Well, I have a few teachers who have deeply influenced me, from middle school and high school. But a teacher who has significantly impacted me, inspired me, brought me joy, and deeply influenced me would be Ms. Annette. Our relationship all started on the day of my birthday. My mom came into the office with birthday cupcakes and she saw me pick them up past her office. One of my close friends would hang out in her office and already knew Ms. Annette, but I haven't met her yet. She came out and said "Who got birthday cupcakes" and saw it was me, she asked to have one and I said yes and ever since we have been stuck! In a good way. Ms. Annette was and still is a migrant education worker, she has four kids of her own and still plays a mom role in the school and the community. If we needed someone to vent to, someone to laugh with, somewhere to just kick it, if we needed food, she was there! Every time! Even outside of school, she was there. Man, and when I tell you she comes through and saves the day every time, in fact, she calls herself Wonder Woman, and indeed she is. She puts everyone before herself and is always there for every single one! It amazes me how much she radiates love, joy, and positivity. She is great at compartmentalizing, but no matter how hard life gets, she shows up with a smile on her face. Ms. Annette is my rainbows and cartoons and sunshine. She inspires me to love, to think positively, and to be radiant. She is one of my biggest role models in life and I thank God every day for blessing me with her. I am now a senior ready to graduate in May, year 2024. I met Ms. Annette in the 7th grade and who would've known that 6 years later she would be like a mom to me and me like a daughter. Throughout high school, she has been to several of my basketball games and always has been one of my biggest supporters. I have learned so many life lessons just from knowing this amazing lady and witnessing some years of her life. One life lesson would be, no matter how tough life can get, you don't let it knock you down, instead you fight back for all your loved ones, your ancestors and angels who paved the path, and most of all fight for you. At the end of the day, you are somebody's rainbows, sunshine, and cartoons and it starts with being your own.

Well, my name is Nyamach Mathot, I'm 17 years old and I attend school in Alaska. A little bit about myself requires some of my mom's life because that's a part of me as well. my mom migrated to North America from Africa in the 90's and had me and my 9 siblings. We used to live in the Midwest but my mom met my stepdad and moved to Alaska. Alaska is one of the places I consider home, I've been here for about 10 years now. Growing up in Alaska has played into my view of life. I have been very blessed to grow up in a beautiful place full of nature with beautiful people. This place I call home is what made me fall in love with God's creation. The people are awesome, I love how it is very diverse here for many reasons, but at the same time the people of this homeland are very beautiful and their culture as well. I'm learning more about the native culture and the different regions more and more and I'm so fascinated! These are the things that I am so passionate about, learning about people, observing people and meeting new people. My true heart desires to be a Christ-centered world changer all over the nations. I do care about people's justice, mental, and well-being. By doing this I would love to go to school for neuroscience/ psychology to learn more about the human brain! I'm so curious to learn how things and certain substances affect the human brain especially while developing! If I can get a better understanding of this I feel like I can work with others more and understand some people's internal conflicts. I just want to commit my life to serving others, radiating love positivity, and aid. This world lacks a lot of love and when I grow up I just want to be there for people who are mentally going through it struggling and financially struggling. But most of all above these things I want everyone to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel. If I win this scholarship it would be a great blessing. I am looking forward to putting this scholarship towards my education and desire to pursue the things I want to do in life helping others. Getting the chance to apply for this scholarship I am so grateful for and I would be so happy if I had the chance to win this as well.

An Ode to my generation. Where shall I start, does it start when I was born in 2006, or does it start when the class of 2024 first started school, or does it start when we used to play outside with our childhood friends and sit on the electric box, or does it start when we use to play outside until the street lights turned on, or does it start to when we use to listen to the sounds of the ice cream truck and try to find the ice cream man, or does it start to when we use to enjoy cable and cartoons, or does it start to when technology didn't completely take over society. A generation is lost and cries out every day due to the oppression of social media. It's not said, oh but you can for sure see the suffering through the lens of this generation. Behind every screen, there is a poor child uneducated, lied to, neglected, and misled, and when they go out on their own there is no one to lean on. Oh, my heart cries for my generation and generations to come. Why have we been exposed to such a thing? As years go by they think Evolutionary technology and Social Media are best for our minds, but only some of us can see through their white little lies. I'm whispering into the past, trying to reach the young version of myself. I'm warning you about the future, there is more to life than money, power, and control. Do not get caught up in this trap of social media and trying to be like the world, trying to impress everyone, lying for the benefit of you. I hope to see that bright innocent smile that would light up every time you received a dandelion crown, every time you received an ice cream bar, every time you would race down the streets with your friends, and whenever your favorite cartoon came on. Sweet innocent girl, I hope your tiny little mind is nurtured and protected, I hope that smile of yours stays authentic and genuine. It's a cruel world, but life is truly beautiful depending on the lens you look through. I pray oh I hope that you look through the lens of love, peace, justice, wisdom, and discernment, and don't look any other way. I advise you to stay on this view of the world. This world can be mean sometimes but do not fight with fire, instead kill it with kindness.