5 Year Goal A 14-year-old girl had big dreams of going to Cecil C. Humphrey Law School in Tennessee. She wanted to be a child, animal, and wrongful convicted lawyer. As high school came to an end and college was fast approaching, she changed her path to child and animal law. Her reasoning in doing so was that children cannot speak for themselves, and animals need someone to be their voice. She loves children and animals greatly, seeking to bring justice to these small beings with big hearts. Once college began, she realized how difficult reaching her goal would be. The classes, homework, tests, papers, and presentations were more than she expected, all of which were just undergraduate school. She became stressed and doubtful of herself. With the help of her advisor, professors, and friends, she made it and was on track to graduate early. The prospect of the LSAT and law school still worried her. However, she became excited about the changes. Her goal is the University of Missouri- Kansas City with a backup plan for the University of Missouri- Columbia. The reason for these schools is that she does not want to be close to her hometown. She wants to branch out and experience new things in new places with new people. Her past is what drives her to be a child and animal lawyer, but her past is not going to drag her down. She refused to give up or doubt herself anymore. She has made it this far and will continue to work, go to school, and manage relationships while succeeding one day at a time. Once law school is over, her plan is to work in a firm that does both child and animal law. She has played with the idea of opening her own firm one day or becoming a judge. However, being a lawyer was her only goal growing up. Working in a firm, she will work her way up the ranks. She does not want to be the head lawyer for at least 3 years after she graduates. She wants to work under others and learn as much as she can so she can be the best that she can be. She also wants to volunteer for charities that help children and animals, while possibly being a foster parent. She has quite a few aspirations, but nothing is stopping her from chasing her dreams. She is me.

The pictures on social media of the fit woman in the cute gym outfits look appealing right? Wrong. Individuals need to focus on the influencers that show their entire journey and not just the end results. When I started dating my fiancé, he went to the gym every day. He loved the gym and used it as his stress reliever. While trying to convince me to join him in the gym, he made me a workout regimen. I was against going to the gym due to my anxiety and body dysmorphia. I didn’t feel confident in my body, nor did I want others watching me work out. I feared judgement. I had gone to the gym in high school, while starving myself, and became so engrossed in the body that I wanted, that I hurt the body I had. It took me a long time to eat properly and take care of myself. I didn’t start going to the gym again until my junior year of college. I started with light cardio, eventually working up to weights. I feel happier, healthier, and stronger. A big thing for me was changing my diet. I did this by cutting out caffeine, most sugar, nicotine, and adding protein. This was hard for me since my family smokes, drinks coffee and soda all day, and is always buying sweets. It took a lot of self-control to fight the urges, however, I fought through it to feel more like myself again. I tried so hard to be more energetic, eat better, change my sleep schedule, and exercise. I also took up yoga to help with my body flexibility. Going to the gym not only made me happier, but it also made my fiancé happier, and my best friend/gym partner happier. I love having those around me take notice that I look and act healthier and happier. I’m more energetic, I sleep better, I’m not as irritable, and it has helped me with my schedules. I never knew that going to the gym would help with my organizational skills, time management, and memory. I really helped with my school and work duties. My nieces and nephews love that I have the energy to play with them now. With the more energy I have, the more opportunities I have. I plan to continue my journey into being the healthiest version of myself while I’m in school and carrying over into law school.

Children, especially those who cannot voice their situations, are extremely under-represented in the legal system. With my minor in American Sign Language, I strive to help advocate for and represent these children. Every child deserves a home and a loving family, not one or the other. However, without the college degree and knowledge that I can only develop through college courses and experience, this goal of mine will never be a reality. Though advocating for and representing children will not change the foster care or legal systems, I can be one of many voices provoking change, I know that I cannot change systems that have been in place for decades by myself. I am but one woman, among many individuals, who has a dream to make life a bit easier for the next generations. I strive to be the light at the end of a dark tunnel, the helping hand, the shoulder to cry on. I want to be more than an advocate and lawyer. I want to be these children's saving grace, their friend in a sense. I'll never turn my back on a child. Once I get established in child law, I'd like to take more classes in animal law, as well. Man's best friend needs someone to speak for them as well. My overall goal in life is to make children and animals' voices heard and respects. No child or animal should be left outside, in the scorching heat or bitter cold, starving, thirsty, and alone. There should be no abuse, fighting rings, sex slavery, or chains and solitude. Every breathing creature deserves to know the feel of a soft touch and a loving heart. These under-represented creatures rely on the legal system to do what is in their best interest. They are not just a number, a piece of paper, a case that needs resolved quickly. They are breathing, helpless individuals that need someone to care about their futures. Overall, my mission in life, my ultimate goal, is to make tomorrow a better day with a shred of hope for the next generation and their companions. Being the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves is not a personal gain, it is a civic duty to make this world a better place for everyone. No one and no animal is unwanted or worthy of feeling that way. If being the advocate for these individuals means the have a chance at a loving and happy rest of their lives, then I'll do it.

From having a dog my entire childhood, to convincing my parents to let me rescue a dog in a horrific situation, has changed how I view animals. I've always respected animals and wanted to help them live happy lives. I rescued my dog, Tank, and his sister from a drug house, where they were kept gated in a kitchen, chained to the floor with little food and dirty water. The owners were selling them for bail money. When we bought them, we realized that they had blown smoke in their faces, which caused them to have severely irritated eyes. They are bulldogs so their breathing is already a factor to their poor health, but the smoke and the conditions they were living in did not benefit them in any way. Once we got them back to our house, got them fed and hydrated properly, they were the liveliest dogs I had ever met. They were allowed to run freely without fear of being chained and abused. We had to rehome his sister, sadly, but Tank is doing so much better since living with us. He still has some medical condition that will last with him until he passes. However, we got to give this poor boy a life of security and love. He forever changed my life, because without him, I don't think I would have thought about animal law as a career path. It was always something that sparked my interest, but I never thought that I would have the power to help any animal. He proved to me that I was wrong. So many animals need a loving human to care, even a little bit, to save them from terrible situations. It truly is sad to people can take these dependent animals and abuse them, until another human steps in to save the poor animal. My goal once I get through law school and get associated with a practice, is to take animal law classes and start fighting legally for these precious animals.

Working at a grocery store, you are around a variety of different foods. However, the cheapest foods that fit with most budgets are junk foods. I want to change the way I eat and what I eat for my health, the energy benefits, and for my weight. The change with be long and slow, because habits are hard to break. My goal in maintaining this change is to feel confident in my own body. If I stick to my workout regimen and eat properly, I'll see changes that will make me love my body while becoming healthier. Losing weight isn't the way everyone needs to love their bodies, but since I starved myself at 16 and got to unhealthy weight, I've always wanted to look that way again. That unhealthy weight was when I was happiest with my body. I now know there is a healthy way to get to a healthy weight that will give me more than just body positivity. I will give me energy and a healthy lifestyle as well.

Children, especially those who cannot voice their situations, are extremely under-represented in the legal system. With my minor in American Sign Language, I strive to help advocate for and represent these children. Every child deserves a home and a loving family, not one or the other. However, without the college degree and knowledge that I can only develop through college courses and experience, this goal of mine will never be a reality. Though advocating for and representing children will not change the foster care or legal systems, I can be one of many voices provoking change, I know that I cannot change systems that have been in place for decades by myself. I am but one woman, among many individuals, who has a dream to make life a bit easier for the next generations. I strive to be the light at the end of a dark tunnel, the helping hand, the shoulder to cry on. I want to be more than an advocate and lawyer. I want to be these children's saving grace, their friend in a sense. I'll never turn my back on a child. Once I get established in child law, I'd like to take more classes in animal law, as well. Man's best friend needs someone to speak for them as well. My overall goal in life is to make children and animals' voices heard and respects. No child or animal should be left outside, in the scorching heat or bitter cold, starving, thirsty, and alone. There should be no abuse, fighting rings, sex slavery, or chains and solitude. Every breathing creature deserves to know the feel of a soft touch and a loving heart. These under-represented creatures rely on the legal system to do what is in their best interest. They are not just a number, a piece of paper, a case that needs resolved quickly. They are breathing, helpless individuals that need someone to care about their futures. Overall, my mission in life, my ultimate goal, is to make tomorrow a better day with a shred of hope for the next generation and their companions. Being the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves is not a personal gain, it is a civic duty to make this world a better place for everyone. No one and no animal is unwanted or worthy of feeling that way. If being the advocate for these individuals means the have a chance at a loving and happy rest of their lives, then I'll do it.

"The Lies We Tell" Why hath thou left me Alone forever I shall be Time to flea The promises we agree For my sons and daughters are three I am bound to be free Reading letters by the tree Thou held my heart’s key And sent it out to sea Why hath thou been absentee Since I am now a divorcee You are a killer bee I am but a nobody Now our family tree Needs an apology For thou is drinking tea Made of lies about thy sexuality I think I need some vitamin D For you have given me a deficiency

Children, especially those who cannot voice their situations, are extremely under-represented in the legal system. With my minor in American Sign Language, I strive to help advocate for and represent these children. Every child deserves a home and a loving family, not one or the other. However, without the college degree and knowledge that I can only develop through college courses and experience, this goal of mine will never be a reality. Though advocating for and representing children will not change the foster care or legal systems, I can be one of many voices provoking change, I know that I cannot change systems that have been in place for decades by myself. I am but one woman, among many individuals, who has a dream to make life a bit easier for the next generations. I strive to be the light at the end of a dark tunnel, the helping hand, the shoulder to cry on. I want to be more than an advocate and lawyer. I want to be these children's saving grace, their friend in a sense. I'll never turn my back on a child. Once I get established in child law, I'd like to take more classes in animal law, as well. Man's best friend needs someone to speak for them as well. My overall goal in life is to make children and animals' voices heard and respects. No child or animal should be left outside, in the scorching heat or bitter cold, starving, thirsty, and alone. There should be no abuse, fighting rings, sex slavery, or chains and solitude. Every breathing creature deserves to know the feel of a soft touch and a loving heart. These under-represented creatures rely on the legal system to do what is in their best interest. They are not just a number, a piece of paper, a case that needs resolved quickly. They are breathing, helpless individuals that need someone to care about their futures. Overall, my mission in life, my ultimate goal, is to make tomorrow a better day with a shred of hope for the next generation and their companions. Being the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves is not a personal gain, it is a civic duty to make this world a better place for everyone. No one and no animal is unwanted or worthy of feeling that way. If being the advocate for these individuals means the have a chance at a loving and happy rest of their lives, then I'll do it.

Recovery means seeking help and overcoming certain obstacles to reach your goal. Mental health recovery is a big one that comes to mind. Self harm can happen in many different ways. If an individual preforms self harm for an extended amount of time, they will become addicted to the act or consequences that accompany the act. If one starves themselves, they may become addicted to not eating in order to lose weight. If one cuts their wrists, the pain may become addicting or the need to hide it in order to keep the scars a secret. If one mentally degrades themselves, they may become addicted to the negative thoughts that never cease to stop running through their head. Recovering from these types of mental illness obstacles is some of the toughest battles. Seeking help can be intimidating. However, once on the road to recovery or finished with the treatment and deemed recovered, relapse is a possibility. Being deemed recovered is never the end of the recovery road. So recovery means an ongoing journey to better one's self so they do not go back to the dark places they once inhabited.

My greatest quality is perseverance. I will persevere through any obstacle that gets in my way no matter how hard I have to work at it. Being a first generation college student, my family cannot financially help me. Therefore, I not only go to school full time, but I also work anywhere from 25-35 hours a week at Walmart in order to pay my bills, continuously apply for scholarships, participate in campus activities, participate in sorority functions, and still make time to hang out with friends. My schedule is hectic but it works for me because I persevere through the struggles. This summer, I plan to take summer classes so I can graduate a semester early. I want to do this so I can work full time from January 2024-May 2024, in hopes of saving enough money to pay for a semester at law school. Perseverance will help me most in my life journey simply because to be a lawyer, you have to persevere through some difficult cases. If I can persevere through these cases then I can persevere through anything. In order to become said lawyer, I have to persevere through the financial responsibility of undergraduate school, the stress of getting into law school, the financial responsibility of law school, along with the responsibility of starting my family. Perseverance is key for my future plans and I am going to hang on to it for dear life. My goals will not be achieved until I have persevered through the schooling, the stress, the financial responsibility, in order to help at least one child have a better tomorrow. Theses children are persevering through horrendous circumstances without realizing they are persevering. Who am I to want to represent them if I don't persevere through some minor struggles compared to what they have to endure everyday. I have to do my best in order to give my best to my future clientele. Children are the next generation of this world. I strive to get them one day closer to being the best they can be, by getting them out of bad situations or simply by giving them a listening ear. Everyone needs someone and I want to be that someone for these children. They need me and in some way, I bet I need them as well. They will push me, teach me, and grow with me if we both persevere through the hard times in life.

"The Lies We Tell" Why hath thou left me Alone forever I shall be Time to flea The promises we agree For my sons and daughters are three I am bound to be free Reading letters by the tree Thou held my heart’s key And sent it out to sea Why hath thou been absentee Since I am now a divorcee You are a killer bee I am but a nobody Now our family tree Needs an apology For thou is drinking tea Made of lies about thy sexuality I think I need some vitamin D For you have given me a deficiency

A persons meaning of life varies. having children and being the best mother possible, getting a degree and having a respectable career, or traveling the world. Whatever it may be, that is what people strive for in life. The meaning of life for me is to create a life that I do not need a vacation from. I strive to be a lawyer advocating for children and animals, creating a family with my significant other, along with living in a beautiful country home. My goal on how to achieve this is to study for the next two and a half years of undergraduate school in order to maintain a 3.7 minimum GPA. Starting in the summer of 2022, I will work as much as I can in order to pay for said schooling along with my day to day bills. By the end of my educational journey, even though I'll never be done learning, I want to be financial in a place of stability to support myself comfortably.

Halynna Yager, a small town girl with big aspirations. I thrived in high school academically, was a part of several clubs, and even took several dual credit classes. Softball was played for two years, 4-H took up most after school time when I wasn't working, and before COVID-19, I went to FFA National Convention. Reading, listening to music, riding horses, painting, and writing poems are some of my many hobbies. I am genuinely a shy person with high social anxiety, however, when I warm up to people, I'm the sweetest person who will do anything for those I care about.

Spending time, getting them special gifts that remind you of them, or sending them a test, social media post, video, or song that reminds you of them are just a few ways that I make my family and friends feel loved. Compliments and saying thank you or I appreciate you are several other ways. Everyday when I'd go into work I'd say "Hello beautiful" or "you're doing great and I appreciate everything you're doing." I text my parents or sorority sisters and say I appreciate you and everything you do for me. My boyfriend gets little hand made gifts all the time. Most of my friends received hand made paintings for Christmas this year. My sister and I send TikTok's to each other when we think of the other after seeing it. It's the simple and little things that can change a person's whole mood and make their day so much better.

Horses have always been a big interests of mine. Hemi was the horse I strived to be good enough to ride in a competition. Sweetie was the first horse I owned. Tank is my dog back home who I had the pleasure of saving from an abusive home and he has been my baby since day one. Tani is my mom's dog, but she is also Tank's best friend. All of these animals have helped me realize why I want to represent animals in the court of law.

Educational inequity isn't just affecting college students who are not granted the grants, scholarships, and financial aid as others. Educational inequity is also affecting high school, middle school, elementary school, and pre-school aged children. These children and young adults are unable to maintain the resources and support to go to school. They are unable to learn, be taught, and experience these vital life stepping stones. Everyone should want to help others be able to further their lives through education.

I was sixteen years old when I found out I was pregnant. I was excited, scared, and enthusiasts. Sadly, I had a miscarriage around four weeks. I waited two years to tell anyone about my miscarriage and several people told me it was for the better. They said that I was too young to have a child and that if the pregnancy had lasted longer, I should have aborted it. I have never been one to support abortions. I understand some circumstances are controversial, however, I laid down and made a child. It was my responsibility to care for said child. After that, I made it a point to help others going through pregnancy that are on the line about keeping the baby. I will talk to them and explain that there are several different types of adoptions such as closed or opened adoptions. Adoption is a great option especially since there are several individuals who cannot have children of their own. Some individuals think that adoption is a death sentence for children due to the high foster care rates. One reason for this is adoption is expensive. You can bypass these costs by doing a formal adoption between two families without an adoption agency. Another factor is low income families stress about being able to care for the children. It is a completely understandable concern, however, no matter how much a cliche it's the truth, everything happens for a reason. If you truly want to make something work, you will. In junior high and high school, I wrote several papers on Pro-Life and the positivities of it. I have always been a Pro-Life advocate and would love to go to more Pro-Life events. It's sad how many children are aborted or dropped off in random places or abused because their parents didn't want them. Their parents made them and had sex not expecting the consequences to happen to them. Birth control, condoms, IUDs, etc. aren't 100%. There's a chance to get pregnant, so if you don't want to have a child or get pregnant, take more than one precaution or just don't have sex. Having the power to bring life into the world and create the next generation of great thinkers is a super power that should be appreciated and not killed. Overall, people have their thoughts, decisions, and opinions. It is their body, their choice, however, the child doesn't have a choice. Indirectly, abortion is saying that children's lives are meaningless if their parents deems it so. Children are the key to our future. Everyone should truly think about the future of the world when they consider abortions.

The pandemic allowed me to have a positive affect from my job at Walmart. I transferred in January to Fulton Walmart due to school. I then got a raise due to the demand for employees. The pandemic also helped me meet my best friend. We both were in need of money during the pandemic. We ended up working at the same Walmart. Schooling has been easier because you are unable to do much outside of school due to mask ordinances and capacity restrictions. Classes are smaller and easier to ask and get all questions answered. Homework is spread out and mostly online, same with exams. Some classes went hybrid, some stayed in person, and some went all online. Zoom has helped tremendously with sorority meetings.

Ever realise that children and animals are the most under-represented clients in the court of law? I sure have and I want to change that. I plan to become a lawyer who represents children and animals in all aspects of law. I plan to get my Bachelor's Degree in Legal Studies and my minor in college is American Sign Language, therefore, I can communicate with a wider variety of people and some animals. My overall goal to achieve in life is to have a life or career that I don't need a vacation from. The exciting aspect of the world is that it is ever changing, either good or bad. Giving back is a huge aspect of my future. Being in 4-H, FFA, National Honor Society, sports teams, a sorority, campus clubs, and working in retail with the public, has definitely given me a sense of wanting to give back. One way to give back through my field of study is representing everyone equally and to the best of my ability. Donations, community service, volunteer work, and so much more are also big things that I not only want to contribute into my future, but also my family's future. I plan to have a family: husband, children, maybe a farm. I definitely want some, if not all of that. I want to inspire my children to change the world. Right now in the world, so much is changing or needs to be changing, and I want to help those movements. It's hard to pursue a future for yourself while helping pursue the future of others and the world around you. It is difficult, however, it is doable. I plan to do it.