Hello! My name is Penelope James Dower. My first name is after Penelope from the Odyssey, and my middle name is after my dad's best friend from childhood, who helped care for me when I was little. I'm 15 and I'm a triplet; my siblings are Henry and Matilda. They're both named after book characters as well. I'm currently a freshman at Vines High School in Plano, Texas. I'm also a Collin College freshman enrolled in a dual-credit program. My class is in the second year of participation since it's a really new program, so they treat us like guinea pigs, but it's still a fantastic opportunity! I'm part of the Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school, I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on helping Autistic children make friends and learn social skills. I love the kids I work with; everyone is the sweetest little kid, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help clean up. When I grow up, I hope to get a bachelor's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics from the University of North Texas, then I'll get into the master's degree program at Rice University and get a master's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics. I want to become a Bioinformatics Scientist. I know I'd be successful because I thrive in academic environments and always strive to learn as well as I can and get the most out of every opportunity. I'm especially passionate about epidemiology, the study of diseases and their effect on society. As a Bioinformatics Scientist, I would conduct research and make data sets, one step at a time, making breakthroughs in the healthcare field and raising the quality of life for millions. For the past two years, I have been living with chronic arthritis focused on my neck and shoulders, impacting some of my motor function and causing a lot of pain daily. I've recently found better ways to manage it, but I could enjoy my life more with better research. As someone who has struggled with chronic pain, research and testing are extremely important to me to get the best results for people who deserve relief and happiness.

Hello! My name is Penelope James Dower. My first name is after Penelope from the Odyssey, and my middle name is after my dad's best friend from childhood, who helped care for me when I was little. I'm 15 and I'm a triplet; my siblings are Henry and Matilda. They're both named after book characters as well. I'm currently a freshman at Vines High School in Plano, Texas. I'm also a Collin College freshman enrolled in a dual-credit program. My class is in the second year of participation since it's a really new program, so they treat us like guinea pigs, but it's still a fantastic opportunity! I'm part of the Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school, I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on helping Autistic children make friends and learn social skills. I love the kids I work with; everyone is the sweetest little kid, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help clean up. When I grow up, I hope to get a bachelor's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics from the University of North Texas, then I'll get into the master's degree program at Rice University and get a master's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics. I want to become a Bioinformatics Scientist. I know I'd be successful because I thrive in academic environments and always strive to learn as well as I can and get the most out of every opportunity. I'm especially passionate about epidemiology, the study of diseases and their effect on society. As a Bioinformatics Scientist, I would conduct research and make data sets, one step at a time, making breakthroughs in the healthcare field and raising the quality of life for millions. For the past two years, I have been living with chronic arthritis focused on my neck and shoulders, impacting some of my motor function and causing a lot of pain daily. I've recently found better ways to manage it, but I could enjoy my life more with better research. As someone who has struggled with chronic pain, research and testing are extremely important to me to get the best results for people who deserve relief and happiness.

Hello! My name is Penelope James Dower. My first name is after Penelope from the Odyssey, and my middle name is after my dad's best friend from childhood, who helped care for me when I was little. I'm 15 and I'm a triplet; my siblings are Henry and Matilda. They're both named after book characters as well. I'm currently a freshman at Vines High School in Plano, Texas. I'm also a Collin College freshman enrolled in a dual-credit program. My class is in the second year of participation since it's a really new program, so they treat us like guinea pigs, but it's still a fantastic opportunity! I'm part of the Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school, I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on helping Autistic children make friends and learn social skills. I love the kids I work with; everyone is the sweetest little kid, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help clean up. When I grow up, I hope to get a bachelor's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics from the University of North Texas, then I'll get into the master's degree program at Rice University and get a master's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics. I want to become a Bioinformatics Scientist. I know I'd be successful because I thrive in academic environments and always strive to learn as well as I can and get the most out of every opportunity. I'm especially passionate about epidemiology, the study of diseases and their effect on society. As a Bioinformatics Scientist, I would conduct research and make data sets, one step at a time, making breakthroughs in the healthcare field and raising the quality of life for millions. For the past two years, I have been living with chronic arthritis focused on my neck and shoulders, impacting some of my motor function and causing a lot of pain daily. I've recently found better ways to manage it, but I could enjoy my life more with better research. As someone who has struggled with chronic pain, research and testing are extremely important to me to get the best results for people who deserve relief and happiness.

Hello! My name is Penelope James Dower. My first name is after Penelope from the Odyssey, and my middle name is after my dad's best friend from childhood, who helped care for me when I was little. I'm 15 and I'm a triplet; my siblings are Henry and Matilda. They're both named after book characters as well. I'm currently a freshman at Vines High School in Plano, Texas. I'm also a Collin College freshman enrolled in a dual-credit program. My class is in the second year of participation since it's a really new program, so they treat us like guinea pigs, but it's still a fantastic opportunity! I'm part of the Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school, I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on helping Autistic children make friends and learn social skills. I love the kids I work with; everyone is the sweetest little kid, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help clean up. When I grow up, I hope to get a bachelor's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics from the University of North Texas, then I'll get into the master's degree program at Rice University and get a master's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics. I want to become a Bioinformatics Scientist. I know I'd be successful because I thrive in academic environments and always strive to learn as well as I can and get the most out of every opportunity. I'm especially passionate about epidemiology, the study of diseases and their effect on society. As a Bioinformatics Scientist, I would conduct research and make data sets, one step at a time, making breakthroughs in the healthcare field and raising the quality of life for millions. For the past two years, I have been living with chronic arthritis focused on my neck and shoulders, impacting some of my motor function and causing a lot of pain daily. I've recently found better ways to manage it, but I could enjoy my life more with better research. As someone who has struggled with chronic pain, research and testing are extremely important to me to get the best results for people who deserve relief and happiness.

Hello! My name is Penelope Dower. I'm named after Odysseus' wife from The Odyssey. Most of my family is named after literary figures. I'm currently a 9th grader at Vines High School, attending their Collegiate program partnered with Collin College, pursuing an associate's degree in science. I have a strong academic drive and genuine love of learning. My class is in the second year of participation since it's a really new program, so they treat us like guinea pigs, but it's still a fantastic opportunity! When I graduate, I hope to go to NYU and study biostatistics and applied data science. I'm part of the Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school, I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on creating a safe space for Autistic children to make friends and build social skills. I love the kids I work with; each one is completely unique, they're the sweetest little kids, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help with cleanup. I'm a triplet and I have two half-siblings. I have a big family: six siblings, four sisters, and two brothers. Surprisingly, I'm not Catholic. My mom is a complicated person. She has been diagnosed with a myriad of things, some of which unfounded/ misdiagnosed: Diabetes, Myasthenia Gravis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, ADHD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Explosive Personality Disorder, Chronic Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder. She is only medicated/ treated for Diabetes and ADHD. And she only "has" ADHD so she could get access to Adderall. Over time, she became more and more abusive and neglectful, even purposefully endangered my siblings. Over six or so months, she started leaving out medications like Adderall and Advil, "inadvertently" giving them to my sister (age 14), she became addicted, it impacted her physical and mental health, studies, and yet it took around eight months to separate the two. Luckily, I was able to personally speak to the judge deciding and the judge ruled that I would live with my dad full time, full custody, with zero contact from my mother (restraining order), along with my sister. However, my brothers have routine scheduled supervised visits with her.

Hello! My name is Penelope Dower. I’m a 9th grader, and I currently go to Vines High School in Plano, Texas. I am also a Jew. I don’t have a lot of Jewish friends that go to my school, and I noticed that there's not a lot of representation in my area or really in general for Jewish people in Texas. I researched a little but still felt stuck. What can I do to bring my community together? I attended an open Shabbat at a Rabbi's house, which I was invited to by a family friend, and I didn’t expect much. At dinner, I spoke to a few people and met someone who knew a few people who work for an organization called The Jewish Student Union. They shared my contact information with a few people and connected me with others from that community. I did a little research and found out that I could start a chapter of JSU at my school. I interviewed with one of the adults running the program. She liked me, and we started planning. I created a flyer and posted it around my school. I also started group chats and encouraged people to spread the word, and I asked the school's admin to make an announcement. Still, I didn’t expect many people to come. I was trying to stay realistic. Our first meeting was attended by 40 people! I never knew there were even that many Jews going to my school! I had never felt more connected with my community. I made so many friends that day and even learned a bit about different subtypes of Judaism I hadn't ever even heard about, and everyone shared their traditions. Next meeting, I hope to recruit even more people, better ice breakers, and bigger activities for everybody. I also hope to continue this organization next year, and hopefully even after I leave my current school.

Hello! My name is Penelope Dower. I'm named after Odysseus' wife from The Odyssey. Most of my family is named after literary figures. I'm currently a 9th grader at Vines High School, attending their Collegiate program partnered with Collin College, pursuing an associate's degree in science. I have a strong academic drive and genuine love of learning. My class is in the second year of participation since it's a really new program, so they treat us like guinea pigs, but it's still a fantastic opportunity! When I graduate, I hope to go to NYU and study biostatistics and applied data science. I'm part of the Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school, I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on creating a safe space for Autistic children to make friends and build social skills. I love the kids I work with; each one is completely unique, they're the sweetest little kids, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help with cleanup. I'm a triplet and I have two half-siblings. I have a big family: six siblings, four sisters, and two brothers. Surprisingly, I'm not Catholic. I feel a little weird applying for this scholarship, my situation is a little unique and though it does apply, I have a feeling that I'm not what you expect. See, I lost my mother, but she's still alive. I didn't lose her to death or addiction or prison. I lost her to the court. When I was 14, I begged my dad every chance I got to take full custody of me and take me away from my mom. My mom is a complicated person. She has been diagnosed with a myriad of things, some of which unfounded/ misdiagnosed: Diabetes, Myasthenia Gravis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, ADHD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Explosive Personality Disorder, Chronic Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder. She is only medicated/ treated for Diabetes and ADHD. And she only "has" ADHD so she could get access to Adderall. Over time, she became more and more abusive and neglectful, even purposefully endangered my siblings. Over six or so months, she started leaving out medications like Adderall and Advil, "inadvertently" giving them to my sister (age 14), she became addicted, it impacted her physical and mental health, studies, and yet it took around eight months to separate the two. Luckily, I was able to personally speak to the judge deciding and the judge ruled that I would live with my dad full time, full custody, with zero contact from my mother, along with my sister. However, my brothers have routine scheduled supervised visits with her. Though, I have lost a parent, I am happy to be away and safe. Now I have space and safety to heal from my experiences with my mother. It feels weird to say but I have never felt better since losing my mom. I feel more confident, happier in general, and free-er. I can sleep safely, no worries of her sneaking into my room in the middle of the night just to mess with me. I can eat safely, without her forcing food down my throat or guilt trip me. I am free.

Hello! My name is Penelope James Dower. My first name is after Penelope from the Odessey, and my middle name is after my dad's best friend from childhood who helped take care of me when I was little. I'm 15 and I'm a triplet; my siblings names are Henry and Matilda. They're both named after book characters as well. I'm currently a freshman at Vines High School in Plano, Texas. I'm also currently a freshman at Collin College, enrolled in a dual-credit program. My class is the second year ever to participate so they kind of treat us like guinea pigs, but it's a really awesome opportunity! I'm part of Vines Orchestra; I play second violin in their Philharmonic Orchestra. I really enjoy the sense of community in the orchestra room, the physical and mental benefits of playing an instrument, and the interesting music we get to learn and play. I'm currently applying to become a freshman representative in said orchestra. Outside of school I'm a consistent volunteer for The Friendship Circle of Dallas, an organization focused on helping Autistic children make friends and learn social skills. I love the kids I work with, each and every one is the sweetest little kid, and every smile means the world. Each time I come, I help set up, play with the kids, help manage any situation that may occur with one of the kids, supervise activities, and help clean up. When I grow up, I hope to get a bachelor's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics from the University of North Texas, then I'll get into the master's degree program at Rice University and get a master's degree in biostatistics and bioinformatics. I want to become a Bioinformatics Scientist. I know I'd be successful because I thrive in academic environments, and I always strive to learn as well as I can and get the most out of every opportunity. I'm especially passionate about epidemiology, the study of diseases and their effect on society. As a Bioinformatics Scientist I would conduct research and make data sets, one step at a time, making breakthroughs in healthcare field and raising the quality of life for millions. For the past two years, I have been living with chronic arthritis focused on my neck and shoulders, impacting some of my motor function and causing a lot of pain daily, I've recently found better ways to manage it but with better research, I could enjoy my life more. As someone who has struggled with chronic pain, through research and testing is extremely important to me in order to get the best results to the American people who deserve relief and happiness.