Moving across the entirety of the United States was no easy feat. It came with a tsunami of emotions: anxiety, doubt, despair. You name it, I've probably had to deal with it in the last year. The first time I stepped onto my new campus at WSU Tri-Cities (WSUTC) was for an on-campus job interview in July 2023. The Fall semester was coming quickly, and I needed to find a way to pay for books, transportation, and the higher cost of tuition that came with being an out-of-state student. Little did I know that the Student Union Building (SUB), our center for campus life where I was applying to work, would become my home away from home. At the SUB, I met my future bosses, who took a chance on an unfamiliar transfer student to lead their department in the approaching school year. They offered me a different position from what I initially applied for. I was to become an "Engagement Ambassador," a role designed to foster campus life and student organizations at WSUTC. They gave me an opportunity to make a difference for my fellow students. However, they became more than just my bosses-- they became my mentors. I often sought their advice, even outside of working hours. They taught me new skills and helped me discover aspects of myself that I hadn't realized before. They cultivated a loving and supportive team within our department, who always looked out for one another. They gave me a community at a time when I needed it most. They made me feel like I belonged. We had an amazing year and dramatically improved student turnout at the various events we hosted. They invited me to work with them once again in the upcoming 2024-25 school year. However, after getting to know my strengths and goals, they wanted to cater my job towards my future career. Once again, they presented me with an amazing opportunity. My goal is to become an analyst, a career path that aligns with my aptitude for data-driven decision-making and analytical thinking skills. Upon hearing this, they worked with me to create a unique job in our department. Most of my work will be in the background; working with the numbers and showing the positive benefits of our program and overall student engagement. I'll be analyzing how engagement affects a student's overall academic and career success, as well as overall graduation and retention rates of the campus-- and so far, our program has seemingly improved all of these areas! Although I still get homesick and miss my family and friends back home, I've been warmly welcomed into an amazing community here in the Tri-Cities. I've been presented with countless opportunities, and have connected with amazing people. It truly feels as though this is where I've always belonged.

In my journey to become financially literate, one profound money lesson stands out as a guiding principle that has significantly shaped my approach to personal finance: the importance of living below my means. This concept goes beyond just basic budgeting; it is a mindset that has empowered me to build a solid financial foundation, overcome economic hardships, and work towards my long-term financial goals even as a college student. Living below your means essentially involves spending less money than you earn. While this may sound simplistic, its implications are profound. It encourages a conscious and disciplined approach to every single purchase I make, including those $4 morning coffees. In a consumer-driven society that often glorifies thoughtless consumption, embracing this lesson has been a game-changer. One key aspect of living below my means is budgeting. Creating a realistic budget allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of my income, general expenses, and saving potential. By categorizing and prioritizing expenses, I could identify areas where I could cut back without compromising my overall quality of life. This process helped me control unnecessary spending and facilitated the allocation of funds toward my savings and investments. Living below my means has also served as a buffer against financial emergencies. Life is inherently unpredictable, and unexpected expenses can arise at any time. This is super important when you're already a broke college student. By maintaining a gap between my income and expenses, I was better equipped to handle some unforeseen challenges this past Fall, when my car needed to go in for repairs after breaking down. This method has provided peace of mind and a sense of control over my financial destiny and has decreased a lot of my anxiety over unexpected disasters. Another invaluable aspect of this lesson is its role in wealth accumulation. By consistently saving and investing my surplus income, I have benefitted from the power of compounding. Over time, this approach has allowed me to grow my wealth and work towards achieving significant financial milestones, such as: funding my education, retirement planning, and hopefully homeownership, one day. Living below my means has also cultivated a more healthy relationship with my money. It has shifted my focus from short-term gratification to long-term financial well-being. This mindset encourages delayed gratification, teaching me to prioritize needs over wants and to invest in experiences and assets that contribute to my long-term happiness and financial security. Of course, an occasional treat here or there is totally fine when I need it, and this method allows me to properly afford it. Furthermore, this lesson has empowered me to make intentional financial decisions aligned with my values and goals. Instead of succumbing to peer pressure to keep up with a certain "lifestyle," I've been able to define my financial path based on what truly matters to me. To sum it up, living below my means is the best advice I could give anybody who's stepping into the world of personal finance. This principle has not only provided a practical framework for managing my day-to-day finances but has also laid the groundwork for a secure and fulfilling financial future. By embracing this mindset, I've gained control over my financial destiny, fostered resilience in the face of uncertainties, and set the stage for a peaceful retirement someday.

I never quite grew out of the "why?" phase of my childhood. I started by asking things as any typical kid did: "Why is the sky blue?" "Why do I have to sleep?" "Why does the Tooth Fairy want my teeth?" Unfortunately for my parents and teachers, this curiosity never subsided, but is eventually what led to me pursuing my current degree. My fascination with math was always evident as I progressed through my K12 schooling. I was always a fan of logic-based puzzles and games, such as Sudoku or even chess. Math was just a new kind of puzzle for me, and as an avid fan of logic and problem-solving, I found myself quickly enthralled in the complex world of numbers and patterns. I was ready for a new challenge. I also love math because it is a universal language. It is independent of every other spoken or written language in the world. The only difference that you'll often encounter is specific forms of notation that differ between countries. However, regardless of geographic location, 1 plus 1 will always equal 2, and the sum of a triangle's angles will always equal 180 degrees. This is also why I believe it to be one of the most important things anyone can learn. Through standardized notations and symbols, scientists, engineers, and mathematicians can communicate with one another across cultural barriers, enabling cooperation and ingenuity on a global scale. The countless real-world applications to which math has contributed are also indispensable. Math provides us the tools to solve some of the most complex problems known to man, in every field of study. Whether it be economics, physics, or computer science, math has become an integral part of so much in our society. Math is the language of our natural universe. In order to understand and unmask the universe's many mysteries, you must understand math. Math connects our entire reality, undeniably making it one of the most crucial and fascinating disciplines in the world. My passion for learning math stems from the myriad of ways it affects all of our lives. As I study more about mathematics, I continue to be in awe of its power to explain the mechanisms of the galaxy and offer insightful answers to problems that, at first glance, appear to have little chance of ever being overcome. It pushes us to think creatively and approach challenges from numerous angles, resulting in novel ideas that can benefit society tremendously. I am motivated not only by a desire to comprehend its many intricacies but also by a desire to contribute to its continued evolution.

I love mathematics because it is the one language that everyone in the world can understand. It is independent of every other spoken or written language in the world, and the only difference that you'll often encounter is specific forms of notation. Regardless of geographic location, 1 plus 1 will always equal 2, and the sum of a triangle's angles will always equal 180 degrees. Through standardized notations and symbols, scientists, engineers, and mathematicians can communicate with one another across cultural barriers. This universal language enables cooperation and ingenuity on a global scale by simplifying communications. The visual side of math-- such as diagrams, graphs, and equations-- also aids teachers in transferring their knowledge and fostering intercultural understanding in the classroom, where they may not always speak the same language as their students. Oftentimes, the foreign students I met in school had difficulties with any subject except math. Not to mention that math-based puzzles and games, such as Sudoku or even chess, are another way in which people can connect through math. They engage individuals of various backgrounds in a logical challenge, creating a shared experience and respect for one another's intellect. Mathematics is the language that bridges our whole world, and I think that's pretty beautiful. It's just one of the many reasons I decided to major in it.

I never quite grew out of the "why?" phase of my childhood. I started by asking things as any typical kid did: "Why is the sky blue?" "Why do I have to sleep?" "Why does the Tooth Fairy want my teeth?" Unfortunately for my parents and teachers, this curiosity never subsided, but is eventually what led to me pursuing my current degree. As I progressed through my K12 schooling, my fascination with math was always evident. It was just a new kind of puzzle for me, and as an avid fan of logic and problem-solving: I was ready for the challenge. Math is the language of our natural universe, and to be able to understand and unmask its mysteries, you must understand math. Because of this, I found myself easily enthralled in the complex world of numbers and patterns. One of the key points in my life that led to me ultimately choosing math as my major was meeting one of my high school math teachers. I had him for Pre-Calculus in my sophomore year, and again for AP Calculus in my senior year. Prior to having him as my teacher, I had a handful of math teachers that sucked the life out of the subject for me. They focused on ramming formulas and equations into your head, never really caring to answer questions or facilitate real learning within their classrooms. It made me lose my spark for mathematics at the time. But that fire was reignited through his teaching. He made sure every student had a way of learning and understanding the material, and was always encouraging of every question asked, no matter how small. It's no secret as to why he was a student-favorite at the school, even for kids that didn't have him as their teacher. It was because of his encouraging nature and passion for the subject he taught that I found myself wanting to pursue my own path in the same world. I had contemplated my future major for an unthinkable amount of hours. It became evident through countless career examinations, self-reflections, and lots of talking with old teachers: Math was meant for me. Although my passions reached far and wide into various fields, they always traced themselves back to my love of mathematics.

Calculus is one of the most infamous branches of mathematics. High school and college students alike shudder at just the mention of it. However, despite its reputation as one of the most challenging topics in the math field, Calculus provided the framework for countless discoveries in all branches of STEM. Within science, calculus has been indispensable for understanding various systems and natural phenomena, one of which is the rate of change. The rate of change, or how quickly something changes over time, is a concept used in all fields of science. For example, in physics we measure speed, acceleration, and velocity; speed is the rate of change of distance, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity, and velocity is the rate of change of displacement. In biology, we use the same concepts of differential calculus to calculate things such as population growth or decay. It's even used in chemistry in the subfield of kinetics, the study of rates and changes within chemical reactions, where reaction rates and behaviors can be predicted using calculus. Within technology, calculus has helped improve machine learning and AI algorithms, furthered the field of robotics, and aided in the development of computer graphics and gaming-related technology. For instance, in order to train neural networks, methods such as gradient descent are used as optimization algorithms, and this method involves computing derivatives many times to minimize the "cost" function. Within the gaming tech world, something a bit more familiar to the average person, calculus is used to improve computer graphics and rendering processes, especially in 3D scenes. Concepts such as vectors or matrices are used to find the orientation of objects within a 3D landscape and calculate how things will interact with said object within the space. This is necessary for something such as lighting within a game, as developers are able to calculate the pathing of light rays around an environment, to create realistic shadows and reflections. This also applies to game physics, where differential equations are used to simulate realistic interactions of collision between terrain and objects, or how water will flow through the game's world through fluid dynamics. Even something such as "autopathing" or "automatic pathfinding" uses AI with calculus-based algorithms to determine optimal paths for non-playable characters (NPCs) and player-characters (PCs) alike. Within engineering, calculus can be utilized by all different types of engineers, from mechanical to civil. Mechanical engineers may use calculus to study the motion of their machines, analyze stress within their designs, and how to further optimize them. Electrical engineers might employ it to optimize power distribution and design efficient circuitry and communication systems. Even civil engineers use calculus, in order to determine structural integrity and stability or fluid flow within their projects. Despite calculus being one of the most notorious topics within mathematics, it has served as the basis for countless discoveries and enhancements within all branches of STEM. There is no secret to it being a formidable opponent for many students in the classroom, but its challenging nature is why I believe it has brought such immense value and innovation to the scientific and technological world. For those students that manage to conquer their battle against calculus, they now have a strong tool to aid them in contributing something wonderful to their field of study.

One of technology's most valuable aspects is its ability to bring people together and break down a multitude of barriers, whether they be accessibility, linguistic, or informational obstacles. Every day, the world becomes a smaller place thanks to a multitude of advancements made by geniuses within the field. One that I've found incredible in my lifetime is translation technology, allowing any two people who speak completely different languages to communicate somewhat effectively. Despite the many limitations and inaccuracies of this tech to date, there are still some amazing things that come out of its use, on both large and small scales. For my purposes, I'll be talking about how one of these translators, Google Translate, led me to one of my closest friendships with someone across the world. Before I committed my college studies to the world of science, I was an avid fan of creative writing in my younger days. I loved spending my days thinking up fantastical stories and plots. However, it can be hard for younger authors to do world-building, so it is fairly common to write stories within universes and worlds that are already created and have a big fanbase, often referred to as "fanfiction." There were numerous sites I used to read these kinds of stories, as well as showcase my own. Fanfiction is how I connected with this friend, who lived in Germany and mostly spoke German. We were the same age, and both enjoyed the same shows and books, that we would write stories about. With many of these sites introducing the concept of co-authors, where you could allow someone else to write the same story as you, we decided to write a story together. Although this proved to be a bit more difficult than we thought. She spoke English, albeit fairly "broken" English, and would often-times tell me that she would translate my sentences using the popular engine, "Google Translate," to get a better understanding of what I meant. And so, that's how we found ourselves communicating. I would text in English, her in German, and we would translate one another's messages. Despite the many awkwardly-worded and not-entirely-accurate translations, we found ourselves creating mystical characters and plots, that went on to entertain hundreds of people just like us. It was all thanks to the language translation tech available to us at the time, and it's extraordinary what it has become today.

I deserve this scholarship so I can pursue my education for only one more year, so I can then drop out exactly halfway through college. After becoming a college dropout, I will proceed to live out my real dream: being a hobbit in my mushroom-themed cottage, deep in the forest away from civilized society. My main career goal is to be the human embodiment of DoodleBob, that 2D drawing from Spongebob. The "Me hoy minoy" king, himself. Imagine the power that doodle held, the many answers of the universe hidden behind those eyes. I wish to be just like him one day. To overcome one of my greatest obstacles, I didn't! I simply gave up instead. You see, by doing this, it was no longer an obstacle that had to be overcome. The problem practically solved itself. If I'm honest, I'm surprised more people hadn't thought of it before. Not to toot my own horn, but I truly am a genius some days.

You know those signs and warning labels that make you question, "Who would need that?" Those signs make me more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room of rocking chairs. While many of us sit here and think "No one needs that," these signs exist because someone fell victim to it. On top of that, new ones are created on what is possibly a daily basis. What we consider "common sense" is becoming a lot less common at an alarming rate. Jokes aside, obviously many of these labels also exist because of the law, and to protect companies from lawsuits from their consumers. However, some of the situations listed on these labels are fairly specific. In other words, somebody found a new, incorrect use of a product to make these labels as long as a five-year-old's Christmas list. One of the most prominent warning labels that come to mind involves a can of pepper spray, such as the one I bought back in August. Pepper spray; that little can that you're supposed to spray onto the face of assailants? Who knew it would cause skin and eye irritation! Seriously, there was a warning label for this, as if that wasn't the main purpose of the spray. That aside, that sign alone was not what really made me question humankind's fate. I happened to have an acquaintance who also bought pepper spray relatively soon after me. They got the same brand, same packaging, etc; the only difference was the colors of our cans that we got.Mind you, we're college kids, so this is a fairly common item for many to have on their person. Nothing out of the ordinary there... Or so I thought. I wish I could explain how absolutely dumbfounded I was when they were calling me with a swollen eye and red hands. They had tested the product on themselves to see just how bad it hurt by spraying one of their hands and rubbing their eye to see how effective it really was. I'm not sure how they were somehow surprised by the painful outcome. This was something they could have found a YouTube video for, right? I can look up "pepper spray demonstration" in the search bar, and find thousands of videos on it. Why they felt compelled to do it themself is beyond my understanding, and likely always will be. And whilst I'm sure they learned their lesson and won't do it ever again, it's certainly an experience that makes me question the true intelligence of our species.

My friends are a second family. Although we're not blood relatives, they know me better than anyone, even myself sometimes. Friendship, to me, is my home away from home. Friendship means having someone there to make you smile at both the best and worst of times. Friendship means having trust in someone else through the brightest days and harshest storms. Friendship means having a safe space where I know I'm accepted for who I am, no matter my identity. Friendship means having the loyalty of those that support my ambitions and aspirations in life. These are just a handful of so many things that go into these deep, powerful relationships. To me, friendship is a priceless treasure that too many take advantage of. Nurturing and building these relationships can help us fulfill so much in life, and I truly believe that friendship is something that no person should go without.

Allotting time in my day to properly express my emotions is one of the best self-care practices I've implemented in my life. Something many of us have to deal with is bottling "inappropriate" emotions that we cannot display in our professional or educational environments. While there is nothing inappropriate about feeling angry or sad about a situation, we are often not allowed to express these emotions until we are in a private space. I found that throughout my educational career in grade school, however, I had never found a space or the time to properly let myself feel these emotions. This often led to breakdowns in the most inconvenient of times and led to many undesirable situations. I started with just five minutes to check in on myself and to acknowledge what I was feeling at any given moment. This made all the difference when I first added it to my routine. I also found that it became much easier to recognize and sympathize with others, as I was growing my emotional intelligence through this process as well. Thanks to this practice, I've become much more in tune with my emotional needs and wants as a result of this daily mindfulness.

The biggest asset to my growth mindset was one simple word. "Yet." As simple as it sounds, this one little word is one of the only tricks that work for me. I used to be a very self-critical person, who hated not understanding or doing something on my first attempt. I taught myself that if I couldn't do it right away, I would never be able to do it. My toxic, fixed mindset made me dislike anything outside of my comfort zone. It wasn't until my senior year of high school, in a class called "Teachers for Tomorrow," that I began to challenge my mindset to improve myself. At the time, I hadn't known what a growth or fixed mindset was, but that one simple lesson from my teacher would lead me down a bumpy path of self-improvement. By adding one simple word to my thoughts, thus began my journey. I can't do this... Yet. I can't play this... Yet. I don't get it... Yet. Suddenly, my self-deprecating thoughts became words of encouragement. I certainly don't have a perfect growth mindset, and I have my off-days, but that one "simple" word was so much more powerful than I could have ever imagined.

Patience isn't something I got from my momma. Over the years, I've had my fair share of confrontations and arguments, as have many others. I'll be one of the first to admit I'm a bit of a hothead, and if I'm passionate about something, that can only make things worse. However, as the old saying goes: "Good things come to those who wait." It was about October of last year when I realized that constantly being worked up about recent shortcomings in my academic and career goals was getting unhealthy for me. In other words, I was drinking from the poisoned chalice. I was always stressed or upset about a grade that was 2% too low, or a job application that had yet to be reviewed after a month. But I never stopped to appreciate the hard work I had been putting in all these years. Learning patience taught me to not obsess over results as much, and appreciate the hard work I put into it as well. As cliché as it may be, I was much happier when my vision wasn't blinded by my ceaseless search for achievements, and I could see how much I was improving and how productive I truly was. So why is patience important to me? Patience is important to me because it gives me peace of mind in my life. I don't beat myself up over every small failure, and instead learned to be happy with every little step I make along my way to success.

Don't be fooled by my indecision of my college major. To most people, this means that I have no idea what I want to do in life, which is true when it comes to my career path. However, whilst my future plans are incomplete, I do have some ideas. Education means a lot to me, and not only in the context of myself. Education is a valuable tool in our world, one that is a building block for the advancement of our society. During the pandemic, I was lucky that I had the time to reflect a bit on myself and what I wanted. Thus, I made the big step and became the first in my family to attend college, and hopefully the first to graduate as well. Whilst I took for granted my education in middle and high school, I've realized how truly lucky I am to have attended, as not every child around the world gets even an elementary-level education. One of my main goals during this time of reflection, I discovered, was to help prepare kids for their futures despite whatever physical, mental, or financial problems that may plague them. I have a dream to start my own drive or charity, whether it be for my local, national, or international community. It would provide essentials such as food and clothing for children, as well as supplies for schooling such as books and pencils. There would be scholarship opportunities for high school and undergraduate students, and even our website would provide resources to better write their essays for admissions and other scholarship opportunities. I’d also like for resources to be available to benefit the mental health of struggling students, as well, as stress levels for these age groups continue to rise as the years go on. Why is this all so important to me? Because all children deserve the chance at an insightful education. If I had been born in other parts of the world or a less fortunate financial situation, I wouldn't be writing this essay in my college dorm right now. I want that to change because there should be no barriers between education and those willing to learn.

"Heart" takes many different forms for many different people. To the Roosevelt Rough Riders and Garfield Bulldogs, their heart was basketball and state championships. My heart, however, isn't a passion for sports, but instead a passion for education, namely helping others pursue their educational goals. About two years ago now, it was late into my junior year, and I was stressing over colleges and what I wanted to do with life. It's a position that thousands of students find themselves in, when the realization that graduation is just around the corner sets in. Unfortunately for myself, and many fellow students, we are not given the guidance to find what we want to do for the years to come. This was especially true when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic that descended upon us at the time. Students were one of the last priorities of our country, which left many of us confused and worse off than before. Online schooling left us with little knowledge learned, on top of many of us not having readily available counseling resources that we needed to survive the year. However, being a part of such a mess for my last high school years helped me find my "heart." It has made me want to do better for future generations, so that they have access to the resources they need and the best education possible despite whatever circumstances presented. My current goals are to pursue my bachelor's degree in a math-related field, with a possible double major in education. I also plan to get certified in the state of Virginia to teach. It's my goal to not only fix the mistakes in our country's current education system, but I want to assist those in lower-income communities as well. I wish to do this through a food and/or clothing drive, making sure that the most basic needs of these children are met. It is my belief that all students deserve an equal opportunity to a happy life, and to an insightful education.

For context, I was a World War 2 history buff throughout middle school. I loved learning everything and anything I could about it, which was very abnormal for me, as history was never my forte otherwise. However, this avid interest stemmed from multiple historical fiction books that I read about the time period, particularly Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz. I enjoy many of Gratz's books to this day, but Prisoner B-3087 particularly stuck with me. Perhaps, one could argue, it was because my middle school actually received a visit from him when I attended (Yes, I did get my copy signed by him!). However, the real reason has to do with the material he wrote about. Prisoner B-3087 is a story based on Jack Gruener, a man who endured ten concentration camps over the course of six years as a young Jewish boy. Although the story was a bit heartwrenching for my younger self, I realized just how important it was for children my age to be exposed to these sorts of stories as I grew up. This story presented me with not only a new interest to study and explore but also taught middle-school me about discrimination and prejudice, something that is still rampant even 80 years later. Books such as this one are what opened my eyes to the bigger world around me, and have taught me about different cultures, and the hardships that they have had to face due to their differences. So, although this book was still classified as fiction, it became one of my favorites because of how it highlights the difficulties of people that are different from me and taught me how to be an ally for them.

I can still remember the first time I came home, with a report card full of A's and a smile on my face. It was sixth grade, and I finished up the year with good grades and high hopes for my future. I could be anything: a doctor, a lawyer, a detective, a scientist. I also remember the first time I got a B. B's aren't bad grades, per se, but I can still hear the disappointment and annoyance in my parents' voices. Even when I raised the grade, there was no acknowledgment, because it is what was expected of me. I was the over-achieving younger sibling and there was no appreciation for my hard work because it was what I had always done. So, my grades slipped. My A's became mostly B's. Then, came high school. Some of my B's turned into C's. To this day, I still don't fully understand why I let myself fall into those habits. Perhaps it was the teenage angst coursing through my veins that made me so academically apathetic. On another hand, maybe it was the lack of achievement I felt when I didn't so much as hear a "good job" from my parents back in middle school, especially when I was on track to attend college, something neither of them ever pursued nor my older brother. But something struck me back in September 2020: Hey, I'm a senior now. Although my middle school days seem like yesterday, I had somehow made it to my senior year of high school. Despite my apathy towards education the past few years prior, something snapped in me. The realization that I was going to be an adult, out on my own in the world, changed me in a way. The final piece fell into place when I understood that I still wanted to go to college. So that was it. I kicked my butt into gear, doing homework and projects like it was nobody's business. And you know what? I was proud of 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. That's what younger me had been lacking: self-appreciation. All those years, I worked hard to please others, but never did so for myself. I wanted to make my parents proud, but never did I work to make myself proud. After this past year, I'm confident in saying those words. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. I worked hard and it truly did pay off in the form of high grades, a high SAT score, and acceptances to every college I applied to. Currently, my dream job is to be a teacher, which is ironic considering some of my student records. I hope that the lessons I've learned from my student career can aid in my teaching career, helping students find their way when they've given up on trying. Students shouldn't be trying in school just to appease their parents, but because they want to learn and expand their knowledge of the world. I want to bring forth more scholars in the future generations, because every student is capable of something great.

This meme comes from before COVID-19 sent us into a different kind of lockdown. I made this last year, my junior year, for a student meme account I run. To me, this meme reminds me of a simpler time. One where school wasn't online, and we didn't have to worry about being 6 feet apart to protect one another. One where I didn't feel disconnected from my social life and had more than a handful of people I considered friends. However, this meme also reminds me of what is waiting at the end of all of this. Due to my senior status, I'll never experience the sound of a blaring alarm over the intercom for a practice drill again, but it's a motivating reminder of what we're aiming for: getting back to normal.

My all-time favorite movie will forever be Mulan. Growing up, I wasn't introduced to a lot of strong women role models. The only things I was taught to aspire for were getting a husband and raising a family, even if I didn't want that. Mulan was one of the strong role models that I, and many young girls, needed at critical points in our childhood. She taught us that, "Hey! You can do anything a man can," in a world where we're taught we can't. She broke through the glass ceiling, ignored gender roles, and changed what society deemed to be her purpose. It inspires me to do the same every day.

Prior to COVID-19, I was in my late junior year, stressing over colleges and my future. However, being an online student this year has opened my eyes to many things. For one, it showed how little funding our schools and education system really receive. Many schools had to commit to buying lower-quality items to assist with online teaching for the year. Secondly, it showed me how the school systems responded when it came to helping students, and how poor these attempts were. "Wellness days" aren't as helpful as schools would like to believe. Being a part of such a mess has helped me find direction in my life though. It inspires me to do better for future generations, so they have the resources they need and they get the best education possible. My goals now are to pursue my bachelor's degree in a STEM-related field, with a possible double major. I also plan to get certified in my state to teach. Over the span of my student career so far, I've pointed out flaws in our schools and now, it's my goal to fix those mistakes in the education system.

Self-love was something I didn't find until recently. Growing up, I was bullied for how I looked, which led to many issues arising in middle school. I was disinterested in school, my grades slipped, and I hated myself. It didn't help that I was still battling with who I was and whether I liked more than just boys. I was distrustful of anyone knowing who I really was deep down, and how I really felt from the day-to-day. I kept my friends away and anyone I thought I began to like more than that even further. My body was just an empty vessel that did its daily rounds, then shut down at night just to do it all over again the next day. I had no goals and no dreams. I saw no future for myself. Then came 2020; a year of confusion and struggle for many. It had ups and many, many downs. However, this past year was pivotal to my opinion of myself. At the beginning of the pandemic, I had surrounded myself with very toxic people who continually put me down. Within a couple of months, however, I realized that I was worth more. That they didn't deserve my presence if they only wanted to bring me down to build themselves up. I began reconnecting with many old friends; those that would support me daily and guide me through stressful times when I couldn't see straight. My aspirations in life became a bit clearer with all that time alone in my room to think. Getting a glimpse into how educators and school boards handled the new online learning system, I realized I wanted more. I wished to be on the other end to give insight into what students need at a time like this. To give my peers the support that we didn't get. Thus, I began exploring what options I would have as a future educator. For now, my goals consist of receiving my teacher certification in the state of Virginia and perhaps return to my high school to give the younger generations the support and understanding I didn't have when I attended. And with all of this clarity came what I had been lacking in middle school: acceptance and patience with myself. I realized that I didn't need to label how I felt immediately, that I'm still young, and allowed to explore my options and preferences. I turned eighteen only a month and a half ago, and I still have an entire life ahead of me. I'm ready to make my mark on the world.

My playlist is meant to explain my transition in mindset between middle and high school. It starts out with fairly sad songs that describe how I felt that I was at a low point in my life, before deciding I need to "Move Along" and make "The Climb" to happiness. The turning point is marked by Fun's "Carry On," and the remaining half of the playlist elaborates on how I learned to accept myself and love myself. Now, I'm at a point where I feel like I'm "On Top of the World," which is my song of inspiration.