I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold - William Carlos Williams Sometimes, things just need to be stated up-front. Williams’s poem, “This is Just to Say,” does just that. This short work from 1934 was renowned for its blatant honesty, something many pieces often stray from, especially historically accredited works. I chose it for that reason; and strongly believe that short pieces have just as much to say, if not more, than those spanning hundreds of pages. With Williams’s direct tone, it leaves the reader free to interpret as they will. Three main observations can be inferred from “This is Just to Say:” 1) The writer apologizes with the intent to atone 2) Simple pleasures are important 3) Oblivion is absent in the presence of greed Verse three opens with the apology in the form of “forgive me.” Note that, rather than in the following three lines, these words are placed at the top, being the first impression of the concluding paragraph. This phrase also takes a wide turn from the second verse, where Williams admits that he knew the person wanted the plums. Once admitted, he tries to reason, subconsciously predicting the person to be mad at him, claiming they were “so sweet and so cold.” A core reason for apology is seeking atonement, the opposite of one’s bad action/s. Therefore, it can be inferred that the placement of his apology, and his defensiveness following such, is caused by his underlying need for atonement from stealing, then eating, the plums. Second, in his transparency, Williams writes “This is Just to Say” in a way that resonates with many audience members. I, for one, have an aunt who eats everyone’s fruit without asking. We never see her enter the kitchen, and are running around, looking for the fruit like headless chickens until one of us spots orange peel under her nails or a raspberry seed between her front teeth. In resonating with his readers, through a relatable course of actions, said actions are highlighted in their normalcy. Eating a plum, unless it’s poisoned, is not an action that typically brings out a serious emotion; nor is his language particularly artistic, when compared to poems like “The Raspberry Field” by Karin Gottshall where she sets the scene with lines like “berries think as bumblebees” or “loops of bramble.” Hence, much of the focus on the reader goes towards the actions, not how they’re being done, compared to, or otherwise. I argue this was done on purpose, to highlight the eating of “the plums that were in the icebox” as a simple, standalone act. As previously stated, he did say why he ate them, arguing “they were delicious.” Williams, several times, confirms the tone of his piece to be happy, especially in response to his actions; he wants the reader to sympathize, to think the plums were good too. By doing so, he celebrates a simple pleasure in life: eating. Lastly, my final interpretation of “This is Just to Say” is about the conflict of the piece: that the speaker stole and ate the plums. Williams was aware of the other person’s own ownership, but chose to fulfill his own greed (assuming him to be the speaker). He was the least bit oblivious to the other’s wish, demonstrating the conflict’s deeper root-cause - greed, and what it means for the pair’s dynamic; that Williams puts himself before the needs of the other person. This conflict, and outcome, is modeled in numerous films, such as Oceans 8 and Robin Hood, though through the eyes of the speaker, and original owner of the plums. All of these characters know, when stealing, how their actions will impact those around them, but choose themselves nonetheless. I chose this piece because I also write straight-forwardly, and sometimes want to leave my readers interpreting the deeper meaning/s of the scenes I write. I found mine and Williams’s voices overlap in tone, in that wry sense of humor that all dad jokes have, and hope to study more of his poetry to better understand the crafting of layers (surface-level to the earth’s core) of literary arts.

I'm Nadia, a high school junior from a small rural town in Connecticut. I have a mixed heritage: German and Slovak on my mom's side and Iranian and Arabic on my dad's. Due to this, I have citizenships in the US (where I was raised), Canada (where I was born), and Iran (where my heritage is partially from). This has inspired me to explore the world's unique cultures and how they fit into literature. I began writing in kindergarten, when all my classmates had nap time. I wrote about animal and plant species, and became fascinated with their diversity. Writing was a steadfast outlet for sharing my thoughts through characters my peers and I could relate to. I also felt a certain comfort in being able to remember my thoughts in the order that I imagined them, and then being able to refine them into stories. By the time I was in 6th grade, I had fully decided being a writer was the right career for me. Throughout my childhood, my mom took my on trips every summer to various continents, as she also shared a passion for culture and was an International relations majors. Some of my favorite trips include Morocco, The Galapagos Islands, and Greece. This further motivated me to create a diverse cast of characters for every book. My current short story focuses on the expectations women faced in the 1920s and the expectation that they have to marry. Another work, a short free-verse poem, described the importance of remembering deceased relatives. Literature has benefited my life in the sense that I made me feel like I could make a difference in this world as I come to further understand how the world functions and grow a passion for social justice, and, at the same time, let my imagination take control and lead me down whatever path it plans. It awakened an excitement in my life I didn't know I needed until I experienced it. With this scholarship, I can further show my dedication to majoring in writing and it will kickstart my college journey to getting my degree. I hope to achieve being a published author in a New England urban area and inspire young minds that neither their culture, nor their background, defines who they are rather than their accomplishments and character. I want to ultimately use the power of literature and share my opinions on modern social justice issues that may not receive as much attention as is beneficial (e.g. the wage gap between certain ethnic groups and genders), and I hope this award can help me empower my readers to follow their dreams as well.

I'm Nadia, a high school Junior from the small, rural town of Ashford. I was raised in a multigenerational household, with my mom and grandparents (and cats). I had a prior insight into majoring in pre-med in middle school. However, after taking Biology freshman year, I knew it was the opposite of what I enjoyed. It occurred to me that I also gravitated towards this career path because it felt more financially stable, as opposed to what I could actually find myself thriving in. In the midst of studying for my first set of midterms freshman year, I began to let my mind wander. Fast-forward 2 months later, I had a fully-typed manuscript and felt a fresh sense of motivation and accomplishment, and for the first time, an excitement for higher education. It was then that I knew I wanting to major in writing, with a potential minor in literature or publishing. I began writing in kindergarten. When everyone had nap time, my mind wandered as it did in midterms. I often found myself bringing markers and paper to school to illustrate and write small books to put in the classroom bookshelf. From there, I wrote sporadicly until 7th grade when school became more time-consuming. It began as a hobby, but I never thought to apply it later as a career choice. Like with writing, I also began reading young - in 3rd grade after discovering fantasy books. I generally stuck to these until 9th grade, when I also read several romance and dystopian novels. This helped me craft and find my voice and refine it into what it is today. I typically write 3rd person past tense fiction works with social justice aspects and/or themes, but have also found a recent passion in philosophical poetry in free verse. What I love most about writing is that I get to let my voice flow and experiment without any clear boundaries. I never know what I'll end up with, and the more I write, the more I feel like this is what I was meant to do. On the side, I've also found hobbies in scrapbooking and photography, but plan to center on writing in college. While, yes, it does not confirm financial stability, I've learned a writing degree can be used in numerous ways. I hope to begin working in a publishing or media branch before full-time writing. I aim to, in the mean time, submit to as many writing contests as I am able and focus on finding an agent for my current YA fiction manuscript.

As an avid 'Stranger Things' fan from the very beginning, I've watched (and rewatched) the series for several years, taking note of every little detail that makes the show one of a kind. As many fans can relate, I own a copious amount of Stranger Things shirts, as well as the official posters, and even a rare Amazon necklace. From the small-town 80s vibe, to the exuberant fantasy elements, to the nerve-wrenching plot twists, this show has it all and then some. When looking at fighting, and conquering, an unknown threat, my dream team is perhaps rather inspired by the characters' abilities when together, as opposed to alone: Will Byers, Dustin Henderson, and Lucas Sinclair. These 3 boys have proven their friendship countless times, like when they burned the vines under Hawkins in season 2. My reasoning for this is that, at least in recent seasons, they've fought separately, and these battles have all been unsuccessful in some manner (e.g. Max's paralysis). I chose these 3 excluding Mike Wheeler, because his place is best with El, and they seem like more of a package deal in battle, giving each other pick-me-ups and motivation, also counting that they can't fight nearly as well if they're unsure whether their counterpart is completely safe. The same goes for Dustin, Will, and Mike. Due to Joyce's moving of Will, El, and Johnathon, Will has had months of separation from his inner circle, not to mention his stark realization that he's in love with Mike, but that Mike will forever love El. He needs a pick-me-up of his own, and some time with friends would both lift his spirits and help the boys fight this new threat; because, let's be honest, Will has repeatedly gotten the short end of the stick and needs to emerge victorious, and hopefully with no link to the upsidedown. As for Lucas and Dustin, they have steadfast knowledge of fighting mythical creatures. Lucas thinks of the most original and abstract methods of defense, such as his wrist rocket and gunpower fireworks in Starcourt. Dustin, on the other hand, has documented and identified the majority of the creatures they fight, and continues being the brains of the operation. When you think about it, Will's raw emotion, Lucas's strength, and Dustin's smarts are the ultimate battle-package! What they lack in superpowers, they make up for in raw determination and complimentary fighting skills worthy of their own numbers.

U.S. President George W. Bush once said: "there could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others." This quote is important because it highlights the belief that a community is only built to its full potential when there are many helping hands. For example, a school must have funders, builders, and later: teachers, to operate. Growing up in the small, rural town of Ashford, community is something I was no stranger to. Through my close bond with my grandparents, I got to know my town from concerts, church groups, and other social events. When it came time for high school, I began recording official community service hours in March of my sophomore year (last Spring). High school was most beneficial to becoming a part-time volunteer year-round as I opted to join NHS (National Honor Society) and WLHS (World Language Honor Society), requiring 52 service hours, collectivly, each school year. The majority of my hours come from being a head volunteer at my local cat sanctuary, where my mom and I socialize traumatized/shy/senior cats for eventual adoption. After each session, we're required to send detailed reports on the behavior of the cats we visited. Being a head volunteer means taking night shifts, feeding, changing the litter, and cleaning the rooms of the cat houses. I have completed 55 service hours for them since starting in March. Other hours from this year include 5 from football field clean-ups and 8 from Spanish tutoring. Being more involved in supporting my community has put life into a different perspective, as community work gives me prior job experience before going off to college, and the dynamics are much more friendly as everyone is there by choice. While I'm putting in extra hours to fulfill the goals of both honor societies, community engagement is more than just a number, or a title for a resume. It's an output for personal reflection as much as, say, a therapy session. Brushing and coaxing out some of the shyer cats taught me to be patient, which has, in turn, helped me regulate my emotions when I begin to lose calm. It has also allowed me to interact with employees and gain rewarding social skills that can be applied in the workforce. In my opinion, having a spirit of excellence, especially in relation to serving my community, is something I've come to learn this last year because I'm motivated to give back, without doing it for the sole purpose of recognition. I've also done a variety of opportunities, some school-oriented and some personal. In the future, I hope to apply this learning when I intern in college, as I will continue to use the valuable tools I've learned throughout school and after. As earlier said, a community is built from many people; and that community must be kept lively through the tending of its individuals.

Growing up in a single-parent household, both my mom and I had to reach out to relatives for extra support, more so my mom when I was growing up. After my mom and I moved back to her hometown, after my parents divorced, she persistently tried to find both a home and a job within our price range. Coincidently, her parents still lived in her childhood home. As I was 3 at the time, and they had more free time, it was thought best for them to help raise me as she continued to search for work. Fast forward a few months later, my mom decided she needed a third degree, as her others were in less demand in rural areas. Due to partially spending her time with me, her master's took double the time, and I even remember attending the graduation ceremony with my grandparents. The half of the time not spend with my mom was with my grandma and grandpa. They raised me to pick cucumbers from the garden, make homemade pastries, and hunt for shells on the beach. In a way, they're my second parents. Now fast forward to the present, and my mom has a steady job with a commute longer than my assigned textbook chapters. As I'm now in high school and have events every week, my grandparents have to step in again. Every crew (rowing) practice, they have to pick me up at the local lake, and the same goes for the majority of clubs I participate in (e.g. GSA). Growing up in a multi-generational household taught me the dependency we exert on each other; and that when you're in need, your family are the ones who help you. This is not to say your blood-related family exclusively, but your inner circle, whether they're family, friends, or even family of friends or vice versa. My grandparents, in their generous attempts to baby me, also showed me the power of giving. Now, when given cash for Christmas or my birthdays, I immediately decide to donate some to charity, or plan whose name I'll donate it. Last year was a pet sanctuary; the year before was world hunger. As I look to the future, I know my mom and "second parents" will guide me every step of the way, and even beyond higher education. They've begun taking me on various college tours, even Maine and upstate New York, which are both 4 hours away (another form of babying). I also receive forwarded scholarships and writing contests, and I plan to major in writing. To sum it up, my grandparents took my mom and I in when we needed the support most, and we've stuck to each other since; my life would inevitably have been much less meaningful without them. This goes to show that with a strong support system in place, everyone achieves their life goals. Therefore, when I graduate college, one of mine is to give them back what they gave to me over the last 13 years of living together.

"I could try every lipstick in every shade, but I'd always feel the same" - Olivia Rodrigo: Pretty Isn't Pretty With Rodrigo's newest album came a slew of songs detailing the teenage experience. What stood out to me about her, besides her being a positive female role model in the 'celebrity bubble,' was how real her songs and their lyrics were. As a pop fan since childhood, many pieces of this genre center around love and more explicit themes related to love. Olivia Rodrigo instead centers on the raw experiences that people go through, and though she doesn't specify the age group, from my experience, many teens can resonate with her words. This lyric (typed above) talks about body confidence, and how she might hide behind makeup to impress others but it doesn't boost her own confidence and perception of herself. As a high schooler, most of my friends wear full facial makeup, which they detailed takes up to a full hour to apply every morning. This requires waking up at 4 a.m. every morning, going off of 4-6 hours of sleep. Witnessing all of this makes me somewhat saddened, as they wear it more for hiding their natural skin blemishes and beauty marks than for artistic persona. This is actually quite common for my age group (teens), especially during those blossoming high school years. One girl bragged about spending several hundred on a new eyeliner palette. Hearing this, I refuse to wear makeup on account that I have neither the time nor the body standards to use it. Sure, there are some facial features I'm not fond of, particularly that bump on my nose, but I reason that if people refuse to associate themselves with someone's real form, they aren't ready for a real acquaintance. These thoughts on the cosmetics industry spurred me to start a research project (further detailed in the research section of my Bold.org bio). I joined AP Research several months ago and am currently writing the beginning quarter of my research report. My topic is facial makeup in proportion to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) symptoms in female college students in CT. BDD is a mental condition with heightened anxiety over perceived looks, which includes makeup as a coping mechanism. After extensive research, a study will be conducted in a few months and later reported on in the last half of my paper. What inspired me to take a broader view on the modern uses of makeup, especially in teenagers, was Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS song "Pretty Isn't Pretty" and her unique voice pushing me to think of wearing makeup as a choice, and a bit of an illusion, but not a "need." Modern expectations can push high schoolers to think they must look a certain type of flawless, but her stand against these standards made me feel less alone, and I know others felt this way too. Rodrigo is a star because she truly understands her target audience, and that is something of a gift in modern pop culture.

In middle school, some of my friends wouldn't stop talking about Harry Potter and eventually got me into the universe, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. What I found most distinguishing about this series was that the teenagers depicted were accurate to teenagers in real life, to the messy parts of growing up, to the 'famous' angst, to the wry bits of humor every now and again, and most importantly: multi-layered characters with unique backstories (e.g. Ron and his many brothers and sister). After taking various 'Hogwarts House' quizzes, I always ended up being most likely to be a Ravenclaw, most notorious for being curious and always wanting to learn. At first, I thought there was more to me than my taste for academics, but then I grew to agree more and more with this ultimatum. I find those who tend to focus their time on academics to be widely stereotyped as 'emotionless and introverted', though, like all stereotypes, they never fit the broad spectrum of learners. I, for one, am very emotional (my family can confirm this) and always seem to gain energy when surrounded by my inner circle of friends. All of this is ironic considering one of my goals in life is negating negative social norms and standards. My academic passion is literature and writing. Whilst English and Creative Writing are, by far, my favorite subjects, I still find the rush of adrenaline in studying for a history test or organizing an essay, in the Ravenclaw fashion. As earlier mentioned, my goal in life would be shedding light on standards, but through writing books in unique POVs similar to how the Harry Potter cast was written: accurately with the right retention of sass and spunk. With being a Ravenclaw, I embody the vision of a nerd: glasses and about a thousand books in my backpack contributing to my zero back flexibility; but I also contain various elements and talents that make me 'me', such as my love of scrapbooking and my strange urge to watch Love Island (yes, it's indeed a far throw from YA-Fantasy). Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood is similar, in the sense that she's her authentic self but also maintains the strengths of Ravenclaw (intelligence and creativity) without letting them be interpreted as negative. I feel as though I'm a perfect fit for Ravenclaw in the sense that, yes, I am an empowered academic, but know how this positively defines me, as well as having a strong sense of what my life's purpose is (writing books with characters showing the accuracy and/or damage of stereotypes), which is also heavily associated with the house. All in all, Harry Potter has made me think deeply about my identity (my house AND myself) and has shown me the power and influence the inner-worlds and characters of a book series can bring.

Growing up as a woman taught me a lot of things, but mostly, gender stereotypes. For example, men are expected to not seek help for their mental challenges, while women are assumed to do it all the time. Another version of this is when women who are in pain are assumed to be acting dramatic, while men's pain is either taken more seriously or excludes them from being the toxic ideal of 'real men'. A stereotype I most became acquainted with was dress codes. As a teenager, my body image hasn't been the greatest, but it would surely be better without the horrendously sexist dress codes at my local middle school. Girls weren't allowed to wear a certain length of shorts, or most importantly: never show shoulders. Boys came to school with sweaters with bloody images of skeletons that gave me nightmares. After a very traumatic one one night, I asked a teacher why I wasn't allowed to wear the dress I made with my aunt because my calves would 'distract the boys' but his sweatshirt was distracting me. His response: 'he isn't dressed like that for attention'. It was a bit of a slap in the face that I was assumed to show skin because I was trying to impress my classmates, not that they didn't have adequet AC. I don't know what hurt more, my classmates throwing sexist slurs at me, or the teachers I asked for help who didn't follow through. I didn't understand it at the time, but now I wish those boys had been taught not to stare and not us being taught to cover ourselves up. I understand dress codes have an important purpose, as it would indeed be very bad to be allowed to go to school in a bikini, or even worse - naked, but I feel this utmost purpose has been abused towards female-identifying students. Whilst I do admit gender stereotypes, especially laws supporting these ideas, have significantly improved over time (e.g. Women's Suffrage), there are still ways to further eliminate those norms. With that being said, some solutions could be a more diverse council, with both genders, deciding the dress code and a student survey about said dress codes. A diverse council could ensure a fair set of rules for all students, regardless of gender. In my opinion, freedom of expression is appropriate as long as no gore or explicit images are showing, that goes for nudity too (and yes, some shorts are, in fact, too short). A student survey would also be a helpful service for 'killing two birds with one stone', as it would serve as a reporting system for any incidents relating to the dress code and could also be a way to communicate how students feel about their dress code, giving them a fair amount of say about their enforced dress code.

I dream of someday living in a city and writing bestselling novels, mainly in YA (Young Adult) Fiction, inspiring my readers to reach beyond the established norms of society, but also just giving them characters and worlds to escape to when real life isn't ideal.

@nadia_the_nerd

Mental health is an underrecognized factor in leading a healthy life, meaning it impacts all parts of our journeys, whether it be careers, education, social events, etc. The reason mental health awareness is something most people do not think of is because there has been a lack of accurate education. Many schools, and sometimes even families, teach adolescents to handle their mental health on their own, keeping it personal and locked away as if it is an anomaly and not something millions of people struggle with daily. In fact, it is more normal to have rough patches than to not, as life is never always easy. As a teenager living in this day and age, I did not realize how I was among peers in my battles with mental disorders, and not alone, until my close friends and I decided to talk about it. It started as a normal conversation about school and led to a friend stating she needed to take her meds before dinner. She later mentioned it was for her depression. At that moment, I lightbulb flashed in my head. Several days later, I told her I had depression too, and unlike I predicted, she hugged me. To be honest, I was expecting her to tell me to keep it private, that it was not her burden, and when she did not I almost broke into tears. It felt like an invisible weight was off my shoulders. I was first diagnosed with depression in eighth grade, after various bullying problems and the COVID-19 shutdown. My first symptoms, immense sadness and a deep lack of interest in daily activities, were something that hit me like a rocket. Unfortunately, I went with the female stereotype that I was being dramatic, and I ignored my feelings. When it became too much, I did an internet search. When some of the symptoms came back as possible depression, I finally spoke to my mom. Like my friend in the future, my mom also hugged me and asked what she could do to help. It was really the best possible thing to say because just telling me "it's fine" does nothing when everything was clearly not. Several weeks later, I started seeing a therapist. About a year later, I had cycled through a few and finally found the right one for me. She always pushed me to break down my emotions and examine them to determine whether they were logical, even giving me internal tactics to do when my emotions boiled over. When I began taking medication for my depression, it was clear that my anxiety stretched beyond just sadness. Upon further evaluation, I was also diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks as well as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). From there, my meds were changed to better fit my conditions. To my benefit, these mental health conditions are widely common, and therefore easier than I expected to identify and treat. I became so used to the more "mental" flaws of myself that I even started discussing them with my inner circle of friends during my freshman year of high school. As I had hoped, they also opened up, some having similar conditions including autism and ADHD. Normalizing the healthy discussion of mental challenges helped build my friendships in more personal and close unions. If we had not opened up as we did, I doubt we would all still be as tight-knit as we are now, two years later. As earlier stated, there are normal rough patches. An example of this was during my first evaluation for OCD. Due to a high grade on a Biology final, I was overly cheery and eagerly explained how my hypothetical-OCD symptoms negatively impacted my social life, some of the details I never even felt comfortable writing in my diary. Had I been in less of a positive mood, it goes without question that I would not have said everything I did. My psychiatrist, at the time, was taking notes on the majority of this. Unfortunately, she was not great at listening to my boundaries and leaked the majority of this information to my family, some of whom told me their disdain. When I confronted her about it, she said it was legal because I was a minor. Needless to say, I found a new psychiatrist and tried to put the whole thing behind me. As far as I am concerned, I have nothing to be ashamed about. My OCD is part of me and I will own it even if I do not receive hugs from everyone. Of course, mental health challenges do not always happen at one time either. Upon visiting some of my extended family, I noticed a relapse in my depression and anxiety, and a weight loss following that. It turned out, after this drastic change, that similar things happened with my weight throughout my childhood and tween years, only now examined because of the numbers on the scale. Spring of my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and began a "group therapy" intensive program to help bring my weight up. Having several types of mental illness highlights that humankind is not perfect, and should not try to be because with imperfections come individuality. Being different and owning it has made my relationship with my friends that much closer, which in turn boosted my levels of happiness. Living with depression, OCD, and ARFID also taught me that we are a diverse people with many traits, and it is almost fascinating how our brains work, how public speaking makes us shrink in on ourselves or how the wrong number combination makes me cringe, and how the whole of this is sometimes considered too private to be normal. It also taught me that openness is key to understanding our unique mental health, and with understanding comes blissful acceptance.

As a reader with social media, I always strayed toward others with a fondness for reading. In middle school, I began experimenting with various genres after a lucky discovery of a children's Greek Mythology series called "Goddess Girls." Reading started as an escape when my personal life got tough, but became a sanctuary for my imagination to fall in love with characters and even imagine myself in their world. What I did find disheartening, though, is how little I was able to relate to some of these characters. As I grew into reading YA (Young Adult) Fiction in junior high, I noticed all the female characters were described along the lines of "stunningly beautiful" or "of perfect mental health" which was not at all what real women are like. These characters were also without the little imperfections that make us human, such as birthmarks, acne, eye bags, and curves, and these things translated into a majority of the art on BookTok and other platforms. It was then that I decided to try out other genres that may be more diverse. I read my first rom-com the summer before my freshman year of high school called "Red, White and Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston. I first heard of it on Instagram after seeing fanart on an LGBTQ artist's account. From there, Booktok readers left amazing reviews, and by then I was more than ready to branch out from the fantasy genre. As it turned out, I did not know what an impact it would have on me, and brought it on vacation to Alabama without knowing much about it beyond the back-cover blurb and some character fanart. I began reading in the car on the way to get ice cream, making it through the first chapter in minutes, which might sound normal, so I should add that I am a very slow reader. I ended up staying and ignoring the ice cream, despite the summer heat. In a day and a half, the book was done and I was astonished by how unbelievably well-written and diverse it was. The main character of "Red, White and Royal Blue" is a Mexican-American man who is bisexual. His love interest is a gay prince of England. The novel follows an enemies-to-lovers path and details their secret affair over the period of a year. Side characters include a bisexual friend who loves statistics, a female president of the US, and a transgender lesbian secret service agent. The author being part of the LGBTQ+ community themself had a more personal stake in the book and therefore, the representation rang true to many readers, including me: a bisexual woman. My ideal bookshelf has not just LGBTQ rom-coms, but books across all genres with accurate diversity. This could include ethnicity, mental health conditions, etc. Some other books with excellent diversity are "The Charm Offensive" by Alison Cochrun, any series in the "Shadowhunter" world by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, etc), and the "King of Scars" duology in the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo. All of these books I found from Booktok and Bookstagram after searching for "diverse" books, specifically. "The Charm Offensive" was even hashtagged under a "Red, White and Royal Blue" review because of their similar themes. Booktok, while not starting my love for books, has aided in the search for discovering what books are best fits for me and similar books to those I read and enjoyed. In short, social media platforms are a fundamental part of the reading community and have helped build an overall sanctuary for book lovers, as reading created a sanctuary for me.

With the U.S. divorce rate being between 40-50%, single parents are not uncommon in U.S. households, specifically single moms. As a 16-year-old, I have recently taken on a bigger role in organizing my schedule and filling out paperwork, and even getting a bank account in my own name (international, as you have to be an adult here). Without the support of my immediate family, especially my mom, I would not feel ready to begin life as a college student several years out from now. After my parents' divorce, my mom moved in with her parents to help raise me, as she was still getting her master's in education and could not afford daycare services at the time. Due to convenience, my mother and I remained with my grandparents, all living off her income and their retirement benefits. The early exposure to a multi-generational household made me aware from early on how society functioned, and how building off one another was the best way to thrive without the constant worry of finances. I also learned that my grandma's homemade potato pancakes are second to none. A fear, however, with being raised without seeing my dad more than once a year, was that I would not have any male role models to look up to and I would think the stigma of dads being out of the picture was something all families dealt with. Luckily, my grandpa, my mom's dad, was like a dad to me as well as a grandfather. He and I were always planting and picking vegetables in our garden or going fishing at local ponds. He always caught more fish, as it took me years to learn how to cast the line properly. Growing up in a multi-generational household with a single mom also opened my eyes to how important family support is for parents of recent divorce. I never referred to my mom as a "single mom" because she was never alone in raising me. This should prove a valuable tip for others in similar situations; that if a close family member undergoes a divorce or separation, especially with a child, they should offer their support as my grandparents did. It has taught me, on a more personal level, that they will continue to support me throughout higher education as I slowly leave behind adolescence. Obviously, had I grown up with both parents, I could have made the same assumptions, but being brought up with a single mom showed me that moving on from an unideal situation does not have to be done alone unless you let it.

I am Nadia Haeryfar, a high school student from Ashford Connecticut with a love for reading. As is common with many middle schoolers, reading is something introduced to them, as opposed to a personal discovery. As a child, I never paid attention to books, even less when I was forced to read them. This continued until reading was no longer a "core" element of the elementary school curriculum. In fourth grade, I began exploring reading independently. The difference with choosing reading material at a later age was that more of my personality had developed. I knew my likes - watching cinema, daydreaming, and nature - and what I disliked: anything nonfiction or science-related. With choosing my own books came an onslaught of motivation to digest them without the pressure of overarching benchmarks of education. It made me curious as to if I would have liked reading in prior years had I decided to take it up on my own. All I know now is that cracking open books again was the right decision. As fourth grade continued, I began using the internet to find books. I imbued my love of animals and heroic tales into finding a children's fiction series called "The Rescue Princesses," where the theme of animal saving is literally spelled out in the name. From there, I shied away from children's fiction and took a liking to mythology and romance books in junior high, partially because reading those genres made me feel like an adult in child form. Reading, in general, made me feel additional freedom being an adolescent lacked. With that being said, a book I would highly recommend is "The Charm Offensive" by Alison Cochrun, an LGBTQ Romance novel centered around the blooming romance between a reality TV producer and the show's star. When reading this book, the sense of freedom from reading on my own terms was reignited. An example of this is when the protagonists abandon the social norms surrounding their positions and, against all odds, allow themselves to fall for each other. The journey of self-discovery shown in both leading characters, supported by a diverse cast of side characters, reminded me of how reading altered my perspective of freedom and the steps it took to discover it.

My name is Nadia Haeryfar, and I come from a small rural town in Connecticut. I was raised by a single mom and her parents, with the later acquisition of two cats. Although my mom was born here, I was born in Canada and immigrated with her back to America when I was 3 years old. Living in a town with around 3,000 citizens has made me look to the outside world as I enter my upperclassmen years of high school. My dream is to be a best-selling author in the YA (young adult) fiction genre and publish novels in the voices of underprivileged minorities, including women, LGBTQ, people of color, etc. Growing up with a love for writing made me aware of the toughness of a career in it, meaning that authors rarely make enough money to solely live on, having to work side jobs and even forsake writing altogether to ensure financial stability. With the price of college, it is clear that I will need a job straight out of school. My favored options for a temporary job are technical writing and publishing. Coming from a multigenerational household, including a single mother, has inspired much of the writing I do. In creative writing class, when I first began finding my creative voice, I realized a connection between the protagonists of my works: all had realistic struggles spurred by societal norms, ranging from lack of attention to rape to being excluded from high school cohorts. Upon discovering this connection, I began purposely exaggerating these struggles and exemplifying them to be both understandable and relatable to the intended audience: the general public, but specifically teens and young adults who may benefit from knowing other characters, even if fictional, can relate to the various hardships of growing into adulthood. If given the money, I would put it toward getting a BFA (Bachelor's of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing, and a potential Master's. From there, I hope to find an agent and sell my current manuscript developed over the past year. What makes me different from other applicants is not that I identify as a woman, or that I am an immigrant raised by a single mom, but that I plan to give a voice to many people in underrepresented minorities in my future works. Writers often go unrecognized due to the popularity of the writing field, many extraordinary voices never getting a chance to share their work, or as was earlier stated "fall through the cracks." In conclusion, I would use this money to help pay for college and make transitioning into the field of creative writing much more efficient so I can give voice to the diverse voices that make up our society.

The definition of a "leader" varies, depending on the situation, but is universally defined as "a person who is the commanding officer of a group, giving out instructions for said group to obey and carry out." Real-life examples of leaders appear on a much broader scale, going from middle-school teachers to the President of the United States. The main trait between these two examples is, as stated above, that their positions involve more out-right commanding than following. Due to this broad spectrum, leaders hold many kinds of power yet are always following another individual; in most cases, there is never is derived "most powerful leader," as leaders are subconsciously following someone else, them following their predecessors, in sort-of a "cycle." I think of myself on this spectrum as both a leader and a follower. To be a leader, I had to learn from being a follower first. This is wholly referring to life as a student, listening and following the rules of teachers. Their guidance over the years opened my eyes to what being a leader was about. Following in their footsteps, my first big leadership position was as a gymnastics coach. This started in middle school as volunteer work, as I was a full-time gymnast and personal friends with the head gymnastics coach. This grew to be a part-time job once high school started. Working with younger kids, and being on the opposite end of giving orders, shed light on what the workforce is like beyond the younger years of school. Whenever I pulled out a mat or spotted a child doing a handstand, I thought about the correlation it had with bosses and workers in everyday jobs. This included my parents' jobs, who were both leaders in their firms at the time. With the later joining of NHS (National Honor Society), monthly volunteer work was required. Since gymnastics coaching became a paid position, I turned my attention towards "Our Companions," a local cat shelter I heard about through a newspaper. My mom and I were trained and later taken in as volunteers tasked with socializing, accompanying, and taking care of traumatized, special needs, and elderly cats. I was also given instructions to relay weekly information on the health of visited cats and send in any photos I took of them (the latter being optional). Between volunteering with cats and teaching gymnastics, I learned the traits of leadership: responsibility, effort, and organization. Having responsibility, meaning the ability and willingness to take on a task, is important to carry out that task, and ensures trust between colleagues. With success in training young gymnasts came the support of the other coaches. Putting in the effort is key to successful leadership, usually spurred by a vested interest. Being both a gymnast and cat owner fueled my motivation to work. Lastly, organization, affected by both responsibility and effort, is the executive part of a successful leader. While some leaders hire people to organize their schedules, the general element of organization is needed for a thriving business, and therefore a leader. These three traits - responsibility, effort, and organization - shaped me to grow into my shoes as a young leader and hopefully pass on the philosophy of being a leader to those I coach, and even my colleagues, in future years and into college.