his falls were worse and worse each time. I knew the diabetes weakened his immune system, but like most young kids, I assumed my parents would be around forever. I learned the truth the hard way. On July 21, 2021, my dad's blood sugar dipped too low and he died that night. Luckily, I was not the one to discover him as I was at my mom's house. Diabetes is a silent killer and I want to continue to raise awareness of just how lethal this disease can be.

I was always interested in building things. As a child, I would often watch my dad as he put together bookshelves for my room or hung pictures around the house. In eighth grade, I shadowed at the high school I currently attend. The day I shadowed, the robotics team was working on their robot. I was immediately enthralled and knew I wanted to join the robotics team. The friends I made on the robotics team during my freshman year of high school are my closest friends today. We do everything together and look forward to leading the robotics team as seniors this school year. I remember what first intrigued me was that a person could build an entirely new item using only his hands. In robotics, we first think of a concept based on how the robot needs to move. The CAD (computer-aided design) team then comes up with the design and we start to build it. The very skeleton of the robot is put together by the people on the build team, including me. This past robotics season, my team won an award for our build and design concept. Although I love STEM, math has never been one of my strong suits. I quickly learned that while I loved the hands-on part of building, the math part always seemed to stump me. When starting my search for a major and a career, as much as I wanted to become an engineer, I knew it would be impossible due to my lack of math skills. I had almost turned away from a STEM-related career completely when I fell in love with something else: psychology. After reading a book on behavioral and social science, I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. At that point in my life, I was in therapy, and after talking to my therapist, I knew I did not want to become a therapist. I was still passionate about psychology and so I searched for a career that would incorporate psychology. I discovered that many careers are indirectly tied to psychology. After taking a few college classes and reading about different careers that incorporated psychology, I finally found one that sparked my interest. A career in law included all the things I am passionate about including arguing, helping people, and most importantly psychology. My planned field of study is a J.D. in law and a bachelor's degree in psychology My passion for STEM sparked with building things, followed by robotics, and finally psychology. I know that my love for all things STEM-related will carry over into my law career which I will use to help people. An appreciation for STEM is essential for everyday life and must be started at a young age. This is why I work with kids at a STEM play area, helping stimulate their minds and hopefully encourage a love of STEM in them. My passion for STEM started at a young age and I hope to spark that passion in kids while they are young so they can grow up to love and appreciate it just as much as I do.

My mother is my hero. She is a hard-working single woman who balanced her career and her family. She sacrificed many things to afford a Catholic education for my brother and I. Education was of the utmost importance in my family. My mother pushed my brother and me to be our best academically, teaching us that the person who should care the most about our education is us. Through her, I learned that I will only get out of my education what I put into it. I have made the most out of the education I have received so far. I am currently in the process of finding a college where I will be pushed academically and receive a rigorous higher education. Along with guiding my brother and me to recognize the value of a strong education, she also taught us the importance of giving back to our community. Starting at a young age, she would take us to the grocery store so we could help pick out food that would later be donated to our local food pantry. As we got older, we started volunteering at the food pantry, serving food and packaging bags filled with baby items for expecting mothers. As I entered high school our methods of volunteering changed yet again. A Panera, about fifteen miles from my house, donates the leftover bread and sweets at the end of the day on Thursdays and Fridays. This food then gets repackaged and handed out to the less fortunate in Flint on Saturday. Two to four times a month, this is how I spend my Thursday and Friday evenings. Although I try to distribute it myself as many times as I can, unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way. Volunteering was how I was raised. It was a huge part of my childhood and I knew I wanted to find a career where I could give back and help people in the next stage of my life. Last summer, I took a class in restorative justice with an emphasis on racial discrimination in law. Suddenly it came to me. I knew which career I could help people the most: law. I now want to become a lawyer with my specialty being restorative justice. Using a J.D., I can use restorative justice to promote peace instead of violence and forgiveness instead of revenge. My career is how I plan on giving back to my community. Although it was difficult at times only having one parent, I would not change it for the world. My mother has shaped me into an educated young woman who has learned to prioritize school, volunteering, and most of all family. This scholarship will help me afford a degree in higher education and eventually, my J.D. which I will use to help people in my community through restorative justice.

My friend and I do the Connections puzzle every day together. We always race to see who can finish first. My sixteen words are: Panera, lawyer, basketball, boba, Biggby, tens and twos, psychology, war, theater, robotics, international, euchre, Starbucks, Pro-life club, criminal justice, trash. My first group of four is Panera, Starbucks, Biggby, and boba. These are all places my friends and I go to together. There is a Panera about a mile from our school. Before every concert, sport games, and other school events, my friends and I would go get something to eat at Panera. A little further down from Panera is Starbucks. Before club meetings and practices, my friends and I would go to Starbucks and grab a coffee. Some of my most memorable conversations with my friends are in the car, going and coming back from Starbucks. Next door to Starbucks is a family-run authentic boba shop. If we want someplace to sit and talk rather than grab and go, this is the place we go to. Biggby is a special place that only my best friend and I share. She introduced me to Biggby a few years ago when we started carpooling together. Since then I have fallen in love with Biggby and since our friends prefer Starbucks, Biggby is a place only special to her and me. Besides going out for food and drinks with my friends, we also like playing cards. Euchre, tens and twos, trash, and war are all card games we love to play together. It all started with one of my friends and I who knew how to play euchre. We then taught our other friends how to play and now play euchre every day during lunch. When we get tired of playing euchre we alternate with other card games such as trash, tens and twos, and war. Playing cards is how my friends and I bond, it is a shared hobby that we all love. My next group is basketball, theater, robotics, and Pro-life club. These are all school activities that I participate in. I have been playing basketball since I was in third grade while robotics is relatively new to me. I joined robotics in my freshman year of high school and am now going on my fourth year of building robots with some of my best friends. I joined the theater club in my sophomore year and have since risen in the ranks to go from ensemble to stage manager/assistant director. The pro-life club was something I always knew I wanted to join. Standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves has always been something I am passionate about and is something I am looking forward to doing in college and for the rest of my life. My future is the final group. I want to get a dual degree in criminal justice and psychology, go on to get a J.D., and make a career in international law. My passion for helping people stemmed from the Pro-life club. I want to give a voice to the voiceless and stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Although these four groups are very different categories they all make up me. These are my passions, my memories, my hobbies, my friends, my activities, and my future. To me, Connections is not just a game, it is a puzzle that creates memories my friend and I will cherish forever.

As cliche as it might sound my favorite athlete on Team USA is Simone Biles. Despite Simone being a talented athlete who has broken boundaries and records, this is not why she inspires me. Halfway through the 2020 Japan Olympics, Simone Biles chose to pull out of the competition due to mental health reasons. Although I had respected Simone long before then my respect and admiration only grew for her after that decision. Mental health is especially important to me so it is refreshing seeing a high-profile celebrity and athlete prioritize their mental health. After she won gold on Thursday and reclaimed her Olympic title, she posted a picture of herself on Instagram with the simple caption, "Mental health matters." She has continuously been a champion for mental health, especially in female athletes. When asked for a quote regarding mental health Biles said, "I think it's really important that we put our mental health first and then everything else will fall into place." This is so true. Mental health must come first or everything else will suffer. After taking a pause from gymnastics after the Tokyo Olympics, Simone came back this year stronger and better than ever. She faced heavy pressure from both critics and fans alike, with people calling this her "redemption tour." After winning three gold medals, Simone's Olympic journey took a rocky turn. She stumbled during her routine on the balance beam causing her to not place. During her floor routine, Simone placed silver. With her winning silver and American gymnast Jordan Chiles winning bronze, Rebeca Andrade from Brazil won gold. When Rebeca stepped up to the podium to accept her medal, Simone and Jordan knelt down honoring Rebeca. Despite not winning gold, Simone showed humility while demonstrating her happiness at another athlete winning. I love cheering for all the athletes on Team USA, especially Simone Biles. Her dedication and hard work for her craft have earned my admiration. The main reason I love cheering for her is not because I know she will win, but rather she knows when to stop. She recognizes mental health should come first which she demonstrated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although she is now one of the most decorated Olympians in history, she remains humble and still considers herself a simple girl from Houston who loves to flip. Her story will go down in history and I am so glad I get to be a witness and cheer her on along the way.

I once contemplated taking my own life. At that point in my life, my father had just died, I had a severe eating disorder, and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I saw no reason to continue living, thinking my life had no purpose. Luckily, I was surrounded by friends and family who cared for me deeply. My mother recognized the importance of therapy and the need for me to talk to someone. Although it was hard to open up at first, my therapist was a wonderful woman who quickly brought me out of my shell. We started small, talking about how school was going and which boys I thought were cute. This small talk led to deeper conversations about what I wanted to get out of life and how to achieve it. My therapist made such a big impact in my life. I can honestly say the reason I am sitting here today, writing this essay is because of her. This is why I want to get a degree in the mental health field. My therapist saved my life and now I want to do the same for others. I feel as though I can do the most good through becoming a lawyer. My professional desire is to go to college to receive a dual major in criminal justice and psychology. Using those degrees, I would like to go to law school to receive my J.D. Although I have no desire to become a therapist, I do want to help people the same way my therapist helped me. I am pursuing a psychology degree so I can better understand people. I believe understanding people and what motivates them is crucial to becoming a good lawyer. I want to work with companies and politicians to make mental healthcare more affordable and accessible. Everyone should have access to mental health resources; however, in America today that is simply not the case. Too many people who are suffering cannot receive the help they need due to the financial strain therapy would place on them. I want to help lessen the cost of mental healthcare while still preserving the quality of healthcare people receive. There is also a stigma around therapy. People feel as though going to therapy makes them look weak, but that is simply not true. It takes courage to ask for help. Through the use of my law degree, I would work to destigmatize therapy and mental healthcare in general, while also making mental healthcare affordable and accessible. As much as I may try, I cannot do this on my own. This scholarship will help me achieve those goals and using my degree in higher education, I will continue to fight for a world where mental healthcare is thought of as essential for the good of the whole person.

I am third. This is something engrained in me by my high school. These words mean you serve yourself third. You serve God first, followed by other people, and finally yourself. What makes a leader is sacrifice. Sacrifice for those whom you lead. Putting yourself third allows you to be a good leader. This is also what a makes me leader. Sacrifice is not the only thing that makes a good leader. The ability to listen to other people and empathize with them is a quality that all good leaders possess. I did not always have that ability until about a year ago. I had participated in drama club for about a year and when the time came to fill leadership roles I got picked. This decision, made by our drama club director and one of my mentors, came out of the blue. I felt unfit for the role and set up for failure due to my lack of previous leadership roles. Luckily, my mentor worked closely with me and taught me what it means to be a good leader. I was in charge of around thirty-five people, ranging from freshmen to seniors in high school. I learned that true leadership is not bossing people around, rather it is a sacrifice for the good of the people under you. Service from the leader promotes service for others within the group. I found I had to lead by example. People may not always remember what you say but they will remember what you do and how you made them feel. Caring deeply for other people is leadership. These are all great qualities in a leader, but leadership is so much more than that. It is actions, working for the common good while encouraging and guiding others to do the same. The leadership role I got assigned to showed me that, although I needed a little guidance at first, I have the ability to be a great leader. This discovery lit a fire in me. I now strive for every leadership position I can. Most recently, I applied for the position of president within the local chapter of the National Honors Society. As a junior, I was offered a spot in NHS after maintaining a GPA over 3.5 for the extent of my high school career. One of the pillars in NHS is service. This is because they recognize that being a leader within the school not only comes from strong academics but also a strong desire to serve. I am a leader because I am third. I lead by example by putting others before myself. Empathy and the ability to listen are good qualities in a leader, both of which I possess. I have a fire in myself to go out and be a leader which I can do through my degree in higher education. I plan to use this scholarship for a law degree. A career where I can be a leader and work guiding people towards the common good.

Dearest Gentle Reader, The social season is upon us and this author is very particular about which series she rates as diamonds of the finest water. Bridgerton has all the things the author will report: murder, romance, and of course scandal. Starting in season one, the Duke of Hasting and new debutante Miss Daphne Bridgerton of the esteemed Bridgerton family create a ruse, fooling the ton into believing they have formed an attachment; however, feelings formed under the pretense of a ruse can quickly become real. When the Duke's secret comes to light...well dearest reader, I shall let you discover what comes next. This author feels there is a fine line between love and hate. Viscount Anthony Bridgerton discovers this in season two. In search of the perfect wife, Viscount Bridgerton quickly becomes enraptured with Miss Edwina Sharma whose family has just returned from India. Perhaps Miss Ewdina's sister, Miss Kate Sharma meddles so much between her sister and the viscount because she feels as though the Viscount's rakish ways may be unfit for her sister. Or perhaps she simply wants to avoid a scandal. In either case, Miss Edwina and the Viscount are in for a bumpy ride with Miss Kate following along. There is much to report about season three indeed. The first of which, Miss Eloise Bridgerton, who made her debut last year, has seemed to finally take an interest in a gentleman of the ton. Whether or not that gentleman is a respectable member of the ton remains to be seen. Meanwhile, another Miss Bridgerton makes her entrance into society. Miss Francesca Bridgerton finds better luck than her sister and is able to quickly secure a match, although one wonders how it can be a match when the two seem to have never said a single word to each other. Mr. Colin Bridgerton returns from his travels just in time for his sister's debut. A new attitude, both physical and mental seemed to have accompanied Mr. Bridgerton back to London from his adventures. Miss Penelope Featherington, apparently sick of her overbearing mama, seems more anxious to find a suitor this season. In fact, she was seen at Lady Danbury's ball, wearing a much darker color than her mama would normally permit. Perhaps her mama is more concerned with the elder two Miss Featherington's producing heirs, now that they are married. The scandals this author hears from this beloved Netflix show would shock even the most undignified members of the ton. "Bridgerton" is the bane of this author's existence and the object of all her desires. I must warn you, dear reader, this show is not for those with a delicate constitution. But, you dear reader must make haste if you want to hear my report on all things "Bridgerton." Otherwise, you may end up as unfortunate as Miss Penelope Featherington, stuck to the wall at every social event, with no suitors to show whatsoever. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown

A fall-inspired Starbucks drink that holds a special place in my heart is the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso. To me, this drink holds memories. A single sip from this fall favorite takes me back to simpler times with my family. The cinnamon and spice flavors remind me of drinking hot apple cider while searching for the perfect pumpkin with my brother. As I sip on the shaken espresso, the apple flavors allow me to recall picking apples with my family and taking them home to make a delicious apple crisp. The Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso holds an almost familial feel for me, despite me not starting to drink it until a few years ago. Holding such special memories, this drink quickly became a character in my fall narrative. Another reason this fall-inspired drink quickly became one of my favorites is that it is already vegan. I went vegan five years ago it is very frustrating to always have to customize a drink to switch from dairy milk to non-dairy milk and in addition to that, most coffee shops, including Starbucks charge extra for non-dairy milk. This fall favorite comes already vegan so there is no need to customize or pay extra. One particular memory that I hold near and dear to my heart, includes the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso from last October. My Grandma, who was living in Florida at the time, fell ill and was hospitalized. When it was confirmed my grandma was dying and had less than a month to live, My mother and I, who live in Michigan, flew down to say goodbye. We stopped at the Starbucks in the Michigan airport and the Starbucks in the Florida airport. We got the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso both times. We ended up flying down to Florida multiple times that month after my grandma passed away, to help my grandpa move from Florida to Michigan. Every time we went to the airport, both my mother and I would get the delicious apple crisp drink. On the days we would go see my grandma in the hospital while she was dying, we would stop at Starbucks on the way and pick up the apple crisp drink. The coffee provided a nice pick-me-up and kept me going on the days when I was both emotionally and physically worn down. This drink has gotten me through thick and thin, including the death of a family member. It holds memories of family, death, and love. This is one of my all-time favorite drinks and I cannot wait until it comes back again this fall.

Tom Holland is Spider-Man. While I admire both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man. The other two actors are wonderful men who have done an excellent job of acting as the Spider-Man character; however, Tom truly brings the character to life. Tom embodies the Spider-Man character on all fronts from his awkward teenage ways to his relationship with MJ. While we can see Tom as Spider-Man holding his own against the villains, we also see Tom as the young man he is growing up to be. He acts in ways that a teenager does. Most teenagers, despite wanting to do the right thing, do not know how to act when interacting with people. Tom has the moves of an awkward teenager down to a T. The other Spider-Man actors do not act as awkward teenagers; they act as grown men, confident in their actions. To me, Tobey Maguire is the best Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield is the best Peter Parker; however, Tom Holland is the best mix of both characters. The chemistry between Tom and Zendaya, his MJ, is undeniable. While the other Spider-Man actors certainly have good relationships with their respective MJ's, Tom and Zendaya's is unmatched. Tom is not the best Spider-Man, he IS Spider-Man. While the other Spider-Men certainly have unique things that only they could bring to the Marvel Universe, no one can do it like Tom. His chemistry, not just with MJ, but with all the other characters is unmatched. He is the best actor for both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. I loved watching the multiple Marvel movies Tom Holland has starred in and I look forward to watching him in the future ones.

I am bold. Taylor Swift's music, especially her music from the Eras Tour has helped me discover just how bold I am. Although I was not able to attend the Eras Tour, as the tickets were too expensive, I was able to go watch the Eras Tour movie. At that time, my family was hosting an exchange student from Germany. She and I met some of her friends at the movie theater where we got to dance and sing along with Taylor during the movie. Typically I am very reserved and shy, especially around people I do not know such as my exchange student's friends; however we were able to quickly bond over our love for Taylor and quickly became friends. This exchange between these other girls and I made me realize there is nothing for me to be reserved about. I can now confidently say I am no longer shy. Bonding with these girls allowed to think that maybe people are not going to reject me. Maybe I can put myself out there and take risks just like Taylor does with her music. Thanks to the discovery of my newfound boldness I was able to reach things I never thought possible. In the spirit of being bold I applied for a job. I got hired and I now use my boldness everyday, working with customers at my work. Although I love my job, it does not pay all that well. Being bold has allowed me the ability to apply to my dream college. Unfortunately, I cannot pay for that college based purely on hopes and dreams. In the same spirit of boldness that caused me to apply to the college, I am applying to this scholarship. I give full credit to Taylor Swift, especially her Eras Tour music for me being able to discover a boldness within myself that I had not known previously existed. By extension, I also give Taylor credit for me getting my job and applying to my dream college. Being bold does not mean I am never shy anymore, it is simply that I now possess the ability to overcome being shy and choose to be bold instead. Thanks to the experiences I have gone through because of Taylor's Eras Tour, I have been able to do things I would not have been bold enough to otherwise try. Today and everyday I choose to be bold, thanks to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

BLACKPINK is iconic. I admire everything about them, including the reason they picked their name. They are an iconic K-Pop group who has made an impact both on global culture and myself. One of reasons I admire BLACKPINK, not including their music, is why they picked their group name. The pink in BLACKPINK represents femininity and beauty while the black stands for toughness and talent. Together, the name shows that the group is more than just beauty, they are also talent and toughness. I feel like many girls feel they have to be one of those things or the other. They feel like they cannot be both beautiful and tough, they must be either beautiful or tough. BLACKPINK shows girls across the globe, including me, that they can be both. Toughness can be complimentary to beauty and vice versa. BLACKPINK is positive force for young girls. When they made their debut in 2016, they were the first girl group from YG Entertainment in seven years. Their music is upbeat, and in personal experience, made for summer pool parties with friends or dancing in the kitchen. Personally, I always listen to BLACKPINK when working out. The impact they have made in my life is helping me get fit. I had an ankle injury about a year ago and had to be on crutches. Recovery was slow and painful. During physical therapy I would always pop in my AirPods and listen to BLACKPINK. The cheerful and upbeat songs would help me push through the pain of whatever exercise I was working on. A few months after that, when I got cleared to workout I would still listen to BLACKPINK. Their music gave me energy to complete my workouts. To this day I still listen to BLACKPINK when doing my workouts. I always struggled to complete workouts and eventually I just quit working out. BLACKPINK's music has helped me to work hard to complete my workouts. The upbeat music allowed me to have fun while working out and now working out is something I enjoy doing rather than seeing it as a chore. BLACKPINK has become such an iconic K-Pop group. Their unique choreography in each song makes them fun to dance along to while blasting the songs. They have made such an impact both on me and on global culture. They are a positive group full of strong women who are an inspiration to girls across the world.

The Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah debate has caused many arguments between my friends and me. Although Jeremiah has always been a good friend to Belly, that is all he will ever be. I am Team Conrad all the way. Belly has always liked Conrad; meanwhile, Jeremiah was always just a friend. Everyone could see that Conrad and Belly were made for each other. Before Susannah died, she told Belly to watch out for Conrad. She knew Jeremiah would be okay and allow himself to move on; however, she knew Conrad would not allow himself to move on from her death. Susannah recognized Belly was Conrad's whole world and the only one who would help him process his emotions and continue living his life. During one of the show's flashbacks, we see Conrad and Belly at a carnival. Conrad compliments a girl's shorts which leads Belly to say Conrad had earlier told her those same shorts were too short on her just three days earlier. She then walks away, leaving Conrad alone with the girl. When Conrad re-joins her he gifts her a stuffed polar bear which she grudgingly accepts with a simple thank you. As she walks away from Conrad, holding the bear she comments how Conrad is unknowingly breaking her heart. Despite her comments, Belly names the bear "Junior Mint" and puts it on her dresser. She keeps that bear in her dresser for a long time, even after she and Conrad broke up. She kept that bear as a reminder of Conrad's love for her. Even when he was talking to another girl, Conrad thought of Belly when getting her the bear. This is just one example of many of Conrad and Belly being drawn to each other even when romantically pursuing someone else. Conrad knows he does not deserve Belly. He is constantly working to be better for her. He may not be the best at communicating his feelings but he tries to do what he thinks is best for Belly. While he does not care what anyone thinks of him, he cares what Belly thinks of him. Belly is his whole world; meanwhile, Jeremiah cares what everybody thinks of him. Belly is important to him but so are Steven and his other friends. Belly is not any more important to him than anyone else. For Conrad, there is no else that is more important than Belly. This is why Conrad is and always will be better for Belly than Jeremiah.

Some of the earliest memories I have of Sabrina Carpenter are watching her on "Girl Meets World". I remember thinking that she was so talented and she was a only a few years older than I was. In the years following I lost touch with what Sabrina was doing until last year. One of my friends turned me on to Sabrina's music last year. I quickly fell in love with her music and when she released 'Nonsense' I fell in love all that much more with her and her music. I love her music; however that is not why I am a fan of hers. She has my admiration because of her hard work and her dedication to her craft. Although she is talented, she is only famous because she worked so hard. She was just a child in 'Girl Meets World' pushing to achieve her dreams. She followed to her passions and became famous because of it. Her career has impacted me as it has inspired me to follow my dreams. She has taught me that we are meant to make a career out of our passions. What she has done with her career has inspired me grow in ways I did not know was possible. Because of her I reach for the stars while pursuing my passion. becoming a lawyer. Unfortunately, while I admire Sabrina, my work does not pay as well as hers. College and law school is expensive so every little bit helps while I draw inspiration from Sabrina and follow my passions and dreams to become a lawyer.

"All I know is that every time I've been faced with a tough decision, there's only one thing that outweighs every other concern. One thing that will make you give up on everything you thought you knew, every instinct, every rational calculation. Love." This is my favorite quote from Jim Halpert, the character from "The Office" that I most resonate with. Although Jim is traditionally known as being the unserious, funny friend who loves pulling pranks on his co-workers, there is much more under the surface. He may not let his co-workers see it, but he cares deeply for his friends. Much like I do, Jim hides his true feelings behind a mask of wit and jokes. I resonate with Jim because I am him. We both have a hard time showing people our true emotions out of fear of rejection. When Jim reveals his true feeling for Pam, she rejected him both times. As a result of this fear, we put up a wall and attempt to keep everyone out; however, when the right person comes along they can help take down that wall, brick by brick. For Jim, this was Pam and for me, it is my best friend. Love can come in all shapes and forms: familial, friendly, and romantic. It does not matter which type of love, simply that it is love. It tears that wall down, just like what happened with Jim and myself. Jim's relationship with his co-workers has showed me that workplaces can be a place of friendship and community. As a result, when I started my first job a few weeks ago I found myself trying to connect with my co-workers and become friends with them. Despite only working together for a few weeks, my workplace has quickly become one just like "The Office," a place where we may prank each other but at the end of the day we have each others backs. Workplace dynamics are such a funny thing and "The Office" has taught me that co-workers can quickly become friends who turn into best friends. "The Office" is a cult-classic show that I will never get sick of watching. It has taught me many things such as how to love, how different workplace dynamics can be, and most importantly how to pull a good prank.

As a teenage girl, pretty truly isn't pretty enough. To me, this 'GUTS' song perfectly captures the essence of being a teenage girl. Being a teenage girl comes with many challenges and along with the physical changes that occur there are mental ones as well. As girls become teenagers they are expected to wear makeup and do other things to comply with the beauty standards in society today. If girls do not shave their legs and wear makeup they are not considered pretty. As unfortunate as this is, this is the essence of teenage girlhood and some of the challenges that accompany it. I feel as though my coming-of-age story is the same as every other teenage girl. I started wearing makeup at thirteen. At first, it was only a little bit. A little mascara and some lip gloss here and there. Pretty soon, it became concealer, blush, mascara, and lip gloss. It quickly became that I was putting on a full face of makeup every day. I no longer felt pretty without makeup. Although I was taking the time each day to put on a full face of makeup, soon it felt like I was not doing enough to feel pretty. Makeup no longer held the same effect it once did and I needed to do more to feel pretty. Snapchat filters combined with Instagram and TikTok influencers made me think I was no longer pretty, even with makeup. AI and filters on social media imply that if a person has the slightest imperfections, they are not considered pretty. In society's eyes, acne, facial hair, and even freckles make a person no longer pretty. Teenage girls are expected to be perfect at all times, yet seeing these pictures on social media makes it virtually impossible to live up to society's expectations of what it means to be pretty. Teenage girls are supposed to look like the Kardashians but that is unrealistic and unhealthy. Pretty will never be pretty enough as long as these filters and AI are used to create unrealistic beauty standards that girls will never be able to live up to naturally. Just this morning I had decided to put on a little makeup, just enough to cover some pimples that were starting to show on my face. I felt pretty before I put on makeup and was feeling even prettier after. That is, until I was out on an errand and the cashier told me I looked pretty. I was beaming, both inside and out. After all, here was this sweet old lady telling me I looked pretty. She then went on to say that my complexion was perfect and my skin was flawless. My joy quickly vanished. If she was only telling me I was pretty because my skin was perfect, did that mean I could only be pretty when wearing enough makeup to make my complexion flawless? Many people, especially teenagers, with their raging hormones, have no chance of obtaining naturally clear skin. But that is what pretty means in today's society: clear skin, no body hair, and slim but thick. All of these are unattainable and unhealthy standards. If this is what it means to be pretty then pretty will never be pretty enough. After all, the beauty standards are constantly changing and teenage girls will never be able to live up to them, and yet we are all pretty in our own right. What makes us unique and sets us apart from the traditional beauty standards is what makes us pretty. Different is pretty and will always be pretty enough.

I love helping people. I grew up volunteering and giving back to my community. My desire to help people is what made me want to be a lawyer. Giving back to my community is what I am passionate about and I thought that the best way to do that was through law. Recently, I took a college course on restorative justice with a focus on racial discrimination. During the class, we were required to read, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," written by Michelle Alexander in 2010. Although written long before George Floyd's murder, the book beautifully addresses the racial discrimination African Americans frequently face in law. The class I took and the book we read enabled me to realize the impact I desire to create. I want to help to eliminate injustice and inequality faced by minorities. The law often works against African Americans and people of color. I desire to change laws and policy-making to create and more equal and just world for all people. The law can work for people or against people. I plan on becoming a lawyer who helps the law work for people, especially those who often face discrimination. Although I am not a person of color, I am a person who desires justice. My past in volunteering showed me how injustice happens to those who least deserve it. The injustices I saw lit a fire in me to fight for those who face them and those who cannot fight for themselves.

My mother is my hero. She is a hard-working single mother who balances her career and her family. She inspired my love for many things including card games, cooking, travel, theater, adventure, reading, and most importantly, my love for family. On any given day (when I am not in school) I can be found at a bookstore sipping on a coffee or playing cards with my friends. My mother taught me everything, from knowing my self-worth to not taking myself too seriously. The most important thing she taught me was that the best gift one could give is the gift of self. This is why I want to be a lawyer. Growing up in my family, volunteering was done multiple times a year. I grew to love volunteering and the gratitude it brought me for all that I have. As I grew up, I often pondered which career could incorporate volunteering. I landed on a lawyer. When I told people I wanted to be a lawyer, they would ask me which type of law I wanted to specialize in. I was unsure until last summer when I took a college class in restorative justice with a focus on racial discrimination. In restorative justice, the law does not work to punish but rather to restore and heal communities. It strives for peace instead of violence. This is the impact I hope to have through my education. Using my higher education degree, I will strive to make the world a better place through restorative justice and law. What interests me about STEAM is that it provides a well-rounded education. The high school I currently attend recognizes this as well, teaching not only the educational side but also the creative side of the human person. During my high school career, I learned that a human person must be well-rounded in all things, a belief STEAM follows as well. It does not focus solely on one part of education but rather on a well-rounded education and what it can do for the formation of the human person. In my third year of doing First Robotics, I was thrilled when the First organization incorporated the arts into STEM. I do both theater, which is arts, and robotics, which is STEM. When they combined the two I felt validated in my belief that for the formation of the human person to be complete it must include STEAM.

Education was always a priority in my family. My mother strove to provide a good education for me and my brother, sacrificing many things to be able to afford Catholic school tuition for both of us. She played both the role of mother and father. She taught me I am in charge of my future and that the person who should care the most about my education is me. Through her, I learned that I get out of education what I put into it. My brother and I were encouraged to pursue our passions and work hard to make a career out of what we loved doing. We were not only encouraged to pursue our passions, but also give back to our community. Volunteering and giving back were a priority in our household. Raising two kids in a single-parent household, my mother understood that it truly takes a village. People helped her out when she needed it and so she taught my brother and me to do the same. Giving back to my community has always been important to me. When it came time to choose a career, I wanted it to be something related to helping people. My mother's encouragement to follow my passions combined with my love for volunteering fueled my desire to become a lawyer. Law is the perfect career for me due to my passion for both arguing and justice. I feel confident that being a lawyer will allow me to help my community and do something I have a passion for. In my ideal future, I would love to be able to attend my dream college for both a bachelor's degree in psychology and a J.D. in law. I have long been set on a particular university because of its exceptional educational standards and its alignment with my moral and ethical values. Unfortunately, something I have also learned from being in a single-parent household is that education is expensive; however, it is always worth it. Knowledge is the greatest gift one can have, a gift my mother has worked hard to provide for her children. She has already paid a great deal for my education; I can honestly say it has paid off. This scholarship would alleviate the stress of trying to afford four years of college followed by three years of law school. Winning this scholarship will contribute to my ability to focus on my education and perform community service versus having to split my time working to be able to afford my education.

Zendaya is an icon. I admire so much of her work from her K.C. Undercover days to more recently her matching outfits to whichever of her films is premiering. She works so hard juggling all of her different careers: singing, modeling, and acting. I commend her ability to manage her busy schedule and continue working hard on so many different careers. The career of hers that I admire the most is her acting. I grew up watching Zendaya on K.C. Undercover and Disney Channel. As she matured so did her acting and suddenly she was starring in Euphoria. I admire how much she was able to grow and go from Disney to a much more mature show. I have huge respect for people who continue to grow and work on improvement. Zendaya has done an amazing job, constantly improving herself and her acting skills. Not many actors can break away from Disney, let alone go on to do something as mature as Euphoria. I feel as though I have watched Zendaya grow up. Her acting in Euphoria is so spot-on and accurate. I admire Zendaya so much and would be blessed to be able to meet her one day. I would be as equally blessed to be able to win this scholarship so I can pursue my passions just like Zendaya was able to do hers.

As a young girl I was often told I looked just like my father, "identical, just like twins," they would say. ‘They’ was anyone we encountered, from my father’s coworkers in the office and building where he worked to waiters at restaurants where we ate. I detested hearing these words. After all, what little girl wants to be told they look like a man? I would have much rather been told I looked like my mother, full of elegance and grace, than my father. My father passed away three years ago, a few weeks before I started high school. The comments that I looked like my father persisted until I started high school. In high school, I started to mature and with that came physical changes. Suddenly, I no longer looked like my father. Friends and family began telling me that I looked like my mother. These sweet words that I longed to hear as a little girl now landed with a thud in my heart, not bringing the joy they may once have. Now, not only had I lost my father, but I lost all resemblance to him. The “identical” look, the thread that once connected my father and I, even after his death, no longer existed. I felt heartbroken; not only had I lost my father, but a part of myself as well. When my father died, I did not know how to move on. I lashed out at my family. Friends were awkward in our interactions, not knowing how to act around me. It was painful and frustrating. I simply wanted things to go back to "normal". Today, I realize that although things will never go back to the way they were before my father died, I can create a new normal for myself. In this new normal, I can still remember and miss my father; however, I can still live my life. Losing my father made me focus on what matters most in my life: family. Because family is the most important thing, this is what I am fighting for. I "fight" for my brother, I "fight" for my mother, but most of all I "fight" for my father. I "fight" to preserve his legacy and honor.