In April 2020 I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I still remember the day I wanted to get myself into treatment to get healthy again. I was exhausted of counting calories, constant exercise, constant thoughts about what I was going to eat when I would allow myself to next. This illness destroyed me mentally and physically. Physically, I was on the verge of being hospitalized, with an extremely low weight and other health risks. Socially, I didn't recognize myself. I wasn't the same bubbly person I used to be. Always outgoing, having friends over, laughing and having fun. I tired myself out, I had no energy to hang out with my friends and I couldn't stop thinking about how I was going to lose weight that day. I became depressed and grew distant from my friends. I decided to get help to get back to my "old" self. I know that I won't be the same, and I still struggle with anorexic thoughts every meal of everyday. However if I can live how I use to live with no care in the world it would be a dream come true. My mental illness almost killed me. Through the darkest and strongest eating disorder moments, I have learned many valuable lessons. It showed me who my real friends were. Only my true best friends stayed by my side in recovery and made the effort to hang out with me. Others just let the disordered me distant myself further away. My relationships with my best friends grew stronger because of what we were going through. Yes, I said we because without them encouraging me everyday, recovery wouldn't have been possible. My eating disorder also brought me closer to my mom. My mom had to prepare every meal, watch me eat every meal, and overall just support me with everything. With a malnourished brain and body I was depressed, always crying, but she was my shoulder to cry on. Always there no matter what. My rock. However anorexia affected much more than my relationships. It changed my view on many topics, the first being eating disorders in general. I used to think that people with eating disorders are weak, often saying "why can't you just eat?". Now with my experiences I know that it is much more than 'just eating'. It is a mental illness and most of society isn't aware of what an eating disorder actually is. It is thinking you're not good enough, comparisons, low self esteem, someone talking in your head saying that you had a big breakfast so you should skip lunch. It is hurting when you walk because your feet, knees and hips hurt, and when you stand up passing out because your heart rate is too low. It is depression, anxiety, stress and being alone. It isn't about not eating. In fact, the reason I started to restrict is because I thought I loved food too much. I was eating too much in society's eyes, and I needed to stop. With my experiences I want to spread awareness of this kind of mental illness that gets overlooked. I don't want others to feel how I did. I want to go to school to start my own business as a nutritionist. Creating a platform to talk to and help disordered eaters like myself. Anorexia took away my life and I don't want the same for other little girls and boys who should be focused on laughing, swimming, and playing in the sun instead of what the calorie content of their next meal is going to be.

This day was probably the most accomplished I have ever felt. This is a picture of my soccer team winning the Section V Class B1 Soccer Finals Game. Ever since I was 8 years old, playing soccer year-round with my best friends has helped me maintain my positive and upbeat attitude. We all had one goal in mind, winning sectionals at least one time to prove our coherent and team like nature. Not only did we win once, our team at Avon Central School District has won 3 Sectional titles back to back to back in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

I am Natalie Masten, a senior in high school, and I was one of 2 girls in my technology class of 46 people. Usually working by myself, being left out, and stared at by all of the boys in my class. It seemed that every time I would get up to present there was a sudden lack of interest. I am often called an overachiever for the way I apply myself and give 110% effort unto all of my projects, tests, and even homework assignments. Even with the criticism, I am proud of myself for persevering in a field where the majority is men. Despite the difference in gender, I noticed that I was always working efficiently while the boys were distracted by each other. Most of them just taking the class as an extra elective. To me, engineering class helped me learn the importance of the behind the scenes coding that takes place in every electronic device. It was difficult at times, I struggled. However, I also asked for help and guidance when I needed it in order to complete more challenging assignments. Although I don't want to pursue a career in the technology field, I would love to continue mathematics. Math has always come naturally to me. What I tell my peers and classmates is "I just like numbers and how they work together", in which they usually give a weird look back or respond with comments like "I suck at math". I think it is important to follow what you are passionate about no matter what others think and no matter how difficult it may seem. With that being said, someone truly influential in my life is my grandma. She has taught me to always push through the difficult parts of life because there is always light on the other side of the tunnel. She would say "you don't know what good days are if you don't experience the bad days". My grandma survived an abusive relationship where she was almost murdered by her ex-husband. Every time we get in a car together we talk about the decisions she made and how they have impacted her life. Through her recovery, she always said that she thought therapy was a joke, but as time went on she accepted the issues and knew she had to talk to someone. Therapy made her strong, it made her happy, it made her my grandma. She wouldn't be the person she is today and it's all because of the little choices we make everyday. That is how I've learned that making choices can impact my life in so many ways and whether or not I choose the right decision is up to me. I am inspired by her story and her life because I know that if I could only be as brave and strong as she is, I could do anything.