Fitness is an integral part of my lifestyle. As flute section leader of my school’s marching band, a large part of my role includes scheduling and conducting workouts with my team. Each summer, I lead an exercise group of 20+ teenage girls towards improving their mindset and physical health. We dedicate our summer to a grueling, high-intensity program widely known as ‘band camp’. The months of June and July include two weekly sessions, focused on building stamina and strength for August. During the last month of the program, each member is tested to their limit. For 8 hours a day throughout August (only Sundays are given off), each of us wrestles with the 100 degrees Texas heat, while overcoming workouts that push us to the brink. It’s a brutal process that aims to transform every member into the best versions of themselves, physically and mentally. On the first day of our three-month journey together, I always ask each girl within the group what her motivation is for attending. We huddle up in a circle, and I usually start them off by saying, “Exercise gives me a method to release all of that pent-up frustration, anger, and sadness that I’ve been carrying around. The sense of accomplishment that I feel after every session restores confidence in myself.” After each girl has shared, I am always shocked and slightly saddened by the responses. The most common motivation that these girls had for exercise, was losing weight so that they could be skinnier for their bikini pictures. After multiple discussions on self-image, I was able to discover that these young women felt so pressured by social standards to be a perfect size 2, that it completely shaped their outlook on working out and eating healthy. For them, exercise wasn’t a means of de-stressing, release, or fun, it was simply a chore that needed to be fulfilled to meet a societal expectation. By sharing my love of dance, Pilates, cross-training, and yoga with my team, I shifted that negative mindset towards fitness and started building healthy habits that each girl could take into the school year and beyond. Every year, I look forward to watching the transformation happen within myself, and those around me. By staying fit, I achieve something much greater than an Instagram-worthy bikini picture; I gain a family and conviction to continue my healthy lifestyle.

Visit this link to meet me and hear me recite this essay live: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NRkE0OG1_34BF5FeJmvcGe6lfb4UcWQc/view?usp=drivesdk When we look at those around us, we can rarely see the battle scars that crisscross the hearts of others. My profile picture won’t tell you that the central figure in my household is a father who struggles with substance abuse and drug addiction. This application won't be the prettiest, happy-go-lucky type of testimony that makes you want to jump up and down for joy. In fact, with everything considered, there's only a fraction of my story that I can actually tell, in light of the fact that I am displaying my words on a public website frequented by highschoolers and young adults. I won't elaborate on the explosive fights, holding my mother as she cries in my arms, stepping up to provide for my two brothers, the times I didn't want to go home, the times I didn't want to get up, having your father choose a hit over spending time with you, and the mask that I wear daily to hide it all. I'll let your mind fill in the blanks of just how that might feel as a sixteen year old girl, who is supposed to be obsessing about what dress she's going to wear at the dance, and what boy could ask her. Everything I've been through in my short few years of living has made me strong. That tough-as-nails type of strength that only happens when your heart gets so broken that minor inconveniences can no longer do any damage; the type of strength that means you can get up and go to school everyday while still wearing the biggest smile in the room, even after three straight sleepless nights. With everything going on, I had prepared myself for the day when it might happen- the day he might decide to get up and leave- but when it actually occurred, I absorbed the full force of the situation head on. As I write this, the biggest adversity I have ever faced happened just four days ago. On March 28th 2021, my father walked out of the door to chase a life that didn't include me. Quite honestly, there isn't a feeling you can accurately describe in that moment or in the days that follow. When the dad of your childhood, the one that used to buy you ice cream and hold your hand as you crossed the street, changes into someone that you no longer recognize, there's an emptiness, a stillness, and a void. When the father that is supposed to walk you down the aisle one day tells you that he's not coming home, there is a numbness that fills you from head to toe. The past few days, I have walked around the halls completely lost, but I keep reminding myself to put one foot in front of the other. I can, I will and I must. While it may take everything that I have, I continue to push through my classes, assignments and after school activities, and will not stop until my goals are achieved. I can't tell you exactly how an event like that will affect my future. It will likely take a lifetime of perseverance to overcome, and I don't know what the next few months and years will look like for my family and I. The biggest takeaway that I carry from growing up as I have, is that my life must be different. My life must constitute greater ambitions: ones that will allow me to escape the generational cycle of drug abuse, divorce, and alcoholism over my family. That is why I am going to become the first person in my familial history to graduate with a bachelor's degree, potentially even my master’s. While many will make excuses for me, I will give myself no opportunity to surrender the multitude of ambitions that I hold dear. I'm taking back my future from those who will tell me that I am incapable, and I will build my legacy from the ground up. Mark my words, I am not the girl who they say I will become.

To hear me read this essay live, visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yDcf--OIDkdtmVDT4BnTW1QQ-9NEdvJl/view?usp=drivesdk Between tending to classes and responsibilities for my junior year of high school, playing an active role in my school's marching band, and balancing multiple courses at my local community college, I find myself indulging on more than my share of sugary and processed foods. In fact, when characterizing the extent of my cravings, I would be inclined to use phrases such as “microwave prodigy”, “child genius of the toaster”, and “champion of the Ramen Noodle cup”. Let's be honest here- we're all guilty of running on that dietary hamster wheel where we say we'd like to eat more natural foods, cut the sugar, drink more water, and then never following through. My childhood has consisted of warm memories held largely next to a stove, always occupied by my mother. While I retold my day, she’d nod and smile while tossing chicken onto the skillet. Every night my family dined on the delicacies of Southern cooking: fried chicken, a whole stick of butter, and a mountain of cheese. The closest thing to 'healthy' or 'natural' food that I saw was the singular square of frozen veggies in those prepackaged 60 second dinners. Everything changed when a pre-cancerous diagnosis struck my mom. Doctors advised her to promptly cut out all sources of red meat, chicken, some types of fish, and dairy products to stop the spread of precancerous polyps. If she was ever going to see recovery she had to eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Cutting out processed foods was absolutely essential. So we did what we had to: following the doctor’s advice, my family made the decision to rally behind my mom and take on a vegetarian diet so she wouldn’t feel alone in her steps towards recovery. What seemed like a major inconvenience to most, became the thing I clung most tightly to. The importance of the things that you put into your body had never been so clear. As much as I’d like to say that the transition was easy, and that everything fell into place quickly, I can’t. The adjustment was tough. My family didn’t know how to make almost any dish without our household staples, and eating out became almost impossible. The number of restaurants with vegetarian options are few and far between, and when we did find something, there was a hefty price tag that came along with it. Taking care of your body and eating fresh products is expensive beyond reason, and was a major struggle for my family. On top of it all, during the pandemic, my dad was laid off and is still currently unemployed. Even with the diagnosis, my mom has taken on the burden of working two jobs to support my family, and I couldn't respect her more. Almost 2 and a half years later from transitioning into a vegetarian diet, my mom is extremely close to having no trace of cancer cells. The road has been long and hard, but it’s brought my family together in ways that I can’t even begin to describe. I’m still in no way an expert, but I’ve discovered a love for proper nutrition and the importance of eating natural. Earning a college degree will help me achieve one of my biggest goals: educating people about proper dietary and health practices, in order to help people battling diseases take control over their health. Even after my mom’s expected recovery, my family plans to continue our diet, and while I have my cheat days, I won't stop reaching for those healthier options.

Visit this link to hear me personally deliver my essay: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15_CIS32jx_iIuTHfP_L82JDSdVWV6A6V/view?usp=drivesdk It was a tough decision; not following that normal cookie cutter path that all of your friends are gushing about: scouting out a college dorm, attending your first football game in support of your home team, and maybe even joining a sorority. While many may say that I’m giving up a lot, in my heart I’ve always known that the traditional college route wasn’t for me. During my junior year of high school, I found a calling that a brick and mortar university couldn’t offer. Stepping out on a leap of faith, I’m giving up that quintessential college experience to take online college courses while traveling with mission outreach groups all over the world. I’ll engage in nonprofit volunteer work around the globe, documenting my journey and the hardships of those I work with in order to bring awareness and relief. It is my goal to serve in at least seven different countries while finishing my bachelors degree, writing relevant works, poetry and prose based on my experiences helping our neighbors in Africa, Asia, and South America. Our culture seems to glamorize outreach groups like these, imagining safari-like adventures complete with lion watching stakeouts and joyous songs of Kumbaya by the crackling fire. When I tell people my plans, they get starry eyed, forgetting in an instant the true core of what it means to actually drop everything in your life to serve someone else. They create an idea in their head of the perfect scenic vacation. Who wouldn't want that? So many brush off the fact that I’m not talking about an Instagram perfect vacation trip to Paris, or even a modest study abroad program in Spain, complete with a small room and desk. No, I’m talking about remote villages in the jungles of Africa, sleeping in cramped quarters, sometimes without air conditioning, internet, running water, or bathrooms for weeks at a time. Trips that feature getting up everyday at 5:00 am to help lift heavy sheets of metal back and forth across a field for hours on end. And the biggest kicker for most: technology is completely unplugged until you return. Still sound like something you’d like to do? My answer will forever be yes. It’s there, where a fourteen old boy will speak his first words of English, helping him to gain access to better conditions for himself and his family. It is there where women and girls will become educated about menstrual hygiene and be told for the first time that their skin and bodies are beautiful. It is there where 150 schoolchildren will dance together by the first radio that they’ve ever seen. And it is there, where after experiencing these once in a lifetime opportunities, it will be both my privilege and my duty to tell the stories of the people and places that remain. I’m a firm believer that writing is an art form, and it brings forth in me that creative, wild spark that our society needs. In this quest around the world, I’m chasing those ideas, stories and inspirations that will further the artist within me that was born to write. I’ll be honing my craft, and showcasing the untold testimonies of those that society has forgotten, those that society has failed. It’s my goal to reach the minds and hearts of millions through my art, in a way that someone around the globe can resonate with, with the hopes that true change could catch fire, and burn every last remnant of poverty, hunger, and pollution here on Earth. For more information on some of the mission programs I’m embarking on, please visit the links below: Women's Education Volunteer Program in Kenya: https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/kenya/womens-education/ Music Education Volunteer Project in Quito - Ecuador https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/ecuador/music-in-quito/ Wildlife Conservation Volunteer Program in Victoria Falls, Zambia https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/ecuador/music-in-quito/

Click this link to hear me read my essay live: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a0-XwUuokLBl6HMzcI4s9txSCIUeHpdM/view?usp=drivesdk I'm a firm believer that making a difference 'locally' isn't defined by helping others only within a specific area code. We must remember that we all share the same planet, and that borders are only how we define them. Stepping out on a leap of faith, I’m giving up that quintessential college experience to take online college courses while traveling with mission outreach groups all over the world. I’ll engage in nonprofit volunteer work around the globe, documenting my journey and the hardships of those I work with in order to bring awareness and relief. It is my goal to serve in at least seven different countries while finishing my bachelors degree, helping our neighbors in Africa, Asia, and South America. Our culture seems to glamorize outreach groups like these, imagining safari-like adventures complete with lion watching stakeouts and joyous songs of Kumbaya by the crackling fire. When I tell people my plans, they get starry eyed, forgetting in an instant the true core of what it means to actually drop everything in your life to serve someone else. They create an idea in their head of the perfect scenic vacation. Who wouldn't want that? So many brush off the fact that I’m not talking about an Instagram perfect vacation trip to Paris, or even a modest study abroad program in Spain, complete with a small room and desk. No, I’m talking about remote villages in the jungles of Africa, sleeping in cramped quarters, sometimes without air conditioning, internet, running water, or bathrooms for weeks at a time. Trips that feature getting up everyday at 5:00 am to help lift heavy sheets of metal back and forth across a field for hours on end. And the biggest kicker for most: technology is completely unplugged until you return. Still sound like something you’d like to do? My answer will forever be yes. It’s there, where a fourteen old boy will speak his first words of English, helping him to gain access to better conditions for himself and his family. It is there where women and girls will become educated about menstrual hygiene and be told for the first time that their skin and bodies are beautiful. It is there where 150 schoolchildren will dance together by the first radio that they’ve ever seen. And it is there, where after experiencing these once in a lifetime opportunities, it will be both my privilege and my duty to tell the stories of the people and places that remain. In this quest around the world, I’m chasing those ideas, stories and inspirations that will remind me daily to 'die to self' and live for something greater than my own desires. I’ll be honing my craft, and showcasing the untold testimonies of those that society has forgotten, those that society has failed. It’s my goal to impact even one person in a profound way, and change the course directory of their life towards a brighter future. My actions have the power to cause a ripple effect around the globe. Knowing this, I will continue my sacrifice with the hopes that true change could catch fire, and burn every last remnant of poverty, hunger, and pollution here on Earth. For more information on some of the outreach missions I'm planning to embark on, please visit these websites: Women's Education Volunteer Program in Kenya: https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/kenya/womens-education/ Music Education Volunteer Project in Quito - Ecuador https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/ecuador/music-in-quito/ Wildlife Conservation Volunteer Program in Victoria Falls, Zambia https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/ecuador/music-in-quito/

This year I walked into my Junior year of high school alone and friendless during a worldwide pandemic. I took a chance, and asked three girls in my classes if they would like to get to know each other and sit with me at lunch. Since then, they have become my best friends. We do everything together (within the restrictions!) and I’ve made more positive memories with them in these past few months than I have in my entire time in school. I’ve never felt happier, and because of one bold decision, I have friends that have my back.

In my short 16 years of living, I would like to think that I’ve created a lot. I’ve been involved in almost every fine art out there and experimented with many different creative outlets- some being more successful than others. I play the flute, am involved in musical theatre, dance, and love to create artworks of my own through painting and photography. Making music and art are daily rituals, and have brought me some of my biggest accomplishments in my journey thus far. And while my expressive passions are very meaningful to me, a 3 minute sonata or the perfect photo isn’t what I truly want to create and leave the world. I want to create a future, and a bright one at that. Not only for myself, but for those around me. For the people in my life that I will one day mentor and disciple, and for the kid in the back who just needs to be told that they can. I want to be the chief and CEO of my education, occupation and destiny, and restore the mentality in others that life doesn’t have to follow the same cookie cutter path. I’m a junior in high school but I’m simultaneously a part time online college student. I am on schedule to graduate my senior year with three years of college done towards a bachelors degree in business and marketing. It’s my goal to graduate debt free with my degree at 18, and use the money I’d save to travel the world. And when I do it, and prove those who’ve told me that I’d never make it wrong, I’m going to be able to repay the favors that were given to me and help the next dreamer in line on their way up. Legacy. That’s what I want to create.