No one enjoys getting their period. But when it's no longer just once a month, it becomes a problem. When it becomes over a year straight, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is when the problems arise. Before I hit my teen years, I was constantly cramping and bleeding blood clots the size of my palm. My first step to try and get help was my normal pediatrician. Her weak solutions did nothing. It took over five months to get a new doctor. This new doctor kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal for girls my age even though it wasn’t. Finally, after two years of searching for help, we found a new doctor who seemed to care. She was able to provide me with the care that was needed. Despite the fact I had a good doctor, every remedy I was given was experimental. We never knew what would work. I became severely depressed and suicidal. I threatened to take a kitchen knife and cut out my uterus myself. Each day begins to feel the same when you are struggling to make it through. I am anemic and have long-term health issues because of the holes in knowledge of women's bodies. There is a big possibility of infertility for me. I am permanently damaged. Gaps in women's health research create problems for all women. These gaps not only impacted my physical health but it damaged my mental health. Having to stand up for myself against a broken system made me who I needed to be. Going through health issues at a young age put a fire in my soul. A fire to make a change. A fire to do better than what I was given. A fire to fill gaps and injustices for women's healthcare. A fire to not let my experience live on for others. No one should ever have to go through what I went through. No woman should be denied full care and compassion. I am stronger because of what other people thought was right for me. I understand what I need for myself when other people get it wrong. Most medicine focuses on the male body. Research was conducted on men for men. From the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to men. Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized a female as a mutilated male. So even when it comes down to being cared for, men come above women. In a male-dominated field, women's problems seem obsolete. My problems were dismissed by the medical community. The word “hysteria” originates from the Greek word for “uterus,” so it's no accident that our problems are undermined. Women are seen as more complicated than men in every way possible, making women's health feel like a mystery. I want to contribute to putting together the complex puzzle of what science got wrong about women and how to make it right. I have learned through experience. I had done research online to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but it didn't do much good. My body was an experiment to learn more. Wanting to go into a field that has caused me great disdain creates a lot of internal conflict. Why should I contribute to something that has led me astray? How can I fix something that for so long had been wrong? The science of humans is messy and complex, but receiving help shouldn't be. I want to fix what's broken.

Dd you know pandas can swim? No? Exactly. Well I did. Starting in second grade I was given an animal to research for an “essay” As any second grader would do I chose my favorite animal: pandas. I’d like to believe it was a good research essay but I seriously doubt it. As per the English curriculum I was given research projects to do each year and I continued to choose pandas for the next 3 years. Once middle school began we were given complete writing freedom. Now, I couldn't tell you what I wrote about, but I can tell you how exciting that freedom was. I had locked myself into a prison and one day I realized the door was wide open and I had been looking out an open door. I took harder classes to challenge myself. I chose AP chemistry to be my first challenge. I had zero study skills. I had never done a class that challenged me. With every lesson it felt like my brain was about to explode. From all of this I experienced a lot of growth. I learned new things, not just about chemistry, but myself. I am fascinated with how the human body functions. I primarily would like to research how women's bodies work. Research is about filling gaps, and women's health research has craters to fill. Because of “male-centric data” most health issues are being solved according to male bodies, not women. For the longest time women were unconsciously tested on. In the article Medical Exploitation of Black Women from the Equal Justice Initiative “James Marion Sims, a white doctor in Montgomery, Alabama, performed painful experiments without anesthesia on Lucy, an enslaved Black woman, while other doctors observed.” “Sims was celebrated for his medical achievements...” This is only one example of mistreatment and misrepresentation for women's health. I could go on about mistreatment of women “in the name of science” but not much can be truly learned from these horrors. Past research is still being used despite it being unethical and poorly documented. More research should be conducted for women's health. It should be done ethically and represent all women. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together.

Why is apathy the newest trend? Why does no one seem to care anymore? The huge lack of empathy in my generation is going to ruin the world. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together.

No one enjoys getting their period. But when it's no longer just once a month, it becomes a problem. When it becomes over a year straight, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is when the problems arise. Before I hit my teen years, I was constantly cramping and bleeding blood clots the size of my palm. My first step to try and get help was my normal pediatrician. Her weak solutions did nothing. It took over five months to get a new doctor. This new doctor kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal for girls my age even though it wasn’t. Finally, after two years of searching for help, we found a new doctor who seemed to care. She was able to provide me with the care that was needed. Despite the fact I had a good doctor, every remedy I was given was experimental. We never knew what would work. I became severely depressed and suicidal. I threatened to take a kitchen knife and cut out my uterus myself. Each day begins to feel the same when you are struggling to make it through. I am anemic and have long-term health issues because of the holes in knowledge of women's bodies. There is a big possibility of infertility for me. I am permanently damaged. Gaps in women's health research create problems for all women. These gaps not only impacted my physical health but it damaged my mental health. Having to stand up for myself against a broken system made me who I needed to be. Going through health issues at a young age put a fire in my soul. A fire to make a change. A fire to do better than what I was given. A fire to fill gaps and injustices for women's healthcare. A fire to not let my experience live on for others. No one should ever have to go through what I went through. No woman should be denied full care and compassion. I am stronger because of what other people thought was right for me. I understand what I need for myself when other people get it wrong. Most medicine focuses on the male body. Research was conducted on men for men. From the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to men. Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized a female as a mutilated male. So even when it comes down to being cared for, men come above women. In a male-dominated field, women's problems seem obsolete. My problems were dismissed by the medical community. The word “hysteria” originates from the Greek word for “uterus,” so it's no accident that our problems are undermined. Women are seen as more complicated than men in every way possible, making women's health feel like a mystery. I want to contribute to putting together the complex puzzle of what science got wrong about women and how to make it right. I have learned through experience. I had done research online to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but it didn't do much good. My body was an experiment to learn more. Wanting to go into a field that has caused me great disdain creates a lot of internal conflict. Why should I contribute to something that has led me astray? How can I fix something that for so long had been wrong? The science of humans is messy and complex, but receiving help shouldn't be. I want to fix what's broken.

Did you know pandas can swim? No? Exactly. Well I did. Starting in second grade I was given an animal to research for an “essay” As any second grader would do I chose my favorite animal: pandas. I’d like to believe it was a good research essay but I seriously doubt it. As per the English curriculum I was given research projects to do each year and I continued to choose pandas for the next 3 years. Once middle school began we were given complete writing freedom. Now, I couldn't tell you what I wrote about, but I can tell you how exciting that freedom was. I had locked myself into a prison and one day I realized the door was wide open and I had been looking out an open door. I took harder classes to challenge myself. I chose AP chemistry to be my first challenge. I had zero study skills. I had never done a class that challenged me. With every lesson it felt like my brain was about to explode. From all of this I experienced a lot of growth. I learned new things, not just about chemistry, but myself. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together. I am fascinated with how the human body functions. I primarily would like to research how women's bodies work. Research is about filling gaps, and women's health research has craters to fill. Because of “male-centric data” most health issues are being solved according to male bodies, not women. For the longest time women were unconsciously tested on. In the article Medical Exploitation of Black Women from the Equal Justice Initiative “James Marion Sims, a white doctor in Montgomery, Alabama, performed painful experiments without anesthesia on Lucy, an enslaved Black woman, while other doctors observed.” “Sims was celebrated for his medical achievements...” This is only one example of mistreatment and misrepresentation for women's health. I could go on about mistreatment of women “in the name of science” but not much can be truly learned from these horrors. Past research is still being used despite it being unethical and poorly documented. More research should be conducted for women's health. It should be done ethically and represent all women.

No one enjoys getting their period. But when it's no longer just once a month, it becomes a problem. When it becomes over a year straight, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is when the problems arise. Before I hit my teen years, I was constantly cramping and bleeding blood clots the size of my palm. My first step to try and get help was my normal pediatrician. Her weak solutions did nothing. It took over five months to get a new doctor. This new doctor kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal for girls my age even though it wasn’t. Finally, after two years of searching for help, we found a new doctor who seemed to care. She was able to provide me with the care that was needed. Despite the fact I had a good doctor, every remedy I was given was experimental. We never knew what would work. I became severely depressed and suicidal. I threatened to take a kitchen knife and cut out my uterus myself. Each day begins to feel the same when you are struggling to make it through. I am anemic and have long-term health issues because of the holes in knowledge of women's bodies. There is a big possibility of infertility for me. I am permanently damaged. Gaps in women's health research create problems for all women. These gaps not only impacted my physical health but it damaged my mental health. Having to stand up for myself against a broken system made me who I needed to be. Going through health issues at a young age put a fire in my soul. A fire to make a change. A fire to do better than what I was given. A fire to fill gaps and injustices for women's healthcare. A fire to not let my experience live on for others. No one should ever have to go through what I went through. No woman should be denied full care and compassion. I am stronger because of what other people thought was right for me. I understand what I need for myself when other people get it wrong. Most medicine focuses on the male body. Research was conducted on men for men. From the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to men. Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized a female as a mutilated male. So even when it comes down to being cared for, men come above women. In a male-dominated field, women's problems seem obsolete. My problems were dismissed by the medical community. The word “hysteria” originates from the Greek word for “uterus,” so it's no accident that our problems are undermined. Women are seen as more complicated than men in every way possible, making women's health feel like a mystery. I want to contribute to putting together the complex puzzle of what science got wrong about women and how to make it right. I have learned through experience. I had done research online to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but it didn't do much good. My body was an experiment to learn more. Wanting to go into a field that has caused me great disdain creates a lot of internal conflict. Why should I contribute to something that has led me astray? How can I fix something that for so long had been wrong? The science of humans is messy and complex, but receiving help shouldn't be. I want to fix what's broken.

No one enjoys getting their period. But when it's no longer just once a month, it becomes a problem. When it becomes over a year straight, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is when the problems arise. Before I hit my teen years, I was constantly cramping and bleeding blood clots the size of my palm. My first step to try and get help was my normal pediatrician. Her weak solutions did nothing. It took over five months to get a new doctor. This new doctor kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal for girls my age even though it wasn’t. Finally, after two years of searching for help, we found a new doctor who seemed to care. She was able to provide me with the care that was needed. Despite the fact I had a good doctor, every remedy I was given was experimental. We never knew what would work. I became severely depressed and suicidal. I threatened to take a kitchen knife and cut out my uterus myself. Each day begins to feel the same when you are struggling to make it through. I am anemic and have long-term health issues because of the holes in knowledge of women's bodies. There is a big possibility of infertility for me. I am permanently damaged. Gaps in women's health research create problems for all women. These gaps not only impacted my physical health but it damaged my mental health. Having to stand up for myself against a broken system made me who I needed to be. Going through health issues at a young age put a fire in my soul. A fire to make a change. A fire to do better than what I was given. A fire to fill gaps and injustices for women's healthcare. A fire to not let my experience live on for others. No one should ever have to go through what I went through. No woman should be denied full care and compassion. I am stronger because of what other people thought was right for me. I understand what I need for myself when other people get it wrong. Most medicine focuses on the male body. Research was conducted on men for men. From the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to men. Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized a female as a mutilated male. So even when it comes down to being cared for, men come above women. In a male-dominated field, women's problems seem obsolete. My problems were dismissed by the medical community. The word “hysteria” originates from the Greek word for “uterus,” so it's no accident that our problems are undermined. Women are seen as more complicated than men in every way possible, making women's health feel like a mystery. I want to contribute to putting together the complex puzzle of what science got wrong about women and how to make it right. I have learned through experience. I had done research online to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but it didn't do much good. My body was an experiment to learn more. Wanting to go into a field that has caused me great disdain creates a lot of internal conflict. Why should I contribute to something that has led me astray? How can I fix something that for so long had been wrong? The science of humans is messy and complex, but receiving help shouldn't be. I want to fix what's broken.

Why is apathy the newest trend? Why does no one seem to care anymore? The huge lack of empathy in my generation is going to ruin the world. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together.

No one enjoys getting their period. But when it's no longer just once a month, it becomes a problem. When it becomes over a year straight, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is when the problems arise. Before I hit my teen years, I was constantly cramping and bleeding blood clots the size of my palm. My first step to try and get help was my normal pediatrician. Her weak solutions did nothing. It took over five months to get a new doctor. This new doctor kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal for girls my age even though it wasn’t. Finally, after two years of searching for help, we found a new doctor who seemed to care. She was able to provide me with the care that was needed. Despite the fact I had a good doctor, every remedy I was given was experimental. We never knew what would work. I became severely depressed and suicidal. I threatened to take a kitchen knife and cut out my uterus myself. Each day begins to feel the same when you are struggling to make it through. I am anemic and have long-term health issues because of the holes in knowledge of women's bodies. There is a big possibility of infertility for me. I am permanently damaged. Gaps in women's health research create problems for all women. These gaps not only impacted my physical health but it damaged my mental health. Having to stand up for myself against a broken system made me who I needed to be. Going through health issues at a young age put a fire in my soul. A fire to make a change. A fire to do better than what I was given. A fire to fill gaps and injustices for women's healthcare. A fire to not let my experience live on for others. No one should ever have to go through what I went through. No woman should be denied full care and compassion. I am stronger because of what other people thought was right for me. I understand what I need for myself when other people get it wrong. Most medicine focuses on the male body. Research was conducted on men for men. From the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to men. Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized a female as a mutilated male. So even when it comes down to being cared for, men come above women. In a male-dominated field, women's problems seem obsolete. My problems were dismissed by the medical community. The word “hysteria” originates from the Greek word for “uterus,” so it's no accident that our problems are undermined. Women are seen as more complicated than men in every way possible, making women's health feel like a mystery. I want to contribute to putting together the complex puzzle of what science got wrong about women and how to make it right. I have learned through experience. I had done research online to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but it didn't do much good. My body was an experiment to learn more. Wanting to go into a field that has caused me great disdain creates a lot of internal conflict. Why should I contribute to something that has led me astray? How can I fix something that for so long had been wrong? The science of humans is messy and complex, but receiving help shouldn't be. I want to fix what's broken.

Why is apathy the newest trend? Why does no one seem to care anymore? The huge lack of empathy in my generation is going to ruin the world. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together.

No one enjoys getting their period. But when it's no longer just once a month, it becomes a problem. When it becomes over a year straight, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is when the problems arise. Before I hit my teen years, I was constantly cramping and bleeding blood clots the size of my palm. My first step to try and get help was my normal pediatrician. Her weak solutions did nothing. It took over five months to get a new doctor. This new doctor kept telling me that what I was experiencing was normal for girls my age even though it wasn’t. Finally, after two years of searching for help, we found a new doctor who seemed to care. She was able to provide me with the care that was needed. Despite the fact I had a good doctor, every remedy I was given was experimental. We never knew what would work. I became severely depressed and suicidal. I threatened to take a kitchen knife and cut out my uterus myself. Each day begins to feel the same when you are struggling to make it through. I am anemic and have long-term health issues because of the holes in knowledge of women's bodies. There is a big possibility of infertility for me. I am permanently damaged. Gaps in women's health research create problems for all women. These gaps not only impacted my physical health but it damaged my mental health. Having to stand up for myself against a broken system made me who I needed to be. Going through health issues at a young age put a fire in my soul. A fire to make a change. A fire to do better than what I was given. A fire to fill gaps and injustices for women's healthcare. A fire to not let my experience live on for others. No one should ever have to go through what I went through. No woman should be denied full care and compassion. I am stronger because of what other people thought was right for me. I understand what I need for myself when other people get it wrong. Most medicine focuses on the male body. Research was conducted on men for men. From the beginning of time women have been seen as inferior to men. Greek philosopher Aristotle characterized a female as a mutilated male. So even when it comes down to being cared for, men come above women. In a male-dominated field, women's problems seem obsolete. My problems were dismissed by the medical community. The word “hysteria” originates from the Greek word for “uterus,” so it's no accident that our problems are undermined. Women are seen as more complicated than men in every way possible, making women's health feel like a mystery. I want to contribute to putting together the complex puzzle of what science got wrong about women and how to make it right. I have learned through experience. I had done research online to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but it didn't do much good. My body was an experiment to learn more. Wanting to go into a field that has caused me great disdain creates a lot of internal conflict. Why should I contribute to something that has led me astray? How can I fix something that for so long had been wrong? The science of humans is messy and complex, but receiving help shouldn't be. I want to fix what's broken.

Why is apathy the newest trend? Why does no one seem to care anymore? The huge lack of empathy in my generation is going to ruin the world. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together.

Why is apathy the newest trend? Why does no one seem to care anymore? The huge lack of empathy in my generation is going to ruin the world. How many times have you heard the phrase “I don't care”. They don't care what they want for dinner or what they want to do with the day. Or when it comes to other people's problems. As I sit in my class writing my essay, I can count 9 people who are on their phones. Why? Because they don't care. That is about half of the class without a care in the world about much. How are these people going to succeed in the world? But it's not just about them. This is about me. I have had so many people listen but not care. Why even take the time to listen if you don't care. I grew up in a church with my mother as the pastor. I was always taught to “love thy neighbor”. It wasn't just a lesson from my mom but it was a lesson from a religious leader of sorts. As a kid I really enjoyed church, but as I got older, I began to question religion. Why should I worship a higher power? What makes God almighty and powerful? Why should I care? But I quickly began to realize, church wasn't about a higher power or just a single being being worshiped. It was about community. It was about love. Many churches take time to provide help to those who need it. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4. According to The Gazette editorial board “Religious institutions are adept at distributing food, shelter, clothing and vocational training along with treatment of mental health and addiction problems. They do this better than governments can.” I questioned the importance of believing in more. I questioned the good that community can bring. I don't attend church much anymore, but the lessons I gathered from almost every Sunday for my first 14 years of life have stuck with me for life. But the church didn't fully create my empathy. From a very young age I have been told I had a really big heart. I used to hate it, I used to wish I could get rid of it, but I have learned to love it. Having a big heart isn't just about feeling my feelings, but I am able to feel others' feelings. I am able to help people. Imagine living in a world where the phrase “how can I help you?” does not exist. Imagine walking into the doctors and they turn you away because they don't care. I want to care. I want to be able to help people. If the world is splitting at its seams, I want to be able to stitch it back together.

My school only has 5 classed a day, each class is 70 minuets. I spend 3 of those hours in the ceramics room, thats 1050 minuets a week. I am not going into the arts for my further education, but that class is where I truly feel safe. Ms. O is my ceramics teacher. I have taken a ceramics class at least once every year of high school. She has showed me how to love art, and find passion in the smaller things. Having a safe place in school is very impactful. Having a space to be me, to show joy, to cry, to escape or just to sit and do nothing is so important, Ms. O makes that space. Ms. O is a teacher who pushes me to do more. Ms.O sees where I can go further and she makes sure I get there. Even if I get mad at her for pushing me, she is persistent that I can achieve more. After 4 years of classes with her, she won't let me keep all of the pieces I make. She won't let me stay upset at mistakes, she teaches me how to keep moving. Even not art related she has helped me through hard times in my life. Struggling with an eating disorder, she made sure I ate. She checked in with me hourly when I was suicidal. She was here when my parents weren't. She was here when I needed her most. I am so grateful to have Ms.O as a support system in my life. Ms.O helped me grow my love for art. I am not going to peruse art, I am going into STEM. But, I will never leave art. I plan to find clubs or even come back to my school on breaks to continue creating. Creative freedom is where I thrive. In a world where freedom is slowing down, art is rebellion. Ms.O teaches us to stand up for what is right and how to stand up even through creativity. Art gives me a voice. I know so many people love their art teachers, but she is the most impactful teacher I have ever met. She pushes me, cares for me, she supports and she is here when no one else is. My completion of my high school education is because of her. Thank you Candace Ottaviano for everything you have done for me.