I love math because math is all around us every single day, even when you don't realize it. One of my favorite pastimes is art, and this is a great example of how math can be found everywhere. When working with clay, you have to have a correct ratio of water to clay, while drawing you use proportions and symmetry to keep drawings realistic, and while sculpting you need to keep your pieces balanced and make sure the weight of your sculptures is even to ensure they are steady and don't break. While these examples are very specific, math is also just an essential skill for day to day life. This is something I realized after taking a probability and statistics class. I have learned that math is used every day to make life easier. You use math daily to find the best deals on products, to identify when a graph is misleading, and to calculate how long it will take you to drive to your final destination, even playing video games on your phone uses math to operate the apps. Math is one of the most important subjects, and the world today would not be nearly as advanced as it is without it which is why I love math.

As a child, I was often considered weird, and excluded. My obsession with art wasn't something many kids could relate to, and it didn't help that I had a physical difference. My right eye was visibly larger than the other as a result of a Venal Lymphatic Malformation in the right side of my face and because of this, kids would often laugh or stare. I had several eye surgeries throughout elementary, middle school, and high school to try and fix the resulting problems. These surgeries caused black eyes and major swelling which also didn't help the teasing. With all of these struggles, I needed to find an outlet to express my emotions, so I did so through art. Ever since I was little, art has always been my biggest passion. One of my earliest memories is sitting with my older sister, painting sunsets with watercolor paint. Ever since then, everything I've done has been about art in one way or another. As a kid, I attended numerous art related summer camps, and was a part of the drawing club in both elementary and middle school, with some of my work even going on display at the South Florida Fair and other events. I was always so excited to attend high school and finally take some real art classes. While attending high school, I have taken ceramics and drawing classes throughout all four years, and as of this year, my senior year, I am the president of both the ceramics and drawing clubs at my school. I have participated in Chalk Block at ArtFest Fort Myers for the last two years, a public art festival where high school students "paint" a designated spot on the street with chalk I have also had three pieces of pottery put on display at the Future Of Art Gallery. One of my favorite things to draw now are self portraits that highlight my eye and the scars from surgeries. Through art, I have come to see it as a unique and beautiful thing about me. I would love to create a series of mixed media pieces featuring other individual's physical differences to hopefully make others feel better about themselves. Hating the way you look is something that no one should have to go through, so I want to create something that makes people see the beauty in their uniqueness. I would also like to become a successful artist and a role model for the youth of the future and to create a public children's art studio as a way for kids to express themselves and deal with the struggles and hardships of life. Art is not only a fun hobby, but it is a great coping skill that I believe every child should have adequate access to and I would love to be one to help provide it.

My mom has always been a hard worker, she went to college while raising three kids while I was a small child, worked the night shift throughout my childhood, and raised both my younger sister and I as a single mother. My mom wasn't always a single mom, as a small child I lived with both my mom and my dad until the age of 11. In the middle of my sixth grade school year, my dad got a job in Anchorage, Alaska. This job was only supposed to last a year, but my dad decided to stay and slowly stopped helping my mom and I slowly started to feel him distancing himself from us. This was an extremely drastic and difficult life change, but my mom was always there for me. The loss of my dad sent me into a deep depression which my mom helped me get through. As soon as she noticed I wasn't acting as myself, she took immediate action and signed me up for therapy, even though she was already struggling to pay bills and provide for our basic needs. It was important to her that I got the help I needed. Even though my dad's absence drastically changed her life as well as my own, she has gone out of her way to do whatever she can to make up for the missing parental figure. My mom has taken over the job of two parents and has done her best to pick up his slack and hide the fact that she is hurting too, even though I know doing the job of two parents, losing her husband, and seeing her children hurt is hurting her too. The added pressure would be enough for most people to give up, but my mom continues to show up and provide the best life for us that she possibly can and I find that extremely admirable. Losing my dad was obviously a big hit to my life, as I mentioned previously it sent me to a very dark place where I felt very alone and honestly quite hopeless, I am so thankful that my mom got me the help that I needed because I have learned healthy coping skills and have gained the tools and resources needed to help me feel better about my dad and my future. Every day, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have a mom like mine who has and will always be there for me and continue to support me. My mom has inspired me to work hard no matter the circumstances and to try to find the positive in any situation and I am so grateful to be able to call her my mom.

I love all of the characters from "The Office", but if I had to pick one character that resonated with me the most, I would have to choose Jim Halpert. Jim's character is a blend of all of the best qualities that you can find in a person, his wit, charm, and authenticity that I find extremely relatable. The way he carries himself in the office environment with a sense of humor and light heartedness is extremely admirable and If I were working in an office, I would want to emulate his silly charm. Jim's pranks on Dwight are always funny, giving the office a nice break from all the busy work, but are always light hearted and are never done with the intention of hurting anyone. This aspect of his personality has shown me that you can find humor in almost everything, even in the most boring places. Moreover, Jim's genuine and down to earth nature is something that really inspires me. Jim is someone who very obviously values relationships and will always be there for his friends and loved ones. This has inspired me to prioritize authenticity and kindness in my interactions with others, reinforcing the idea that humor doesn't always have to be used to bring others down, it can be used in ways to build connections and spread positivity. Both Jim and The Office in general have definitely had a big impact on my sense of humor and how I view workplace dynamics. The shows dry humor and awkward relationships between its characters has shown me to find and appreciate humor in subtle situations. The Office has also shown me that while working in an office might not be the most entertaining, that doesn't mean you can't make lifelong friends. In essence, The Office has shown me to find humor in everyday situations and has given me a different perspective on the normally hated, boring office work and the art of subtle humor.

Many of Billie Eilish's songs have a unique way of resonating with me, but three specific songs that hold a special significance in my heart are "Everything I Wanted", "When the Party's Over" and "Hostage". Everything I wanted is not only an amazing song, but the meaning behind it is beautiful. Billie sings about feeling overwhelmed by her success, and her struggle to find genuine happiness. While I might not be successful like Billie, her words reflect my fears of losing myself in the process of achieving my goals. Another song that resonates deeply with me is her song "When the Party's Over". This song helped me get through many hard times, especially after going through a recent breakup. Her raw, emotional lyrics about heartbreak and loneliness made me feel seen while I was struggling and needed it more than ever. Billie reminded me that it's okay to feel vulnerable and that expressing emotions is very human and nothing I should be ashamed of. Lastly, her song "Hostage" resonates with me because her lyrics manage to capture the intense emotions of love and possession. As mentioned before, I recently went through a tough breakup and her lyrics reflecting the want to hold someone so tightly it becomes suffocating is very relatable. She sings about the darker side of love and controlling relationships, something that not many artists can do respectfully. Billie Eilish will always be a very inspirational artist, and I hope she continues to release new music for a very long time.

Lebron James is one, if not THE most well-known basketball player of all time. As a big fan of Lebron James, my admiration for him comes from his overall greatness, in, and out of the court. Lebron James' journey from a high school player to an NBA legend is extremely inspirational, which is one of many reasons why Lebron is the greatest basketball player of all time. Lebrons versatility on the court is unmatched, standing at 6'9 and weighing 250 pounds, he has a unique combination of size, speed, and skill that makes him more than capable of playing multiple positions, which is something not many players can say. Whether he is playing as a forward or a guard, Lebrons' amazing capability to score, rebound, and assist makes him a threat to any team he plays against. Another reason why Lebron James is the greatest basketball player of all time is his leadership qualities. Throughout his career in the NBA, he has continuously demonstrated his ability to elevate his performance off his teammates. One example of this is during the 2016 NBA finals when he led the Cavaliers to a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit resulting in the Cavaliers winning the championships. His ability to lead his teammates is an amazing testament to his greatness. One final reason why Lebron is the greatest basketball player of all time is his impact outside of the basketball court. The Lebron James Family Foundation has provided several scholarships and opened the I PROMISE school, which offers support to at-risk children. His commitment to making a difference solidifies his title as the greatest basketball player of all time in my mind, and I don't think that anyone will change my mind anytime soon.

Growing up with a visible medical issue has been a defining aspect of my life, forming my experiences and perspectives in extreme ways. I was born with a venal lymphatic malformation in my brain and face, This malformation is characterized by abnormal development of the lymphatic system, with several abnormalities such as swollen lymph nodes and an excess of veins. Ever since I was litle, I knew that I looked a little different than the other students in my classes, students often asked me why my eyes were uneven or why one was bigger than the other, some kids were even mean to me about it, but I never really thought about it until fifth grade. In fifth grade I had an unusually large flare-up, my eye was extremely swollen and it hurt to even blink. That's when I had my first operation, I had small amounts of chemo injected into the swollen lymph nodes in my eye. This is when I started becoming insecure about my eyes, for two months, I was going to school with a black eye, and kids, sometimes even adults would stare or come up to me and ask intruding questions. Even though this surgery stopped the pain and made my eye less swollen, it didn't guarantee that I wouldn't have another flare-up. Luckily, I didn't have another flare-up until the summer of eighth grade. My eye became swollen again, causing constant headaches, and the unevenness of my eyes due to the swelling gave me double vision. When I saw my eye surgeon, he said that I would have to have another eye surgery. The Saturday before my first day of eighth grade I had my second eye surgery. This time I had an incision made, and one of the swollen lymph nodes taken out, as well as my orbital bone shaven down to make more room for future swelling. Going to school after this surgery was a very humbling experience, rumors were spread about me, and everywhere I went I got weird looks. My third surgery was during my last month of eighth grade. All of the swelling I had experienced around my eye had caused the orbital bone, and the bone in my nose to start to collapse, leaving my face very uneven. To try and fix this, I had an implant put underneath my eye to help lift it. After this surgery, my eyes were mostly even and I stopped having any issues up until the beginning of 2024. At the beginning of this year, I noticed a painful green spot on the skin around my eye, which turned out to be caused by another swollen lymph node. I will be getting a fourth surgery this October to remove it. Although I wish I did not have these issues, I have come to terms with the fact that it is something I will always have to deal with, and at the end of the day, all of the issues I have had in my eye, shaped the person I am today. I was taught to be humble and to not judge others' appearances, as you never know what they might be going through. I am also extremely grateful for my parents, who have been there for me along the way.