Two years ago, my traditional day was stripped away from me and I was met with a new normal. My freshman year of high school, I was played doubles on the tennis team. Every single day I would work out and run until my heart couldn’t handle it. I would go out with friends, and go tubing in the winter. During the summers, I would go to water parks and theme parks, and go on every ride. However, since then I was been diagnosed with scoliosis. This disease has threatened my limits, and stolen everything I ever knew. The normal way of exercising for me, was completely taken. I was met with extreme pain, and I often would cry myself to sleep out of the discomfort. My back felt like it was being constantly punched in a boxing ring, without a single break. I had to give up the sport I loved, and could no longer go tubing. Exercise was all I knew, and it was not an easy adjustment. I had to relearn how to use my own body, and find new limitations. Before my diagnosis, my biggest challenge was winning a match. Yet, now my biggest challenge is lifting a laundry basket. Every single week, I was at a different doctors appointment, but it didn’t seem to help. I knew I had to make a change to try and fight this. I started going to physical therapy, and worked out every single day trying to make my muscles combat my disease. Most of my exercises were as simple as throwing a ball for my dog, but for me it seemed like throwing a mountain. I worked on drinking enough water every single day, and changed my entire diet. I went from eating junk food to eating salads and fruit. Due to this change, I would myself getting stronger, but the pain still persisted. No matter the change, my body still benefited yet it fought my at every turn. I still cannot lift a laundry basket without struggling, but with my new healthy balanced diet and exercises I have a better chance to knock down my struggles. Scoliosis for me, made me have to take a step back and learn new ways to live. Yet, it also gave me a better chance to take care of myself. If it wasn’t for scoliosis, I would not have made the change to drinking more water and eating more fruit. I owe a thank you to my scoliosis, for teaching me better habits

Two years ago, my traditional day was stripped away from me and I was met with a new normal. My freshman year of high school, I was played doubles on the tennis team. Every single day I would work out and run until my heart couldn’t handle it. I would go out with friends, and go tubing in the winter. During the summers, I would go to water parks and theme parks, and go on every ride. However, since then I was been diagnosed with scoliosis. This disease has threatened my limits, and stolen everything I ever knew. The normal way of exercising for me, was completely taken. I was met with extreme pain, and I often would cry myself to sleep out of the discomfort. My back felt like it was being constantly punched in a boxing ring, without a single break. I had to give up the sport I loved, and could no longer go tubing. Exercise was all I knew, and it was not an easy adjustment. I had to relearn how to use my own body, and find new limitations. Before my diagnosis, my biggest challenge was winning a match. Yet, now my biggest challenge is lifting a laundry basket. Every single week, I was at a different doctors appointment, but it didn’t seem to help. I knew I had to make a change to try and fight this. I started going to physical therapy, and worked out every single day trying to make my muscles combat my disease. Most of my exercises were as simple as throwing a ball for my dog, but for me it seemed like throwing a mountain. I worked on drinking enough water every single day, and changed my entire diet. I went from eating junk food to eating salads and fruit. Due to this change, I would myself getting stronger, but the pain still persisted. No matter the change, my body still benefited yet it fought my at every turn. I still cannot lift a laundry basket without struggling, but with my new healthy balanced diet and exercises I have a better chance to knock down my struggles. Scoliosis for me, made me have to take a step back and learn new ways to live. Yet, it also gave me a better chance to take care of myself. If it wasn’t for scoliosis, I would not have made the change to drinking more water and eating more fruit. I owe a thank you to my scoliosis, for teaching me better habits

When I was younger, my parents got divorced and it was not a normal divorce. My mom was at work, and my sister and I remained at home with our dad. We thought it was a normal Monday, but then my relatives began to show up and removed everything from our house. This day was my dad's way of saying he wanted a divorce. I remember crying underneath the table and trying to comfort my little sister. It was difficult because she and I were so young that we did not understand what was happening. After a long day of the unknown, my mom came home to find our house broken and most importantly, two young girls left scared out of their minds. To go through the back and forth between the houses constantly. Unsure of where I am going to spend Thanksgiving every year. Exhausted and mentally drained due to continuous stress. This experience is a concept that I cannot fathom wishing upon any other human being. However, despite my experience, my mom proved to be one of my biggest role models in life. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. Succeeding her guidance, I arranged for a meeting with the Law Director of Barberton Lisa Miller. As a result of this meeting, I was able to witness a trial and speak with the Judge in his chambers. That day opened my eyes to pursue a degree in political science, and I wish to become a divorce or child custody lawyer. I have learned to be a resilient woman, who is not afraid to stand up for myself. After years, of feeling lost of hopeless, I have found great gratitude to be able to look back and thank my trauma for shaping me into someone who can not be broken or shaken. Not only, but I have also found myself able to overcome any challenges that I may face, and step into the future with courage and strength at my side. My mom, may seem like a traditional statement, but following my mom has been something I have always known. She has shown me how you can twist a terrible situation into a powerful force. She may be one person, but I project her wisdom into the world. Without her knowledge and influence, the world would be a darker place. Everything I have is due to her.

Lights. Camera. Action. Movies hold keys to worlds that we can escape to, when we least expect it. No matter the day, a great movie can ease the worst fears and pain of the world. The power that a movie holds has no limitations in the designations it may go. The movie that has impacted my life in a significant way is Disney’s Aladdin (2019). When I was younger, my parents got divorced and it was not a normal divorce. My mom was at work, and my sister and I remained at home with our dad. We thought it was a normal Monday, but then my relatives began to show up and removed everything from our house. This day was my dad's way of saying he wanted a divorce. I remember crying underneath the table and trying to comfort my little sister. It was difficult because she and I were so young that we did not understand what was happening. After a long day of the unknown, my mom came home to find our house broken and most importantly, two young girls left scared out of their minds. To go through the back and forth between the houses constantly. Unsure of where I am going to spend Thanksgiving every year. Exhausted and mentally drained due to continuous stress. This experience is a concept that I cannot fathom wishing upon any other human being. Despite my experience, this movie showed me that I don’t have to wait for my prince to arrive at my tower to save the day. Instead, I can become my own prince. In the orginal Aladdin, Jasmine is portrayed as a damsel in distress. Yet, in the new live action version she is shown as a powerful woman. By making this change in the script, it made a change in my own life movie. It showed me an example that I can stick up for myself, while not being afraid to speak my own mind. In the movie, Jasmine is often faced with feeling speechless. I am no stranger to this feeling, and by being a child of divorce this is very common to me. I am constantly feeling like I don’t have a say in anything. Although, by watching this movie I was shown that my voice is a power, not a shadow in the dark. I learned how to project myself with no regards to the constant fear of judgement. With the message of this movie, I was able to find my voice and put a stop to the constant silent echoes that wanted to come out.

When I was younger, my parents got divorced and it was not a normal divorce. My mom was at work, and my sister and I remained at home with our dad. We thought it was a normal Monday, but then my relatives began to show up and removed everything from our house. This day was my dad's way of saying he wanted a divorce. I remember crying underneath the table and trying to comfort my little sister. It was difficult because she and I were so young that we did not understand what was happening. After a long day of the unknown, my mom came home to find our house broken and most importantly, two young girls left scared out of their minds. To go through the back and forth between the houses constantly. Unsure of where I am going to spend Thanksgiving every year. Exhausted and mentally drained due to continuous stress. This experience is a concept that I cannot fathom wishing upon any other human being. However, despite my experience, my mom proved to be one of my biggest influences in life. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. Succeeding her guidance, I arranged for a meeting with the Law Director of Barberton Lisa Miller. As a result of this meeting, I was able to witness a trial and speak with the Judge in his chambers. That day opened my eyes to pursue a degree in political science, and I wish to become a divorce or child custody lawyer. I have learned to be a resilient woman, who is not afraid to stand up for myself. After years, of feeling lost of hopeless, I have found great gratitude to be able to look back and thank my trauma for shaping me into someone who can not be broken or shaken. Not only, but I have also found myself able to overcome any challenges that I may face, and step into the future with courage and strength at my side. With this degree, I can make sure that no child has to sit under a table and cry in fear of the future. I have the opportunity to study various aspects of the scientific field, which could provide me with a foundation for a law degree. Without a doubt, a degree in Political Science could open the door for me to protect other children from the rigors of divorce.

In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. When I was younger about 10 or 11, I helped volunteer at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization that helps with childhood cancer. I helped my mom and sister hand out t-shirts at a booth and raised money for sick children. This day was very rewarding to me, and I loved being able to help out with such a great cause. In the upcoming Fall semester, I will be attending Cleveland State University. I am majoring in political science, and will eventually gain my law degree. I wish to become a lawyer that deals with helping children’s custody, rights, and divorce among their parents. I come from a divorced household, and I have witnessed first hand what it can be like to be one of these people. The constant going back and forth between houses. Not knowing what where I will spend Thanksgiving each year. Being exhausted and mentally drained, because of the constant stress. I am very familiar with this feelings, which makes me more adamant for my mission to help others like me. One of the worst feelings in the world, is not having control. When you are a child of divorce, that word does not come up a lot. If I can provide an ounce of clarity for these kids, it will mean that everything I have gone through has meant something. I wish to continue to thrive in school, and get the best out of my education. Although, with being a child of divorce money is also an issue. My mom is a single mom, who has supported me my entire life. However with that being said, we have a household yearly income less than 30,000. Prices of college are only rising, which means I may not be able to achieve my dream without suffering financially. This scholarship will provide me with a great relief, so one day I can look back at my younger self smiling and say, “we survived.”

My name is Paige Lee Gehring, and I was born on March 12, 2005, and reside in Akron, Ohio. I am currently a senior at Green High School. In the fall of 2023, I will attend Cleveland State University. My major is political science. In the academic realm, I was awarded membership into The Green High School Academy of Scholars due to my grade point average being above 3.5. While taking high school classes, I am earning college credits from Stark State College. Currently, I have eleven credits with an a/b average. I was also a member of the school tennis team. In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. When I was younger about 10 or 11, I helped volunteer at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization that helps with childhood cancer. I helped my mom and sister hand out t-shirts at a booth and raised money for sick children. This day was very rewarding to me, and I loved being able to help out with such a great cause. One of my biggest influences in life has been my mom. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. Following her guidance, I arranged for a meeting with the Law Director of Barberton Lisa Miller. As a result of this meeting, I was able to witness a trial and speak with the Judge in his chambers. That day opened my eyes to pursue my goal of a law degree and working in government. I wish to become a divorce or child custody lawyer. I come from a divorced household, and I have witnessed first hand what it can be like to be one of these people. The constant going back and forth between houses. Not knowing what where I will spend Thanksgiving each year. Being exhausted and mentally drained, because of the constant stress. I am very familiar with this feelings, which makes me more adamant for my mission to help others like me. One of the worst feelings in the world, is not having control. When you are a child of divorce, that word does not come up a lot. If I can provide an ounce of clarity for these kids, it will mean that everything I have gone through has meant something. I wish to continue to thrive in school, and get the best out of my education. Although, with being a child of divorce money is also an issue. My mom is a single mom, who has supported me my entire life. However with that being said, we have a household yearly income less than 30,000. Prices of college are only rising, which means I may not be able to achieve my dream without suffering financially. This scholarship will provide me with a great relief, so one day I can look back at my younger self smiling and say, “we survived.”

When I was younger my parents got divorced and it was not a normal divorce. My mom was at work, and my sister and I remained at home with our dad. We thought it was a normal Monday, but then my relatives began to show up and removed everything from our house. This was my dad's way of saying he wanted a divorce. I remember crying underneath the table and trying to comfort my little sister. It was difficult because she and I were so young that we did not understand what was happening. After a long day of being lost, my mom came home to find our house broken and most importantly two young girls who were left scarred. After the divorce, my dad got remarried to a woman named Stephanie. She has three kids and they are currently married. Stephanie treats me like dirt. She once held a meeting at the restrained for a family dinner to tell me everything that she wanted me to change about myself, and everything she felt was wrong with me. I will In the upcoming Fall semester, I will be attending Cleveland State University. I am majoring in political science, and will eventually gain my law degree. I wish to become a lawyer that deals with helping children’s custody, rights, and divorce among their parents. I come from a divorced household, and I have witnessed first hand what it can be like to be one of these people. The constant going back and forth between houses. Not knowing what where I will spend Thanksgiving each year. Being exhausted and mentally drained, because of the constant stress. I am very familiar with this feelings, which makes me more adamant for my mission to help others like me. One of the worst feelings in the world, is not having control. When you are a child of divorce, that word does not come up a lot. If I can provide an ounce of clarity for these kids, it will mean that everything I have gone through has meant something. I wish to continue to thrive in school, and get the best out of my education. Although, with being a child of divorce money is also an issue. My mom is a single mom, who has supported me my entire life. However with that being said, we have a household yearly income less than 30,000. Prices of college are only rising, which means I may not be able to achieve my dream without suffering financially. This scholarship will provide me with a great relief, so one day I can look back at my younger self smiling and say, “we survived.”

A whole new world. You can escape from the world for just one minute. Every single worry and problem means nothing for just one second. The relief washes over your face, and your heart is content. A feeling that can only occur from a good book. Out of all of the books I have read, my most memorable one has been The Things I didn’t say in Therapy by Lauren Duane. This book encapsulates a wondrous poetry journey that takes the reader along a boat ride filled to the brim with abuse and love. Each word, each letter, tells a story that we all can connect to. Everyone has a unique perspective on the world as well as experience, and this book explores each every aspect of our lives. No matter who you are, this book is worth a read. The book entails a comfort through the various lines of poetry. Over half the world suffers with a mental illness, ranging from anxiety to depression there is an experience there. I am no expert, but by reading this book it can provide comfort to the words that we did or did not say. It shows an understanding and support that we are more than our experiences and self doubt. Without hesitation, this is an enjoyable read and overall excellent book. This is a book that I will keep forever, and I know if the rest of the world read it, they would feel the same. Similarly, I feel the book captures the essence of fresh air. We need to survive. Moreover, the book is something real. A lot of times in our current society it is hard to find what is true and fake. With various sources of social media including Facebook and Instagram, comes a large wave of falsehoods throughout media. We see supermodels and compare ourselves, but we do not recognize the false narrative. This book offers a nuanced expression on the world, with a meaning that the world is not happiness and puppies. The world is rather a messy place, and this book highlights that we can accept and appreciate the world around us. Without a doubt, I would express the need for the entire world to experience and embrace this beautiful piece of art.

In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. When I was younger about 10 or 11, I helped volunteer at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization that helps with childhood cancer. I helped my mom and sister hand out t-shirts at a booth and raised money for sick children. This day was very rewarding to me, and I loved being able to help out with such a great cause. In the upcoming Fall semester, I will be attending Cleveland State University. I am majoring in political science, and will eventually gain my law degree. I wish to become a lawyer that deals with helping children’s custody, rights, and divorce among their parents. I come from a divorced household, and I have witnessed first hand what it can be like to be one of these people. The constant going back and forth between houses. Not knowing what where I will spend Thanksgiving each year. Being exhausted and mentally drained, because of the constant stress. I am very familiar with this feelings, which makes me more adamant for my mission to help others like me. One of the worst feelings in the world, is not having control. When you are a child of divorce, that word does not come up a lot. If I can provide an ounce of clarity for these kids, it will mean that everything I have gone through has meant something. I wish to continue to thrive in school, and get the best out of my education. Although, with being a child of divorce money is also an issue. My mom is a single mom, who has supported me my entire life. However with that being said, we have a household yearly income less than 30,000. Prices of college are only rising, which means I may not be able to achieve my dream without suffering financially. This scholarship will provide me with a great relief, so one day I can look back at my younger self smiling and say, “we survived.”

Stop. Breathe. The room is closing in and there is nothing you can do about it. These emotions consist in my daily life, every single day. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't been simple. I went to counseling for several years from 2010-2020 for my anxiety. In counseling, I have worked endlessly to find new ways to cope with my overbearing mental illness. I have learned to describe rooms to help ease my anxiety when getting a shot. Not only that, I have overcome opening the door for the pizza delivery people. A lot of times when my anxiety occurs, it is over something so small. However, in the past, I have learned to cope and overcome new obstacles and challenges with my anxiety. Following, anxiety has run in my family for years and it helps me to know that I am not alone. My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all have anxiety. We often share coping tips and tricks to help us in our daily lives. Recently, my mom drowned in anxiety about her upcoming dental procedure, but I offered my assistance with past coping skills. I instructed my mom to describe the room around her, asking her to tell me the colors of objects such as the wall, asking for the texture, and the color amount. Once, my mom finished describing the room her anxiety was at ease because she was able to distract herself from her nervousness, which led her to be ready to conquer her dental appointment. For me, my anxiety has always been overthinking and analysis of everything I do. No matter what comes my way, I always find a way to generate, anxiety. For example, I was recently nervous about talking to my ecology teacher. I felt my teacher would judge me for asking for help on our mammal project. Deep down, I knew that my teacher was there to help me. However, my emotional side of anxiety reassured me that she would judge me. I spent the night constantly making up scenarios of what could occur with endless worry and fear. I thought to myself, "she'll think I'm incompetent," when in reality that wasn't the case. After spiraling the night before and accelerating myself up like a wind-up toy by filling my thoughts with negative energy, it ended up being no big deal. My teacher offered assistance to me and guided me through the assignment. In that case, I blew a simple situation way out of proportion and my anxiety took control of my life. As I continue to grow and learn, so does my anxiety. I have learned to accept that it will always be there for me like a shadow, even if I do not particularly enjoy it. Through talking with family members and counselors, I adapted to attain new coping skills to tackle my anxiety. I can proudly acclaim that my anxiety has faced a significant decrease, but I will always have setbacks. I may not fully admire having an anxiety disorder, but I have learned to accept it as a motivation to continue going on. Thus, ensuring myself that my anxiety may be difficult, but I am a strong woman who can overcome any challenge that may come my way.

In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. When I was younger about 10 or 11, I helped volunteer at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization that helps with childhood cancer. I helped my mom and sister hand out t-shirts at a booth and raised money for sick children. This day was very rewarding to me, and I loved being able to help out with such a great cause. Growing up my childhood was not the cliche Disney movie, but rather a challenge for my entire self. My parents got divorced when I was six years old, and my dad decided to completely take everything out of our house. All of our couches, food, pillows, and my innocence to the world. At six years old, I had to learn to fight and be bigger than myself. My mom is a single mom who does everything in her power to ensure my sister and I are financially stable. She provides food at the dinner table, and always makes sure we get the proper care. Through the years, she has made many sacrifices for us. Although, with being a single mom she did not face the same opportunities. She had to take less hours to provide for us, and take us to every single doctors and school function. During these years, she also went back to college to get her masters in the medical field. She is the most amazing woman in the world. In the Fall 2023 semester, I will be attending Cleveland State University and majoring in Political Science. College is an opportunity that I am fortunate to attend, but financially it is a challenge. With this scholarship it will provide me with better opportunities to learn and thrive in college. I will use the money to help with course materials including textbooks and supplies. Not only, the scholarship can aid me with the heavy tutti on costs, meal plans, as well as course costs. Undoubtably, I am thankful to have the opportunity to further my education.

Stop. Breathe. The room is closing in and there is nothing you can do about it. These emotions consist in my daily life, every single day. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't been simple. I went to counseling for several years from 2010-2020 for my anxiety. In counseling, I have worked endlessly to find new ways to cope with my overbearing mental illness. I have learned to describe rooms to help ease my anxiety when getting a shot. Not only that, I have overcome opening the door for the pizza delivery people. A lot of times when my anxiety occurs, it is over something so small. However, in the past, I have learned to cope and overcome new obstacles and challenges with my anxiety. Following, anxiety has run in my family for years and it helps me to know that I am not alone. My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all have anxiety. We often share coping tips and tricks to help us in our daily lives. Recently, my mom drowned in anxiety about her upcoming dental procedure, but I offered my assistance with past coping skills. I instructed my mom to describe the room around her, asking her to tell me the colors of objects such as the wall, asking for the texture, and the color amount. Once, my mom finished describing the room her anxiety was at ease because she was able to distract herself from her nervousness, which led her to be ready to conquer her dental appointment. For me, my anxiety has always been overthinking and analysis of everything I do. No matter what comes my way, I always find a way to generate, anxiety. For example, I was recently nervous about talking to my ecology teacher. I felt my teacher would judge me for asking for help on our mammal project. Deep down, I knew that my teacher was there to help me. However, my emotional side of anxiety reassured me that she would judge me. I spent the night constantly making up scenarios of what could occur with endless worry and fear. I thought to myself, "she'll think I'm incompetent," when in reality that wasn't the case. After spiraling the night before and accelerating myself up like a wind-up toy by filling my thoughts with negative energy, it ended up being no big deal. My teacher offered assistance to me and guided me through the assignment. In that case, I blew a simple situation way out of proportion and my anxiety took control of my life. As I continue to grow and learn, so does my anxiety. I have learned to accept that it will always be there for me like a shadow, even if I do not particularly enjoy it. Through talking with family members and counselors, I adapted to attain new coping skills to tackle my anxiety. I can proudly acclaim that my anxiety has faced a significant decrease, but I will always have setbacks. I may not fully admire having an anxiety disorder, but I have learned to accept it as a motivation to continue going on. Thus, ensuring myself that my anxiety may be difficult, but I am a strong woman who can overcome any challenge that may come my way.

Stop. Breathe. The room is closing in and there is nothing you can do about it. These emotions consist in my daily life, every single day. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't been simple. I went to counseling for several years from 2010-2020 for my anxiety. In counseling, I have worked endlessly to find new ways to cope with my overbearing mental illness. I have learned to describe rooms to help ease my anxiety when getting a shot. Not only that, I have overcome opening the door for the pizza delivery people. A lot of times when my anxiety occurs, it is over something so small. However, in the past, I have learned to cope and overcome new obstacles and challenges with my anxiety. Following, anxiety has run in my family for years and it helps me to know that I am not alone. My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all have anxiety. We often share coping tips and tricks to help us in our daily lives. Recently, my mom drowned in anxiety about her upcoming dental procedure, but I offered my assistance with past coping skills. I instructed my mom to describe the room around her, asking her to tell me the colors of objects such as the wall, asking for the texture, and the color amount. Once, my mom finished describing the room her anxiety was at ease because she was able to distract herself from her nervousness, which led her to be ready to conquer her dental appointment. For me, my anxiety has always been overthinking and analysis of everything I do. No matter what comes my way, I always find a way to generate, anxiety. For example, I was recently nervous about talking to my ecology teacher. I felt my teacher would judge me for asking for help on our mammal project. Deep down, I knew that my teacher was there to help me. However, my emotional side of anxiety reassured me that she would judge me. I spent the night constantly making up scenarios of what could occur with endless worry and fear. I thought to myself, "she'll think I'm incompetent," when in reality that wasn't the case. After spiraling the night before and accelerating myself up like a wind-up toy by filling my thoughts with negative energy, it ended up being no big deal. My teacher offered assistance to me and guided me through the assignment. In that case, I blew a simple situation way out of proportion and my anxiety took control of my life. As I continue to grow and learn, so does my anxiety. I have learned to accept that it will always be there for me like a shadow, even if I do not particularly enjoy it. Through talking with family members and counselors, I adapted to attain new coping skills to tackle my anxiety. I can proudly acclaim that my anxiety has faced a significant decrease, but I will always have setbacks. I may not fully admire having an anxiety disorder, but I have learned to accept it as a motivation to continue going on. Thus, ensuring myself that my anxiety may be difficult, but I am a strong woman who can overcome any challenge that may come my way.

What makes a woman? This question is often presented to all of us. As a society women are held as household objects, but in recent years women have become women. We showed others that being a women is being powerful, showing others who we are, and standing up for what is right. More importantly, showing that we are not a cleaning robot designed to clean and raise babies. Due to this, I believe feminism was born. Following, feminism is important to make sure women are not locked in cages by misogynistic minds. It contains the fight t support and lift up other women to succeed in all aspects of life. To not judge based on hair texture or body image, but rather what we can or have done. An inspiration to me is my mom, and she has greatly expanded my view on feminism. She has provided me with wisdom to work hard despite the challenges that women face. Not only, she has educated me about the issues in our society, and that I can be whoever I work to be. Every day she shows me her strength through being a single mom, while balancing work and raising two kids. I know it has not been easy doing everything for us, but I have witnessed her resilience through and through. I will continue to fight to work towards by goals no matter what obstacles and labels I may face. In my community, I am working to share the message of feminism by continue to achieve in school. I speak out in my debate class about abortion rights, while educating others about how important it is to protect the right to choose. I advocate to others about the issue as well in order to prevent ignorance of my fellow peers. Not only that, I work closely with a woman run dog rescue to help find lost pets and dogs. In this rescue, I have gained further guidance of how powerful and wonderful women can be. I have gained insight on people skills, and how to adapt to people who see me as less simply due to my gender. Feminism must be cherished and protected. We cannot allow society to fall down a deep spiral back into our own ways of objectifying women based on their gender. Every dollar a man makes, a woman makes a dollar. Every power a women contains, is solely up to to her.

Reduce. Recycle. Reuse. These common phrases occur on most trash cans that we pass by. However, the contents of these words are more than a sign we simply pass by, rather a philosophy. Each day I try to make responsible daily choices to protect the environment, however I am not perfect. I have found myself wasting loads of food over the past couple of years. I often go in search through my kitchen cupboards, while over making Mac n Cheese simply because I was over estimating my food consumption. This did not stop there. I continued to waste drinks, and take out the garbage at least once a day. Not only that, I go to Starbucks at least one every two weeks and those cups are not reusable. The plastic straw, lid, and cup are only going to end up in the ocean. I was not fully aware of this until I watched a documentary in my Current Issues Class at my High School. Here I saw the direct effects of my choices and saw the terrible impact we have as a society to our environment. Endless amounts of trash in our ocean opened my eyes that it was time to make a change. Now, I use reusable water bottles for all my drinks. Whenever, I go to Starbucks I clean and recycle the lid, straw, and lid, while transferring the drink to my water bottle. Each drink, I ensure that I drink every last bit of it in order to avoid waste. I have also kept track of how much I can eat and try to be mindful while creating portion sizes. By using this skill, I have found that I have wasted an significant less amount of trash. Following, in order to promote the reuse step of the cycle I use old fruits to fertilize my plants outside. I consume a lot of fruit, but sometimes it becomes rotten before I can finish it. Due to this, I looked up ways to reuse my fruit and to my advantage I discovered the wonders of fertilization of fruit. Although, my lifestyle does lack flaws and from time to time I waste. I am not proud of it, but the first step of change is to understand and recognize the problem. By finding this problem, I am able to find a solution. As I become more aware of my actions, I encourage others around me to follow in my footsteps to find my eco friendly ways.

Stop. Breathe. The room is closing in and there is nothing you can do about it. These emotions consist in my daily life, every single day. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't been simple. I went to counseling for several years from 2010-2020 for my anxiety. In counseling, I have worked endlessly to find new ways to cope with my overbearing mental illness. I have learned to describe rooms to help ease my anxiety when getting a shot. Not only that, I have overcome opening the door for the pizza delivery people. A lot of times when my anxiety occurs, it is over something so small. However, in the past, I have learned to cope and overcome new obstacles and challenges with my anxiety. Following, anxiety has run in my family for years and it helps me to know that I am not alone. My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all have anxiety. We often share coping tips and tricks to help us in our daily lives. Recently, my mom drowned in anxiety about her upcoming dental procedure, but I offered my assistance with past coping skills. I instructed my mom to describe the room around her, asking her to tell me the colors of objects such as the wall, asking for the texture, and the color amount. Once, my mom finished describing the room her anxiety was at ease because she was able to distract herself from her nervousness, which led her to be ready to conquer her dental appointment. For me, my anxiety has always been overthinking and analysis of everything I do. No matter what comes my way, I always find a way to generate, anxiety. For example, I was recently nervous about talking to my ecology teacher. I felt my teacher would judge me for asking for help on our mammal project. Deep down, I knew that my teacher was there to help me. However, my emotional side of anxiety reassured me that she would judge me. I spent the night constantly making up scenarios of what could occur with endless worry and fear. I thought to myself, "she'll think I'm incompetent," when in reality that wasn't the case. After spiraling the night before and accelerating myself up like a wind-up toy by filling my thoughts with negative energy, it ended up being no big deal. My teacher offered assistance to me and guided me through the assignment. In that case, I blew a simple situation way out of proportion and my anxiety took control of my life. As I continue to grow and learn, so does my anxiety. I have learned to accept that it will always be there for me like a shadow, even if I do not particularly enjoy it. Through talking with family members and counselors, I adapted to attain new coping skills to tackle my anxiety. I can proudly acclaim that my anxiety has faced a significant decrease, but I will always have setbacks. I may not fully admire having an anxiety disorder, but I have learned to accept it as a motivation to continue going on. Thus, ensuring myself that my anxiety may be difficult, but I am a strong woman who can overcome any challenge that may come my way.

Stop. Breathe. The room is closing in and there is nothing you can do about it. These emotions consist in my daily life, every single day. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't been simple. I went to counseling for several years from 2010-2020 for my anxiety. In counseling, I have worked endlessly to find new ways to cope with my overbearing mental illness. I have learned to describe rooms to help ease my anxiety when getting a shot. Not only that, I have overcome opening the door for the pizza delivery people. A lot of times when my anxiety occurs, it is over something so small. However, in the past, I have learned to cope and overcome new obstacles and challenges with my anxiety. Following, anxiety has run in my family for years and it helps me to know that I am not alone. My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all have anxiety. We often share coping tips and tricks to help us in our daily lives. Recently, my mom drowned in anxiety about her upcoming dental procedure, but I offered my assistance with past coping skills. I instructed my mom to describe the room around her, asking her to tell me the colors of objects such as the wall, asking for the texture, and the color amount. Once, my mom finished describing the room her anxiety was at ease because she was able to distract herself from her nervousness, which led her to be ready to conquer her dental appointment. For me, my anxiety has always been overthinking and analysis of everything I do. No matter what comes my way, I always find a way to generate, anxiety. For example, I was recently nervous about talking to my ecology teacher. I felt my teacher would judge me for asking for help on our mammal project. Deep down, I knew that my teacher was there to help me. However, my emotional side of anxiety reassured me that she would judge me. I spent the night constantly making up scenarios of what could occur with endless worry and fear. I thought to myself, "she'll think I'm incompetent," when in reality that wasn't the case. After spiraling the night before and accelerating myself up like a wind-up toy by filling my thoughts with negative energy, it ended up being no big deal. My teacher offered assistance to me and guided me through the assignment. In that case, I blew a simple situation way out of proportion and my anxiety took control of my life. As I continue to grow and learn, so does my anxiety. I have learned to accept that it will always be there for me like a shadow, even if I do not particularly enjoy it. Through talking with family members and counselors, I adapted to attain new coping skills to tackle my anxiety. I can proudly acclaim that my anxiety has faced a significant decrease, but I will always have setbacks. I may not fully admire having an anxiety disorder, but I have learned to accept it as a motivation to continue going on. Thus, ensuring myself that my anxiety may be difficult, but I am a strong woman who can overcome any challenge that may come my way.

My name is Paige Lee Gehring, and I was born on March 12, 2005, and reside in Akron, Ohio. I am currently a senior at Green High School. In the fall of 2023, I will attend Cleveland State University. My major is political science. In the academic realm, I was awarded membership into The Green High School Academy of Scholars due to my grade point average being above 3.5. While taking high school classes, I am earning college credits from Stark State College. Currently, I have eleven credits with an a/b average. I was also a member of the school tennis team. In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. When I was younger about 10 or 11, I helped volunteer at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization that helps with childhood cancer. I helped my mom and sister hand out t-shirts at a booth and raised money for sick children. This day was very rewarding to me, and I loved being able to help out with such a great cause. One of my biggest influences in life has been my mom. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. Following her guidance, I arranged for a meeting with the Law Director of Barberton Lisa Miller. As a result of this meeting, I was able to witness a trial and speak with the Judge in his chambers. That day opened my eyes to pursue my goal of a law degree and working in government. This scholarship will help pay for my political science degree at Cleveland State University. It will also help me pay for my books, meal plan, dorm, and other necessary supplies for class. My political science degree will be the foundation to be accepted into Cleveland State’s Law Program. With the law program, I will work to become a divorce attorney to help children who are like me who experienced the hardships of divorce. By having this background, I can better understand these children and make a difference in their lives. Overall, my main goal is to simply make an impact on the world, and this money can be a step towards that goal.

In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. With this background, I have a better understanding of what a community is. The sole foundation of a community is unity and having each other's backs when no one else does. Recently in my community of Green, Ohio, a bill was passed that allows the city to fine any house they see fit. The houses under this requirement can range from a dirty vehicle in the driveway or paint the City of Green doesn't particularly like. I signed my first petition at Green High School, and I got my first taste of being a community. I strongly align with the idea that being a community does not mean that everyone in it has to volunteer at an animal shelter or make a significant change by passing a bill. Rather, being a decent human being and overall being kind to your neighbors. It may be small, but kindness can go a long way. My neighbor, Laura is elderly and I make sure to check in and just say hi. Sometimes I bring over my dog Lola for her to pet, and to gain free dog therapy. She considers Lola to be her best friend, and my simply bringing her over makes a huge difference in her life. Once, she admitted to me that Lola helps her keep going. Also, my neighborhood has a Facebook site, where we connect with our fellow neighbors. The fact that we communicate and can get together is a huge part of what makes a community, a community. I see our neighbors inform others that they got one of their neighbors' packages and they returned it. Another action I love to see is when people in our neighborhood check on each other to make sure we are okay. The simple notion of having a platform to be involved in each other's lives is extremely important to the definition of a community. Each of us supports and truly cares for one another, and I would not dare to say that is not what a community is truly about.

Music motivates and drives my life. Whenever I feel hopeless or depressed, music is always there for me. The song with the most important message to me is Power by Katy Perry. Her lyrics about not being able to clip her wings or alter her power are something I relate to. When I was younger my parents got divorced and it was not a normal divorce. My mom was at work, and my sister and I remained at home with our dad. We thought it was a normal Monday, but then my relatives began to show up and removed everything from our house. This was my dad's way of saying he wanted a divorce. I remember crying underneath the table and trying to comfort my little sister. It was difficult because she and I were so young that we did not understand what was happening. After a long day of being lost, my mom came home to find our house broken and most importantly two young girls who were left scarred. After the divorce, my dad got remarried to a woman named Stephanie. She has three kids and they are currently married. Stephanie treats me like dirt. She once held a meeting at the restrained for a family dinner to tell me everything that she wanted me to change about myself, and everything she felt was wrong with me. Katy Perry's song is a message to me about all my struggles. Despite the actions of my dad and his current wife, I have found my power. Eventually, I was able to smile and say I would no longer be associating with his wife and her kids. At that moment, with the song's message, I was able to face the people who tried to destroy me and kept my power.

Stop. Breathe. The room is closing in and there is nothing you can do about it. These emotions consist in my daily life, every single day. I have dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't been simple. I went to counseling for several years from 2010-2020 for my anxiety. In counseling, I have worked endlessly to find new ways to cope with my overbearing mental illness. I have learned to describe rooms to help ease my anxiety when getting a shot. Not only that, I have overcome opening the door for the pizza delivery people. A lot of times when my anxiety occurs, it is over something so small. However, in the past, I have learned to cope and overcome new obstacles and challenges with my anxiety. Following, anxiety has run in my family for years and it helps me to know that I am not alone. My mom, dad, sister, and grandma all have anxiety. We often share coping tips and tricks to help us in our daily lives. Recently, my mom drowned in anxiety about her upcoming dental procedure, but I offered my assistance with past coping skills. I instructed my mom to describe the room around her, asking her to tell me the colors of objects such as the wall, asking for the texture, and the color amount. Once, my mom finished describing the room her anxiety was at ease because she was able to distract herself from her nervousness, which led her to be ready to conquer her dental appointment. For me, my anxiety has always been overthinking and analysis of everything I do. No matter what comes my way, I always find a way to generate, anxiety. For example, I was recently nervous about talking to my ecology teacher. I felt my teacher would judge me for asking for help on our mammal project. Deep down, I knew that my teacher was there to help me. However, my emotional side of anxiety reassured me that she would judge me. I spent the night constantly making up scenarios of what could occur with endless worry and fear. I thought to myself, "she'll think I'm incompetent," when in reality that wasn't the case. After spiraling the night before and accelerating myself up like a wind-up toy by filling my thoughts with negative energy, it ended up being no big deal. My teacher offered assistance to me and guided me through the assignment. In that case, I blew a simple situation way out of proportion and my anxiety took control of my life. As I continue to grow and learn, so does my anxiety. I have learned to accept that it will always be there for me like a shadow, even if I do not particularly enjoy it. Through talking with family members and counselors, I adapted to attain new coping skills to tackle my anxiety. I can proudly acclaim that my anxiety has faced a significant decrease, but I will always have setbacks. I may not fully admire having an anxiety disorder, but I have learned to accept it as a motivation to continue going on. Thus, ensuring myself that my anxiety may be difficult, but I am a strong woman who can overcome any challenge that may come my way.

To begin, I am very passionate about activism. In 2020, my eyes were opened to the world of politics following the 2020 election of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. I watched every single debate, press release, and rally. My support for immigrants, women, people of color, Native Americans, climate change, gun control, and infrastructure was represented by Biden. I volunteered my time with Moms Demand Action, which is an organization where moms and others advocate for gun control and more. This organization was introduced to me by my aunt Julie, and I helped call citizens of Florida to remind them about their voting poll location. Not only that, I am an advocate in my Current Issues class at Green High School. In this class, I debate various topics of dress code and religious freedom. Here, I have learned skills of communication to help amplify my activism talents. One of my biggest influences in life has been my mom. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. I know with her representation of resilience, I can overcome any obstacle that will come my way. For example, I struggle deeply with anxiety. This mental disorder has not been easy on me and often causes me to be afraid of tasks that may seem simple to others. For years, I was afraid of opening the door to pizza people, but with my mom's guidance, I was able to overcome my obstacle and finally open the door. By opening the door, I opened up a whole new world of reassurance that I can do anything that I set my mind to. In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. Following, when I was younger around 10 and 11, I volunteered at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization, which works with children's cancer patients. I helped my mom and sister raise money for the foundation by selling t-shirts at a booth. It was extremely rewarding to me, and I will never forget the feeling of being able to make a difference for such a wonderful cause.

Ashamed to show your skin. Worried about what will others think of your skin. This occurs to me daily. For three years now I have been diagnosed with eczema, keratosis pilaris, and psoriasis. These three conditions have been debilitating to my mental health and personal image. I try my best to hide these features about myself, and it wasn't easy to overcome this train of thought. Through the years, I have been to several dermatology appointments and each of them did not help improve my condition. Thus, making me want to hide my skin and refrain from embracing what was part of me. I knew that I had to change this continuous pattern of self-doubt, and not let it affect the person I am. As of today, I have learned to love myself despite how my scalp, legs, and hands look. I know that the scaly look between my knuckles does not define my self-image. Most importantly, I have learned to love myself, which was not easy. To face me and look in the mirror with my scalp feeling like garbage and saying you are more than your psoriasis, used to feel impossible. Now, I proudly embrace my skin, of course, I have setbacks and return to poor habits but with knowledge, I can overcome any obstacle. Moreover, I gained resilience and courage, and these skills have helped me in school and every day of my life. I used to be very shy and now I can speak freely in class and share my various opinions. Also, I can face situations that cause me an overbearing amount of anxiety, like getting a needle in my arm. In addition, with my autoimmune diseases, I found a way to find my inner strength. I learned that each day I feel hopeless that my eczema will not stop showing or hurting, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thus, finding that I needed to take a step back and be strong enough to realize that I can do everything in my power to help ease these conditions. I went to each doctor's appointment with an open mind, and eventually, I found a treatment that works for me. Also, I applied for my medicine each day and kept my head held high that I am strong enough to go through this. Most importantly, I have shown my strength by continuing to be proud of my skin condition. These situations used to seem impossible to fathom, but now they are a reality.

In our country, I wish to see free healthcare and climate change including a reduction in fossil fuel usage. I can act locally to achieve a reduction in fossil fuels by using reusable straws, and grocery bags, and turning off lights. At my high school, I am currently in a Current Issues course, where we discuss various issues including climate change. During our discussion, I advocated for my peers to consider educating themselves on climate change and fully understand the effects. I shared various companies that use eco-friendly structures like Starbucks switching over to paper straws and encouraged them to follow the steps by doing the same thing. Moreover, I advocate heavily for free healthcare. I encourage my peers to consider the benefits and effects of how free healthcare can impact our society. If we can obtain free healthcare, it will open access to treatment for individuals, access to emergency medicine, and more. This, effecting our society and local communities to be healthier because they'll have more resources. I can also start a petition to get rid of or lower the costs of healthcare. Most families cannot afford any source of healthcare, let alone a decent one. If we can lower the cost just a little, I believe it will impact our families in the community to be able to put that money elsewhere like college tuition. Not only, but I could also start a fund to help out families in need.

In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. With this background, I have a better understanding of what a community is. The sole foundation of a community is unity and having each other's backs when no one else does. Recently in my community of Green, Ohio, a bill was passed that allows the city to fine any house they see fit. The houses under this requirement can range from a dirty vehicle in the driveway or paint the City of Green doesn't particularly like. I signed my first petition at Green High School, and I got my first taste of being a community. I strongly align with the idea that being a community does not mean that everyone in it has to volunteer at an animal shelter or make a significant change by passing a bill. Rather, being a decent human being and overall being kind to your neighbors. It may be small, but kindness can go a long way. My neighbor, Laura is elderly and I make sure to check in and just say hi. Sometimes I bring over my dog Lola for her to pet, and to gain free dog therapy. She considers Lola to be her best friend, and my simply bringing her over makes a huge difference in her life. Once, she admitted to me that Lola helps her keep going. Also, my neighborhood has a Facebook site, where we connect with our fellow neighbors. The fact that we communicate and can get together is a huge part of what makes a community, a community. I see our neighbors inform others that they got one of their neighbors' packages and they returned it. Another action I love to see is when people in our neighborhood check on each other to make sure we are okay. The simple notion of having a platform to be involved in each other's lives is extremely important to the definition of a community. Each of us supports and truly cares for one another, and I would not dare to say that is not what a community is truly about.

My name is Paige Lee Gehring, and I was born on March 12, 2005, and reside in Akron, Ohio. I am currently a senior at Green High School. In the fall of 2023, I will attend Cleveland State University. My major is political science. In the academic realm, I was awarded membership into The Green High School Academy of Scholars due to my grade point average being above 3.5. While taking high school classes, I am earning college credits from Stark State College. Currently, I have eleven credits with an a/b average. I was also a member of the school tennis team. In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. When I was younger about 10 or 11, I helped volunteer at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization that helps with childhood cancer. I helped my mom and sister hand out t-shirts at a booth and raised money for sick children. This day was very rewarding to me, and I loved being able to help out with such a great cause. One of my biggest influences in life has been my mom. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. Following her guidance, I arranged for a meeting with the Law Director of Barberton Lisa Miller. As a result of this meeting, I was able to witness a trial and speak with the Judge in his chambers. That day opened my eyes to pursue my goal of a law degree and working in government. This scholarship will help pay for my political science degree at Cleveland State University. It will also help me pay for my books, meal plan, dorm, and other necessary supplies for class. My political science degree will be the foundation to be accepted into Cleveland State’s Law Program. With the law program, I will work to become a divorce attorney to help children who are like me who experienced the hardships of divorce. By having this background, I can better understand these children and make a difference in their lives. Overall, my main goal is to simply make an impact on the world, and this money can be a step towards that goal.

To begin, I am very passionate about activism. In 2020, my eyes were opened to the world of politics following the 2020 election of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. I watched every single debate, press release, and rally. My support for immigrants, women, people of color, Native Americans, climate change, gun control, and infrastructure was represented by Biden. I volunteered my time with Moms Demand Action, which is an organization where moms and others advocate for gun control and more. This organization was introduced to me by my aunt Julie, and I helped call citizens of Florida to remind them about their voting poll location. Not only that, I am an advocate in my Current Issues class at Green High School. In this class, I debate various topics of dress code and religious freedom. Here, I have learned skills of communication to help amplify my activism talents. One of my biggest influences in life has been my mom. Through her example, I have learned to set goals and overcome challenges. She achieved her goal of becoming a college graduate just recently. I know with her representation of resilience, I can overcome any obstacle that will come my way. For example, I struggle deeply with anxiety. This mental disorder has not been easy on me and often causes me to be afraid of tasks that may seem simple to others. For years, I was afraid of opening the door to pizza people, but with my mom's guidance, I was able to overcome my obstacle and finally open the door. By opening the door, I opened up a whole new world of reassurance that I can do anything that I set my mind to. In community service, I volunteer at Rubbercity Rescue. Our mission is to reunite lost dogs and cats with their families. I began with the rescue in 2020 and continue to the present. My love for animals inspired me to want to join and share their message. Rescuing an animal has taught me to empathize with people who are overcome with grief and fear. I have learned how to gain their trust that I will find their pet. Following, when I was younger around 10 and 11, I volunteered at Project Ed Bear. This is an organization, which works with children's cancer patients. I helped my mom and sister raise money for the foundation by selling t-shirts at a booth. It was extremely rewarding to me, and I will never forget the feeling of being able to make a difference for such a wonderful cause.