the sorrow of a free spirit my body aches the bends of my limbs ache when I move them my soul slowly follows its host slowly, but surely in a rush, but not fast enough to catch the train the humidity under the mounds of fabric I lay underneath forms droplets of sickly sweet sweat above my top lip the vibrations of slightly loud music ring in my ears, makes my body conform to the flow of the singer’s vocals my eyes sting, finally taking full effect of the heat under the sheets sweat burns my right iris I blink, habitually, without a thought the blink is slow, conscious keeping up with logic my limbs continue to move, almost breaking through vibrations, causing an uncomfortableness with the space around me too free so free I become constrained constrained to the result of my irrationality constrained by my own decisions constrained by the feelings of others constrained by my own body my own mind my own logic forced to follow the moving limb, slowly, knowing my fate, free, but constrained by the already chosen movement a movement chose by logic common sense the soul follows freely, at its own pace, but it cannot decide where to go sometimes I wonder where my soul would take me if I weren’t constrained constrained by the logic of my mind

Starting in elementary school, as I was beginning my journey of learning the ins and outs of multiplication and long division, I became infatuated with mathematics. Multiplication quickly became my strong suit—this showed through my high grades and quickness on timed multiplication tables. While my scores and ability to work through a math question quickly were a result of studying and attention said in class, I also genuinely loved the mathematical subject for a more niche reason—relaxation. As a student that dealt with a great deal of anxiety, I was consistently on edge during school. Picking my nails, staring off into space—I unintentionally was consistently on a different plane of existence during my school days. I loved learning at school, but my short attention span and anxiety sometimes held me back from that. Although, math somehow broke this anxiety-driven curse. When working on math problems, the drift of my hand and the numbers popping up on the face of my pink calculator serve as tranquil for me. Math is predictable, always has a way, and always has an answer. This idea specifically made me fascinated with the concept of math and the purpose it serves in everyday life. Even outside of school, mentoring my younger sister and collaborating with my mother pursuing a nursing degree have intertwined math into my life even further. Within my math classes, I’m consistently trying new methods of examining and solving problems after completing assignments. I’m thankful for these classes, for they give me a feeling of relief after coming right out of some other stressful course. As I search through majors and converse with my friends and peers about their futures, I’ve come to find common math can be. In business, scientific studies, and even social sciences, math-based courses sliver their way into the field of study. For many, math is considered a boulder, and some people will drop their majors of interest due to the many math-based courses they would have to take. With that in mind, I am thankful for the ability to feel continue math so I can use it to my advantage in college and my future career. Especially in business, the realm I will be delving into in my university career, statistics and analytics are crucial. Even when considering new domains of stockholding, recession, and inflation, having a basic understanding of math in our modern world can lead to new ideas and fulfillment of economic success and knowledge. I will be forever eager to see the new ways I can use my love for math in a way that will inspire my career after school and build my understanding of the financial world around me.

Starting in elementary school, as I was beginning my journey of learning the ins and outs of multiplication and long division, I became infatuated with mathematics. Multiplication quickly became my strong suit—this showed through my high grades and quickness on timed multiplication tables. While my scores and ability to work through a math question quickly were a result of studying and attention said in class, I also genuinely loved the mathematical subject for a more niche reason—relaxation. As a student that dealt with a great deal of anxiety, I was consistently on edge during school. Picking my nails, staring off into space—I unintentionally was consistently on a different plane of existence during my school days. I loved learning at school, but my short attention span and anxiety sometimes held me back from that. Although, math somehow broke this anxiety-driven curse. When working on math problems, the drift of my hand and the numbers popping up on the face of my pink calculator serve as tranquil for me. Math is predictable, always has a way, and always has an answer. This idea specifically made me fascinated with the concept of math and the purpose it serves in everyday life. Even outside of school, mentoring my younger sister and collaborating with my mother pursuing a nursing degree have intertwined math into my life even further. Within my math classes, I’m consistently trying new methods of examining and solving problems after completing assignments. I’m thankful for these classes, for they give me a feeling of relief after coming right out of some other stressful course. Now, I am pursuing a future in business, and I am eager to see the new ways I can use my love for math in a way that will inspire my career after school.

As I scrounge scholarships and financial aid plans, memories of my childhood and the financial situations of my family flash throughout my mind. My mother and father—young employees in their late 30s—had me when they attended their first college years. They were born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and were often plagued with a lack of resources toward financial aid plans and finances to put into their future college careers. Our extended family continues to struggle financially. Even as my father began financing, going back to college to finish his degrees, and my mother achieved jobs in cosmetology, phlebotomy, and nursing—paying off college debt continues to be a challenge for them. We have, as a family, lived in Michigan, Illinois, Indianapolis, and Georgia, all through several different living conditions, all due to our reach for wealth, which my family struggled to achieve. As someone who had lived through the financial growth of my parents, their highs and lows, including lay-offs and times when our financials were doing better than ever, my parents still continue to pay dues to their college. They’ve shared many stories with my younger sibling and me about their hopes of reliving their college careers to take advantage of financial aid, scholarships, and resources. As I hear these grievances, my mind goes to my future and how difficult it has already been to find accessible resources to educate myself on financing. I think of my possible children, my sister’s too, and wonder if my debts and wealth—or lack thereof—will change the futures of the next generation. I think of how I have to mark my dream universities off my list of colleges because of their high tuition. I consistently search through academies within my home state of Georgia, although I much rather attend schooling in Florida, knowing that out-of-state tuition is grueling. As I type this, I am coincidentally watching the HBO show, Succession. The show shows the lives of businessmen and women, all related through siblinghood, as they work within their company under the wealth and fame of their family business. I look to popular media—almost everyone you see is a husband, daughter, cousin, aunt, or uncle to another prominent actor, model, or entrepreneur. Their parents’ wealth has made their future, even when they are out of the womb. This idea of generational wealth can be so grueling to the mass population that those will spend hours and hours of their lives trying to break the bonds of the family’s financial instability—similar to my parents. It’s a sensitive topic for me and anyone of any age. To think that the wealth of others, tied by familial blood and ancestry, can change another’s educational career is extremely brooding. But even in the heat of negative thoughts, it encourages me. These thoughts motivate me more than ever. Searching through scholarships, learning more about financial stability, and immersing myself in the world of capital positively has alleviated the initial stress that came with the thoughts of generational wealth. As I divulge myself into the world of college, scholarship, financing, general wealth, and capital, I hope to continue to find ways to ensure wealth and prosperity for my family while also ensuring optimistic relationships with money itself prosperous life after high school is ensured.

Going back to school can be some of the most stressful times for young students all around the globe. The addicting stressors of getting ready for college, finishing work on time, and focusing in class can be highly complex. Although it may be tempting, it is never a wise idea to battle these matters alone. Collaborating with peers by creating study groups, working after school, and texting and calling friends when you need an extra helping hand is an immediate need for success. In addition, your peers can become people you can collaborate with in the future if you pursue the same majors and careers. Always have someone near to help you through tricky times within school.