I’ve chosen to pursue higher education not only because I love to learn and experience new things, but because I will be given further opportunities to make a difference in both my local community and the world. I have been involved in Girl Scouts since I was 5 and it has been instrumental in developing my core value of service to others. It has also instilled in me an interest in advocacy, especially for people in under-served or marginalized communities. As a young Scout, my troop had the yearly tradition of visiting our local nursing home on Halloween. We would bring all of the supplies and carve pumpkins with the elderly residents. The residents were always so enthusiastic and it was very rewarding to be able to make them smile. Even at such a young age, I recognized how such small gestures could make a big impact. Another activity we engaged in was organizing donations for our local food pantry. Again, an effort so small as grabbing cans of vegetables from my kitchen helped a great deal. At Thanksgiving, our troop donated bags of groceries and it felt amazing to help provide a holiday meal to families in need. In sophomore year I became an independently registered scout or “Juliette” (named for the founder of the Girl Scouts organization) and began to engage in independent projects. This allowed me to experience first-hand how I could positively affect the lives of others. There is an organization in Kenya called the Pastoralist Children’s Foundation, which was founded by a woman in my town. PCF is geared toward promoting education and wellness for young women in that county. In 2021 I reached out to see if I might be able to partner up with them for an advocacy project. We came up with the idea of me setting up a booth at our local arts fair and collecting clothing and monetary donations to benefit the girls’ school that PCF runs. In parts of Kenya, many young women are still not afforded an education like their male peers, and the cultural tradition of female genital mutilation is still practiced among some tribes. I wanted to draw attention to these issues and encourage my peers and community members to take action to help stop these atrocities. Our campaign provided some money toward the purchase of a new school van, and several boxes of clothing and shoes for the girls. It felt so rewarding to receive the many photos of schoolgirls wearing the clothes that we sent over. All of these experiences have helped strengthen my goal to become an advocate against the disparities that women continue to suffer. I hope to major in psychology and minor in women and gender studies, and as the first in my family to pursue higher education I feel very blessed to be given this opportunity to make a difference.

My mom is one of the smartest people I know, yet she never had the chance to attend college. It’s her biggest regret in life and she’s always made sure I knew that. Whenever she would nag me to be on top of my studies, participate in extra-curriculars, and do volunteer work, she reminded me that this would be my ticket to a good college and stable career. She was dedicated to ensuring that I was blessed with the opportunity that neither she, nor my dad, was fortunate to have. Their constant encouragement and belief in my capabilities has helped give me the drive to accomplish my goal of attaining a masters degree in psychology, with a concentration on women’s mental health. I’ve chosen to pursue higher education not just to make my parents proud, but because I’ve come to believe that the college experience will serve to enrich my life as a whole. The people I know that have been blessed to attend college have a broader understanding of the world through things like study abroad programs, internships, and community outreach projects. I look forward to being given the opportunity to have these experiences as well, so that I can become a more well rounded person. I’ve been a Girl Scout since I was 5 and the experience has instilled in me a strong belief in the importance of giving back. As a troop, we did many service projects over the years like carving pumpkins with the elderly and collecting donations for the local food pantry. But the most rewarding project for me was an independent one that I did in sophomore year. There is an organization in Kenya called the Pastoralist Children’s Foundation and it focuses on providing schooling to young tribal women. In parts of that country, many girls are still not afforded an education like their male peers. I wanted to draw attention to these issues and encourage friends and community members to take action to help stop these atrocities. I reached out to the founder, who happens to live in my town, and we came up with the idea of me setting up a booth at our local arts fair and collecting clothing and monetary donations to benefit the school that PCF runs. It was a very successful campaign and so rewarding for me to see photos of the girls wearing the clothes and shoes that we sent over. These rewarding experiences have helped solidify my belief that it is the job of the people who have more, to help out the people who have less. At times I feel sad that my parents never had the chance to go to college, but I am confident that I can start a tradition of higher education for my family going forward. Then my mom, my dad, and I will all be able to share our pride in that.

I am a student who has long struggled with learning disabilities and I sometimes worry about succeeding in doing the classwork needed to obtain my college degree. However, when I find myself dwelling on these concerns, I remind myself of how far I’ve come. In the third grade I was identified as having ADD, anxiety, and auditory processing disorder and was given an IEP. For the next several years, I struggled a great deal in the classroom. I had trouble staying calm, paying attention, and processing information at the same level as my peers and this often affected my mental well-being. One of the ways it impacted me most was feeling “less than” the other students. Kids, especially in middle school, can be mean and cruel when they notice that someone is shy, unpopular, or different. But in time, and with much effort, I managed to find a core group of friends, many of whom suffered with learning disabilities as well. I was also very fortunate to have special education teachers and case workers who went above and beyond to teach me to be confident in my strengths. They encouraged me to advocate for myself when I required extra help, or clarification on my assignments. Initially I found the idea of sticking up for myself terrifying since I was so shy, but over the years I learned to take my teachers’ advice. Ultimately, I knew I had could succeed, it was just a matter of learning to push myself. By the 8th grade I was becoming more and more comfortable in school; I began speaking up when I needed extra time on tests, help taking notes, or a seat in the front of the class. By 10th grade I had finally made it to all inclusion classes—no more small-groups—and I felt so proud. I still have an IEP, but now, as a senior, I rarely use my accommodations. Likely because of my own experiences, I find the subject of psychology and mental health intriguing and I can’t wait to have a chance to explore these topics in a deeper way in college. One particular area that I’d like to concentrate on is women and gender studies. In my future career I hope to use my knowledge and experiences to help preserve the mental health of young women. I also feel that it would be very rewarding to work in women’s mental health advocacy, to further support and promote positive and equal opportunities for women across every demographic, but especially the underserved.

My mom is one of the smartest people I know, yet she never had the chance to attend college. This is her biggest regret in life and she has always made sure I knew that. Whenever she would nag me to be on top of my studies, participate in extra-curriculars, and do volunteer work, she reminded me that succeeding in these things would give me the best chance of getting into a good college. She insisted that a college education was one of the keys to a bright future and she really wanted me to have that opportunity. Her encouragement has helped give me the drive and ambition to accomplish my goal of someday getting a masters degree so I can work in the field of psychology, specifically concentrating on women’s mental health. I’ve chosen to pursue higher education not just to make my parents proud, but also because I love to learn. There are so many topics that interest me and I can’t wait to have a chance to explore them in a deeper way. Some of the areas I’d like to study are psychology, women and gender studies, public relations, and politics. I am especially interested in studying topics pertaining to the health and well being of young women, especially in regards to their mental health. I would also love to tie in advocacy work someday, to support and promote positive opportunities for women. In addition to having a rewarding career, I envision a future where I can continue doing volunteer and outreach work. Being a Girl Scout for the last 12 years, I’ve been exposed to the experience and importance of giving back to my community. This has been instrumental in developing my passion for service to others. It has also promoted my interest in advocacy, especially for women in under-served communities. I am hoping to go to a college where these values are front and center, so that I will be able to participate in community outreach as part of my studies. In my research of colleges, I’ve seen many that have programs where you can also do works of service in other countries. This is of great interest to me and I hope to be able to have that experience in college and beyond. Another thing that I envision for my future is giving the children I hope to have one day the opportunity to attend college as well. I imagine I will be like my mom and encourage (and maybe nag!) them to work hard, manage their time well, and strive to be a well-rounded students and citizens. It will make me feel very proud to be able to start a family tradition where a college education is indeed possible.

As the first in my family to pursue a college education, I sometimes worry about succeeding in doing the work needed to obtain my degree. However, when I have these concerns, I remind myself of how far I’ve come. In the third grade I was identified as having ADD and anxiety and given an IEP. For the next five years, I struggled a great deal with paying attention and processing information at the same level as my peers. I was very fortunate to have special education teachers that went above and beyond to teach me to be confident in my abilities, and to advocate for myself. This was difficult for me at first as I was a very shy child and I often felt embarrassed that I was “different”. But over the years I put a lot of effort into taking their advice because ultimately, I knew I had the ability to succeed. By the 7th grade I was becoming more and more comfortable and began speaking up when I needed a quiet room and extra time for tests, help taking notes, or a seat in the front of the class. By 10th grade I had finally made it to all inclusion classes, no more small-groups, and I was so proud. I still have an IEP, but now, as a senior, I hardly use my accommodations. I want to continue to push myself to prepare for the independence I need to attend college and have a rewarding career. The experience of struggling with learning disabilities has taught me that there’s nothing I can’t achieve if I demonstrate tenacity and ask for support when I need it. I’ve learned that developing strong relationships with my teachers and mentors goes a long way in helping me believe in myself. I’ve noticed that when a particular teacher gives me positive feedback, it builds me up and reminds me that I am worthy of the same level of eduction as my fellow students without learning disabilities. In the years since my diagnoses in third grade I have completed three independent Girl Scouts service projects, worked 2 summers as a camp counselor, been given a position as a Peer Leadership instructor, and made a member of the National Honor Society. These are things that, as a small child, I could never have imagined accomplishing. But now I know how strong I am, and that deep inside I have a grit and determination that will get me as far as I desire to go in life. And for this I am very grateful and proud.

I have been exposed to the experience of giving back to my community since I was 5. I have been involved in Girl Scouts for most of my life and this has been instrumental in developing my core value of service to others. It has also promoted an interest in advocacy, especially for women in under-served communities, and I hope to someday have the opportunity to pursue a career in this field. As a young Scout, my troop had the yearly tradition of visiting our local nursing home on Halloween. We would bring all of the supplies and carve pumpkins with the residents. They were always so enthusiastic and it was very rewarding to make them smile. Even at such a young age, I recognized how such small gestures could make a big impact. Another activity we did as a troop was organizing donations for our local food pantry. Again, an effort so small as grabbing cans of vegetables from my kitchen helped a great deal. At Thanksgiving, our troop donated bags of groceries and it felt amazing to help provide a special meal to families in need. When I started high school my troop-mates began to graduate and, as the youngest member, I would ultimately be left alone. After a lot of reflection, I decided to become an Individually Registered Member, or a “Juliette”, named for the founder of the Girl Scouts. In doing this, my safety net of having troop leaders to guide me was removed. However, it ended up being a blessing because I was forced to come up with my own ways to give back to my community. I did several outreach projects but there is one that I’m most proud of. There is an organization in Kenya called the Pastoralist Children’s Foundation, which was founded by a woman in my town. PCF is geared toward promoting education and wellness for young women in that area. In 2021 I reached out to see if I might be able to partner with them for my Advocacy Journey Award project. We came up with the idea of me setting up a booth at our local arts fair and collecting clothing and monetary donations to benefit the girls’ school that PCF runs. In parts of Kenya, many young women are still not afforded an education like their male peers, and the cultural tradition of female genital mutilation is still practiced among some tribes. I wanted to draw attention to these issues and encourage my peers and community members to take action to help stop these atrocities. These experiences have helped strengthen my goal to advocate against disparities that women still suffer. I hope to study psychology and women and gender studies, and as the first in my family to pursue higher education I feel blessed to have the opportunity to learn and grow in this area of study.

I have been exposed to the experience of giving back to my community since I was 5. I have been involved in Girl Scouts for most of my life and this has been instrumental in developing my core value of service to others. It has also promoted an interest in advocacy, especially for women in under-served communities, and I hope to someday have the opportunity to pursue a career in this field. As a young Scout, my troop had the yearly tradition of visiting our local nursing home on Halloween. We would bring all of the supplies and carve pumpkins with the residents. They were always so enthusiastic and it was very rewarding to make them smile. Even at such a young age, I recognized how such small gestures could make a big impact. Another activity we did as a troop was organizing donations for our local food pantry. Again, an effort so small as grabbing cans of vegetables from my kitchen helped a great deal. At Thanksgiving, our troop donated bags of groceries and it felt amazing to help provide a special meal to families in need. When I started high school my troop-mates began to graduate and, as the youngest member, I would ultimately be left alone. After a lot of reflection, I decided to become an Individually Registered Member, or a “Juliette”, named for the founder of the Girl Scouts. In doing this, my safety net of having troop leaders to guide me was removed. However, it ended up being a blessing because I was forced to come up with my own ways to give back to my community. I did several outreach projects but there is one that I’m most proud of. There is an organization in Kenya called the Pastoralist Children’s Foundation, which was founded by a woman in my town. PCF is geared toward promoting education and wellness for young women in that area. In 2021 I reached out to see if I might be able to partner with them for my Advocacy Journey Award project. We came up with the idea of me setting up a booth at our local arts fair and collecting clothing and monetary donations to benefit the girls’ school that PCF runs. In parts of Kenya, many young women are still not afforded an education like their male peers, and the cultural tradition of female genital mutilation is still practiced among some tribes. I wanted to draw attention to these issues and encourage my peers and community members to take action to help stop these atrocities. These experiences have helped strengthen my goal to advocate against disparities that women still suffer. I hope to study psychology and women and gender studies, and as the first in my family to pursue higher education I feel blessed to have the opportunity to learn and grow in this area of study.

My mom is one of the smartest people I know, yet she never had the opportunity to attend college. This is her biggest regret in life and she has always made sure I knew that. Whenever she would nag me to be on top of my school work and participate in volunteer work, she would remind me that these things would give me the best chance of getting into a good college. She was always reminding me that going to college would set me on the path to success and that she wanted to me to have opportunities she never had. I’ve chosen to pursue higher education not only to make my parents proud, but also because I love to learn. There are so many topics that interest me and I can’t wait to have a chance to explore them in a deeper way. Some of the areas I’m interested in studying are psychology, women and gender studies, public relations, and politics. I have been a Girl Scout since kindergarten and I am especially interested in topics that promote the health and well being of young women, especially in regards to their mental health. I would love to work in advocacy someday, to support and promote positive opportunities for women. I’ve also chosen to take the higher education path because I feel that, as a first generation student, I will be starting a tradition for the family that I hope to have some day. It would make me so happy and proud if I were able to accomplish that. I plan on giving it my all so I can show my children that, with lots of hard work and determination, they too can have a chance to pursue a college education. One of the ways in which I have been preparing to attend college is learning to advocate for myself in school. In the third grade I was identified as having ADD and anxiety and given an IEP. In those next few years, my special education teachers concentrated on teaching me to advocate for myself, especially when I was in the inclusion classes. This was very difficult at first because I was a very shy child and suffered teasing and embarrassment because I was “different”. I put a lot of effort into taking their advice because I knew I had the intellectual abilities to succeed. By the 7th grade I became more confident and comfortable in the classroom and would speak up when I needed extra time on tests, or help taking notes. In 10th grade I finally reached my goal of making it to all inclusion classes, but continued to utilize my IEP accommodations when I needed them. As a senior, I find myself using the accommodations less and less. I feel that I am truly prepared to become a more independent learner and I am so excited to prove to myself, and my mom, that I can succeed in college and beyond.