I've been participating in National Honors Society since fall of 2023. I've gained most of my volunteering hours by helping with my church, especially in helping prepare for church conventions by cleaning and serving food. I've also participated in Cardz for Kidz. However, my favorite event I've taken part of was with a local nursing home. My most memorable volunteering service was at this nursing home. Typically, volunteers help arrange activities and outings for the residents. Last spring, their event was a craft - painting terracotta pots and planting flowers in them. The effort I brought to this event seemed small compared to the simple joy from this activity. I helped set up the room and materials and then brought the residents the tools they needed, especially for those who were less mobile. I had fun conversations with the residents while they worked and, once they were settled, I even got to participate. It was delightful to work alongside them. As the time went on, I noticed one man wanted to plant a flower yet he seemed to be struggling. I went to help him and realized what was challenging him: he could hardly move his arms and he seemed to have a memory problem. He wasn't able to participate on his own, so I helped him. I got him everything he needed, held the materials where he could reach them and patiently spoke him through the process using skills I've learned from a webinar the nursing home had provided us regarding helping those with memory loss. It took time, but the man was successful. He had the biggest smile when he was finished and told me how excited he was to tell his son about the project. "I've been a farmer all my life, but I've never planted a flower," he said. This event was a joy to take part in. Living in a nursing home can be hard for some individuals, as is the case with my grandfather, whose independent, lively mindset is outpacing his failing body and memory. However, small efforts can brighten other's days in significant ways. Everyone deserves the opportunity to keep trying new things, whether its small adventures or making art with their hands. This gets harder with old age, but with a little help, it can be possible for everyone. This experience showed me how easy it can be to bring a smile to someone's face. I would love to help these activities continue in the future to help brighten people's days. My grandfather has not only inspired me to volunteer at the nursing home, but also to donate plasma and, in the future, to volunteer at High Cliff State Park to further promote health and natural beauty in my community.

I am Natalie Pearson, a high school senior attending Wisconsin Connections Academy in Appleton, Wisconsin. I currently work at a landscaping center doing maintenance work. My goal is to attend Fox Valley Technical College for an associate’s degree in greenhouse operations. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder in 2021. This has had an impact on my academic performance. Most notably, I define my self-worth directly from my performance in academics and in my career. This can create a disproportionate emotional reaction in me when I don't meet my standards for myself, and even lead me to prioritize my performance over my well-being at times. It's not uncommon for me to stay up late doing schoolwork or to forget to eat while focused on certain tasks. This is unhealthy yet beneficial for my academic performance. However, at times, my mental health struggles negatively impact my academic performance. For instance, anxiety can paralyze me, leading to procrastination or avoidance of studying. Depression can reduce my motivation; I become apathetic towards the quality of my work, resulting to me submitting subpar work. More notably, mental health has impacted my personal life deeply in a variety of ways. I became apathetic towards what used to be my passions, I withdrew from friendships, I fought with my mother, I struggled to take care of myself physically, I hated myself, I struggled with self-harm, I had panic attacks, and I found little enjoyment in life. I have taken several steps to prioritize my mental health and continue to do so to this day. Since I first began struggling with mental health, I have taken steps towards recovery and have sought ways to find meaning in my life. One method is through my work in landscaping, which I'm passionate about. Not only do I find this personally beneficial since I get to work outside doing what I love, but I can also have a positive impact in the world by increasing natural beauty, encouraging the growth of environmentally safe practices in my work, and being an encouragement and support to other women within a male-dominated field. I also seek to make an impact through community work. In the past, I have volunteered at a nursing home and for my church. Most of my volunteer hours have been dedicated towards preparations for church conventions; this is meaningful to me because it helps others receive the same encouragement I've received in my faith. Outside of church, I strive to show the kindness and love towards others that's ideal of Christianity. Recently, I have been donating plasma twice a week. My boyfriend receives plasma treatments for an autoimmune disease, which has shown me the difference these treatments can make in someone's life. I'll continue to impact others in these ways in the future and continue to invest my skills and resources into making a difference. Although mental health has impacted various areas of my life, I have taken steps to care for myself and create a good future for myself. In this, I have fallen in love with my life again and feel the strength to make in impact in other's lives. My biggest hope is to be a good friend to my loved ones, a help in my community, and a useful member in the workforce. Despite the challenges I've faced, I can find strength and purpose to do so.

I am Natalie Pearson, a high school student in Appleton, Wisconsin. I work at a company called Lowney's Landscaping Center, Inc. where I work as a maintenance technician. My goals within the next few years are to attend Fox Valley Technical College for an associate's degree in greenhouse operations which I will use to advance my career in landscaping and even qualify me for other positions such as greenhouse or nursery management or as a landscape salesman or design worker. Currently, I am training to be a foreman in my division. In addition to simply bringing my best effort and work to my company to help it grow and to develop my own skills, I have more plans for making a difference in the industry. As a woman in a male-dominated field, I want to encourage other women who would be interested in this industry and challenge stereotypes which may hold them back. When I started my current job, the female foremen in my workplace were very influential to me; they were very welcoming and supportive, taught me skills above and beyond what they were responsible for, imparted helpful career advice and even helped me to advance my own career by advocating for me. I found this incredibly touching and have every intention to do the same for others when I reach their position this summer. I also want to be part of the movement towards more environmentally friendly practices regarding pesticides. Currently, I have my 3.0 certification and license and will soon test for my 6.0 certification. I want to use my knowledge to encourage better practices, such as discussing alternative pest management techniques with clients and encouraging the use of biopesticides in the workplace. As I advance my career, I want to train other employees in the same way to nurture a work culture that prioritizes work that is environmentally sustainable. I'm passionate about landscaping because it deeply aligns with who I am as a person. I am very energetic and love to work with my hands, and working outside is important to me, which makes landscaping perfect for me. Since I began working at Lowney's a year ago, I've felt significantly more happy and fulfilled in my work. I have fun at my job and feel proud of what I do. However, more specifically, landscaping aligns with my interests. I love learning about plants, both native and those used in landscaping, maintenance practices for them, as well as the pests and diseases which may effect them and how to treat these problems. I also love seeing the effect of my work in the world and making clients' visions into reality. Seeing the results of my labor and improving the natural beauty in the world around me is incredibly satisfying to me. Furthermore, I love the work culture I'm in; my employer promotes a positive environment for all employees. Everyone is friendly to one another and takes pride in their work. I have also found my coworkers very eager to encourage one another's learning which helps us to advance our skills. Overall, I'm grateful to have found employment that I am so passionate about which aligns with my interests and values in a workplace. As a result, I'm deeply motivated to learn more about landscaping to develop my skills, and, in turn, use these skills and knowledge to further improve the workplace. I'll use my work to encourage other women in the field and promote environmental safety as well and learning to improve the quality of work I can provide.

I am Natalie Pearson, a high school student in Appleton, Wisconsin. I work at a company called Lowney's Landscaping Center, Inc. where I work as a maintenance technician. My goals within the next few years are to attend Fox Valley Technical College for an associate's degree in greenhouse operations which I will use to advance my career in landscaping and even qualify me for other positions such as greenhouse or nursery management or as a landscape salesman or design worker. Currently, I am training to be a foreman in my division, meaning I will hold responsibility to apply pesticides, communicate more directly with clients and to coordinate labor of my fellow crew members. This position allows me to make a positive impact by bringing natural beauty to homes and public spaces. However, I plan to go above and beyond the duties of my title to better impact the world. Namely, I want to ensure that my work is sustainable with the environment; knowing the harm that pesticides can cause, I will use them responsibly and encourage that in my workplace as well. I can do this by discussing and implementing alternative options with clients for pest management and encouraging the use of biopesticides in my workplace, which aren't made with synthetic chemicals and shown to be less harmful to the environment. In the position of mentoring others, I intend to teach them how to align their work with the safety of the environment. As well as improving environmental impact, I also want to be an encouragement to others. Landscaping is a male-dominated field, which poses certain challenges to women, namely gender-based discrimination. Despite this, doing physical work outside is my passion so I am not discouraged by this. I want to show young girls that it is an option to work in male-dominated fields, and if it's their dream, they can achieve it. In my time at Lowney's, several clients expressed their delight in seeing women in their landscaping crews. This is meaningful to me because I love to make it more commonplace to see women in male-dominated work and show other women that those options exist for them. In my workplace, I intend to be a mentor and a support to other female employees. When I started, the female foremen in my workplace were very influential to me; they were very welcoming and supportive, taught me skills above and beyond what they were responsible for, imparted helpful career advice and even helped me to advance my own career by advocating for me. I found this incredibly touching and have every intention to do the same for others when I reach their position this summer. The greatest adversity I've faced in my current career is gender discrimination. Although my employers excel in uplifting women in their careers, not all employees are the same and many doubt our abilities as a result. Unwanted sexual comments have come from fellow employees and clients. I overcome negative stereotypes by proving them wrong and continuing my best work. As for harassment, I speak up against this; I communicate with my employers when these issues arise. As a result of speaking out against harassment and my workplace prioritizing a positive work culture, my workplace is notably safe and equal for women despite these challenges. Overall, as I work towards my goals of advancing my career in landscaping, I plan to continue making a positive impact on the world by protecting the environment and encouraging other women in the workplace.

A part of my personal definition of success is to find fulfillment and satisfaction in how I spend my years. One way to do that is to pursue a career meaningful to me. I am Natalie Pearson, a high school senior and I've started working towards success early on. I started working a seasonal job at 12 which gave me vital experience which is beneficial in the advantage that gives me in the workforce. However, it was only once I found my passion that I found myself more capable of working towards success. Currently, I work at a landscaping company and I have fallen in love with the work. I do maintenance work which includes weeding, hedging, mulching and other bed care labor. I find it very meaningful to me partially because I enjoy it; I love being outside, I find horticulture very interesting, I love the work environment. However, I also find it to be fulfilling; I love seeing the satisfaction from customers and being able to do physical labor which they may be unable to do, or consulting with them and sharing my knowledge. I'm able to make people happy, answer their questions and beautify the world around me. Since I am working to get my pesticide license, I'll also have a responsibility to the environment to ensure that my work is done safely and mindfully. My shorter term goals include getting certified and licensed for commercial pesticide use and to attend school for horticulture. This will enable me to hold a foreman position at my company, or work in related careers, such as landscaping salesman, doing landscaping design, or operating a greenhouse. All of these are positions which interest me and allow for growth throughout my career, as well as new experiences. An education would help me in a variety of ways. It would be a privilege to learn more deeply about topics which fascinate me, and the knowledge would be vital in qualifying me to do my job well and in a way that is mindful of my environment - For instance, pesticides are an integral tool but also hold a high potential for harm. With an education, I could better help clients that I work with now and make myself more useful in my company. I could even use my knowledge to create my own business and make a more direct impact on the world around me. In short, an education in horticulture would be an excellent opportunity for me which would open countless doors to many possibilities in which I can find success both in personal satisfaction and in the work force. Of course, this scholarship would be immensely helpful given that the financial burden is my largest obstacle in seeking an education. Though I have the drive and willingness to learn, it is difficult to find sufficient funds to do so at a young age. This scholarship would be an honor to receive in that it would help give me a chance to use my skills and passions in the working world in the way that is most meaningful to me. I have every intention of using any investment of money well by making myself useful in my community.

I have struggled with mental health issues, namely anxiety and depression, since about the time I was 12 years old. This has given me great challenges to overcome in my life, but has also shaped my worldview in a variety of ways. Because I am affected by mental health problems, happiness requires prioritization and commitment from me to achieve. This has affected my goals; one that I have directly developed as a result is the commitment to caring for myself physically and emotionally even when, mentally, I lack the motivation to do so. Furthermore, it has driven me to develop goals that develop a sense of purpose within me. For instance, it is important for me to do work that is deeply connected with my identity and has meaning in the world around me. For me, this means working in horticulture because it allows me to do physical work outside that creates a visible difference in the world and allows me to work towards the satisfaction of clients. Above money, I value doing work that brings me joy and feels meaningful in my community. My experiences with mental health have also impacted my relationships. Before I sought help, my relationships suffered. I withdrew from my friends and isolated myself, especially when quarantines for COVID began. I fought with my mother throughout my childhood. However, after I asked for help and began to take care of myself, my relationships flourished in a way I didn't imagine possible. I discussed my struggles with my closest friends, who related with my challenges. We were able to encourage one another and be there for one another. We grew closer in this hardship. I even improved my relationship with my mom; we were able to better understand one another. This allowed us to view one another with greater compassion and patience. Today, she's one of my best friends and we don't fight anymore. This has emphasized to me the importance of compassion and communication in relationships. I found that, with an honest effort, relationships can improve despite hardship. Mental health has significantly altered how I understand the world in a variety of ways. Most notably, it has solidified the importance of faith to me. It is no exaggeration to say that my faith literally saved my life, as in it I found my only purpose when I was at my lowest point. It has also driven me to view others with a greater kindness because I could understand that many other people are fighting invisible battles, yet still doing their best regardless. I've come to understand the true value of joy and happiness in this life; it can be scarce in the midst of challenges and hardship. Finally, the need for good relationships has been emphasized to me. Everyone needs someone close from whom they can receive love and they can show love to. This is what strengthens us, brings joy, and brings meaning to our lives, after all.

I am Natalie Pearson, a high school senior attending Wisconsin Connections Academy in Appleton, Wisconsin. My goal is to attend Fox Valley Technical College for an associates degree in greenhouse operations. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder in 2021. This has had an impact on my academic performance at times. Most notably, I define my self worth directly from my performance in school and in my career. This can create a disproportionate emotional reaction in me when I don't meet my standards for myself, and even lead me to prioritize my performance over my well-being at times. It's not uncommon for me to stay up late doing school work or to forget to eat while focused on certain tasks. This is unhealthy yet beneficial for my academic performance. However, at times, my mental health struggles negatively impact my academic performance. For instance, anxiety can paralyze me, leading to procrastination or avoidance of studying. Depression can reduce my motivation; I become apathetic towards the quality of my work. More notably, mental health has impacted my personal life deeply in a variety of ways. I became apathetic towards what used to be my passions, I withdrew from friendships, I fought with my mother, I struggled to take care of myself physically, I hated myself, I struggled with self-harm, I had panic attacks, and I found little enjoyment in life. I have taken several steps to prioritize my mental health and continue to do so to this day. The first step was to seek help; I told my mother about how I was feeling. As a result, I was diagnosed and prescribed medication. This helped me significantly. I also took time to learn about my disorders, how they affect me specifically, and various coping mechanisms. Through this, I learned how to create healthier thought patterns. I find this knowledge helpful to this day, as I can use it to break patterns of negative obsession. I prioritize my faith and friendships. This helps me feel encouraged and less isolated in my struggles. In my faith, I have found reason to live. My friends are incredibly kind and relate with my struggles. They consistently support me. I committed myself to taking care of myself physically, even when I feel unmotivated to do so. I've found that taking care of yourself, such as through sleeping and eating, can help your mental state. I prioritize working in an environment which helps me feel good. That led me to working at a landscaping company, which means I get to be active doing physical work and I can spend my days outside. I feel pride in my work which helps my self-esteem. I have also developed goals for my future. Some of these include getting married and advancing in my career by going to school for horticulture. These goals have helped me feel a purpose in life and allow me to look forward to the future. Although mental health has impacted various areas of my life, I have taken steps to care for myself and create a good future for myself. In this, I have fallen in love with my life again and feel the strength to make in impact in other's lives. My biggest hope is to be a good friend to my loved ones, a help in my community, and a useful member in the workforce. Despite the challenges I've faced, I can find strength and purpose to do so.

Part of my experience in growing up has included witnessing first-hand the devastating effects that can result from mental health struggles. I have seen the impact of these battles in the lives of my family but also in my personal experience. Despite these challenges, I have committed myself to resilience and making the most of my life regardless of these struggles. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depressive disorder in 2021. The road to recognizing the need for help and seeking it was a difficult one for me; I was well acquainted with symptoms of anxiety for my whole life and did not see it for what it was. Both of these disorders are hereditary in my family, but not well understood by me. Until I sought help, these disorders manifested in a variety of ways; excessive self criticism, difficulty with maintaining friendships, challenges in personal relationships, disinterest in my passions, self hatred, self-harm, little will to live, among other challenges. For instance, anxiety has pushed me to excessive productivity, even at the cost of not taking care of myself physically, while depression led me to doubt my achievements. I fought with my mother, I withdraw from my friends and hobbies. For a time, I struggled with self-harm. These challenges came to a head in 2020, when I found myself isolated in quarantine and with so much free time I had little distraction from my thoughts. It was at this time I felt that life was only a chore and had doubts I would ever truly be happy or feel differently. This is the time I recognized that I needed help. Confessing to my mother that I felt something was wrong with me was easily the hardest conversation of my life. It was though I was admitting a horrific flaw in me. However, I was met with kindness. She made an appointment to speak with my doctor regarding this and helped me tell my close family. I was diagnosed and prescribed Sertraline. I didn't opt for therapy, so instead I sought to deeper understand mental health. I learned about how to change thought patterns and I recognized what things triggered me to feel poorly and what helped me feel better. In other words, I learned about how my mind was working and how to redirect my thoughts to feel better. I found strength in my faith in God and encouragement with my best friend who related to my struggles. This was a difficult, non-linear process. It was challenging to see and acknowledge that something was wrong in me, and even harder to find the self-kindness and will to help myself. At times, it felt like nothing would work. But in the time of a few months, I began to see change. I remembered what it was to feel genuine happiness. I learned how to take care of myself, even if I was unmotivated to do so. I became kinder to myself. I repaired my relationship with my mother and became engaged in the world around me again. Eventually, I began to love my life and I am grateful for this daily. Since the time I initially sought help, I have made leaps and bounds in my mental health journey. I better understand myself and am committed to taking care of myself. To this day, I feel the effects of mental health; I sometimes catch myself slipping into unhealthy thought patterns, or panicking disproportionately. However, I have made notable progress. Today, though I still face challenges, I am committed to making the most of the life that I have. I take care of my mental health the best way I know how; through interpersonal connections, through my faith, through purpose in my work and in my talents. I still take medication. I treat myself with the most kindness I can find. In this, I've found myself to be deeply resilient. As a result of prioritizing my health, I have discovered new passions of mine. One of these includes my work in horticulture. Currently, I work at a landscaping company called Lowney's Landscaping Center Inc. I love my job for a variety of reasons - I get to be outside and working physically every day, which, simply put, is very fun, and even helps clear my mindset. In this, I found my dream, which is to pursue horticulture in my work. This shapes my educational goal of studying an associates degree in greenhouse operations at Fox Valley Technical college. By overcoming my struggles and prioritizing my health, I am deeply grateful to have developed a goal and dream for my future, which I never could have imagined a few short years ago.

I am Natalie Pearson, a high school student at Wisconsin Connections Academy in Appleton, Wisconsin. I am a senior and will be graduating in 2025. Currently, I work part-time and a landscaping company called Lowney's Landscaping Center, Inc. I have been working here since spring 2024 and, in that time, developed a passion for working outside with plants and became interested in pursuing horticulture. Prior to working at Lowney's, I worked at Subway for one year and at a berry farm, Porter's Patch, for 4 summers. At Lowney's I have found myself working a job that I love and intend to pursue as a full-time career after schooling. I am very interested in plants, working with my hands, communicating with customers and I appreciate seeing the results of my work in the world. Lowney's offers a variety of career advancement options. Currently, my position is a maintenance technician, meaning that I maintain landscapes through mowing, weeding, hedging, pruning and mulching in the summer. In the spring and fall months, I do cleanups and in the wintertime I help with snow removal and holiday lighting. In advancing my career, the next step would be a foreman. This would increase my responsibilities to directing crews, communicating with clients, applying pesticides and working with the lead foreman to coordinating schedules and labor. I am currently working with my employer to take this next step. To qualify for this position, a deeper knowledge of landscaping processes and plants is required, as is certification for commercial application. I am currently studying for my commercial applicator's license, so my next step is to gain an education in horticulture. My goal is to pursue an associate's degree in greenhouse operations at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. This degree would qualify me not only to become a foreman at my current job but for other positions as well, including lead foreman, landscaping salesperson, and greenhouse operator. This means that the degree would allow for many opportunities for advancement within the industry I'm interested in. Therefore, this is how I would utilize this scholarship in my studies. Pursuing this degree is important to me not only for the advancement of my career but also my knowledge. I am passionate about learning about horticulture and am very curious and eager to deepen my understanding of my work. I can use my knowledge to make a difference in my community by ensuring client satisfaction and developing my potential in the working world.

In broad terms, my goal is to live a happy life and one way I can do that is through work that is meaningful to me and to others. For me, these entails an emphasis on working outdoors and getting my hands dirty in the world around me. I fell in love with working in landscaping and to pursue my dream, I plan to attend technical college for horticulture. I want to attend school because its an effective way to gain practical knowledge both in the work I do now and within other careers I may wish to pursue in the future. Currently, I work as a maintenance technician at a landscaping company. My biggest goal now is to learn more. I am very curious about the details of my work and eager to learn skills that can make me more useful in my position. In order to gain knowledge and skills, I am currently studying to earn my commercial applicators license. I will also attend school to deepen my knowledge. The most important resource necessary for this is money. The specific program I am interested in is an associates degree for greenhouse operations at Fox Valley Technical College. This program has an estimated cost of approximately $10,600. To feasibly take on this cost, I am saving all the money I have earned from work with an exception of small expenses such as gas. I have worked part-time since the age of 12 and, starting in 2023, have worked full-time during the summer. Furthermore, I am applying for merit-based scholarships to assist with the cost and I plan to live at home while attending school in order to further save money. With these strategies, I feel confident that I can feasibly attend school to deepen my knowledge. My plan extends beyond attending school. After I graduate, I will use the skills I gained to grow in my position. With my education, I can confidently work as a foreman either in my company or in others, which involves greater responsibility in directing others and making decisions in how I complete my work. This is my next goal in my career which requires a higher level of competence. I can advance in my career beyond this, however; for instance, other possible positions I can reach with a degree include lead foreman, landscaping salesperson, or a greenhouse operator. These are all positions which deeply interest me and can be fulfilling to myself as well as being useful in the world around me. Therefore, I have a plan for which specific career I will pursue after graduation, however, the degree I will study would prepare me for a variety of related careers which fascinate me. This allows for adaptability in my career, ensuring that the resources I invest into my education are well spent. As for timing, I plan to attend school starting in fall 2025. I will attend school full time. My reasoning for this decision is that I will have graduated high school and have worked full-time in the summer months leading up to that time. Therefore, I will be financially prepared. I want to begin school promptly since I am confident that horticulture is the field I wish to work in. It is also a priority to attend school while I am still living at home and early in my career so I gain gain the maximum benefits from the time and money I invest in my education.