Throughout my faith journey, part of growing up in my church was serving our community. I grew up in McKinney, Texas, but the church that I attended was in Allen. Suncreek United Methodist church was my home away from home because of the fantastic people and atmosphere. In sixth grade, I joined Cantate, Suncreek’s youth choir, and stayed there until I graduated high school. Every summer Cantate went on a summer trip in early June where we sang at homeless shelters, nursing homes, and smaller churches. We also had other volunteering opportunities like helping package food at “feeding hungry children” and helping renovate churches affected by Hurricane Katrina. In addition to my volunteer experiences in my youth choir, I also volunteered at Malvern Elementary School and StoneBridge UMC. Malvern is a Title I school, which means that it has a concentrated amount of students struggling with poverty in attendance. While volunteering I helped distribute food to families in need of meals over the summer and did other miscellaneous jobs that needed to be done. While volunteering with the homeless and those struggling with poverty, I’ve started thinking of more affordable housing options. I’m a freshman at the University of Arkansas and I plan to major in Interior Design. Following graduation, I strive to work on more sustainable and affordable housing in the United States. The average rent cost in Arkansas is around nine hundred dollars. In 2020, there were approximately 582,000 homeless people in Arkansas out of a little more than 3 million people in total. That means that 19.4% of Arkansas residents are homeless. People are homeless due to a rise in the housing market to unaffordable levels. However, if architects thought creatively about how to design more affordable houses, we wouldn’t have a housing crisis in America. I’m a freshman attending the University of Arkansas where I will major in Interior Architecture. I strive to make affordable housing and innovate to make that possible. Architects have many options while designing the exterior and interior of houses. By designing houses that create the least amount of material waste possible builders could cut down on material costs. Less square footage and using that space efficiently would also make a house more cost-effective. Tiny homes for instance are cost-effective, energy efficient, and would allow for smaller plot sizes. This new fad became popular a couple of years ago because of its presence on HGTV shows and Youtube videos. These shows feature innovations in cabinetry, furniture, and finishes to use every inch of potential storage space. This is why I want to design tiny homes once I graduate college because I can make buying a house more attainable and allow for housing costs to decrease. Through designing tiny homes, my goal is to create more affordable housing that will aid those who could not afford to buy a house before.

Throughout high school, I have felt that I'm a leader in my class. I take every opportunity to help out when I can, and I enjoy helping people. I participate in a youth choir at my church that I've been in since my 6th-grade year. Personally, I've experienced a lot of change throughout the years that I would like to share with younger people, so they don't make my mistakes. The other day, one of my friends who is two years younger than me asked for my advice on how to act around her crush. I was happy that I could spread some of my knowledge on the subject of dating since I've dated a couple of guys the past few years. However, when she started describing him, he sounded very similar to someone I used to know. I advised her to stay away because he was the type of guy you should date if you wanted to be heartbroken. Turns out that the guy she had a crush on went to Juvie because he was bullying and beating up this kid. She told me about what happened and thanked me for telling her to keep her distance because if she hadn't maybe she would've been involved somehow. That's why I like to mentor people because I can help make a difference in someone's life with a simple conversation.

What's more magical than sitting down and being wrapped in the beautiful imagery of a good book? In my mind, there is nothing better than escaping down a rabbit hole of magic, romance, and fantasy that is thoughtfully displayed in a leather-bound book. The phrase, "Its Lev-O-sa, not Levio-SA," stated by Hermoine in the first Harry Potter book, is my favorite phrase of all time. Just the way that J.K. Rowling wrote it was perfectly able to be heard in the minds of thousands around the world. The Harry Potter series got me through a really tough time in my life and I owe any resemblance of happiness to this brilliant author. During my 8th grade year, I was being bullied by some mean girls who thought I was never going to amount to anything. However, through reading about Harry Potter's journey to becoming an amazing wizard, I knew that I could do whatever I set my mind to. From that moment on, I made a promise to myself that I would never give up. Fast forward to the present, I'm vice-president of my orchestra program, I have a loving boyfriend, and I will graduate and go to college to get a degree in Architecture. Those bullies never stood a chance because I was inspired by my favorite book of all time, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

In recent years, our most influential figures are celebrities. They show young impressionable minds how to dress, act, and live their lives. For example, Kylie Jenner is a social media influencer who unintentionally set off a trend of big hips and small waists. This trend made a huge impact on the style and body image of many young girls. If I had Kylie Jenner's fame I would use it for good rather than ruin the self-image of my fans. I would instead, spread a positive image, telling young girls to rock their curves and to be confident in themselves. Throughout my whole life, I've struggled with my body image, I've always thought that I was overweight, that I needed to lose weight in order to be pretty. My mind was changed when I saw other beauty bloggers who wore plus sizes and were proud of their curves. I believe that this world needs more positivity and less toxicity when it comes to body image and I would try my best to use everything in my power to spread the love.

Independence is a right that I believe everyone should have. What you do with that freedom, is up to you. Whether it's moving out of your parent's house after graduation, loving who you want to love, or pursuing an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime. For me, I seek independence in the way I spend my time and who I spend it with. Last year my parents and I had a disagreement about who I was dating. They consistently told me that he wasn't good enough for me and I shouldn't have a serious relationship in high school. This argument lasted for about 2 years until we eventually broke up. Obviously, the conversation got old really fast and I just wanted to have the freedom to love who I wanted to and live without my parents meddling. However, I realize that this is a first-world problem, but that means that many teenagers go through the same thing that I do. Throughout your teen years, you are constantly questioned as to what you are doing, who you are with, and where you're going. Independence to me means, being on your own and responsible for your own actions.

The sound of my alarm that rang marked the start of an amazing senior year. I got dressed in a look that made me feel confident and got in my car to drive myself to school for the first time. The minute I got into the school I realized that since it's my senior year, I could act with confidence. I made up my mind that I was going to do my best to make friends, get good grades, and pass my AP tests in the spring. To do that, I have to make sure I don't procrastinate and keep on top of my school work. My Back to School Bold Moment was when I walked into my orchestra class and noticed the younger cellists looking up to me while I sat down in 1st chair. This unique moment made me feel empowered and like I made a difference in someone's life; that to someone I was a role model or a figure that they could look to for advice. Since my epiphany, I've done my best to be a good student, friend, and role model for myself and others.

Cello