Earlier this school year I was asked to interpret my school's production of Seussical. It was going to be me and two other girls who were also seniors in ASL. However the other two had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. This almost left me to do Seussical by myself, but I was luckily able to convince my brother to help interpret as well. While this made it easier to practice at home together, my brother was a lot less experienced, as he is two years younger than me. This meant I had to help him gloss and figure out how to sign his parts, while also doing my own. This is without mentioning the fact that this is Seussical. Meaning singing, non-sense words, a fast pace, and a lot of characters (all these characters had to be split between two people). The only way to make this more of a challenge would be to have characters overlapping more than they already do, rap, and a song with an echo. Despite all this was it fun? Absolutely! And this is how I know that I'm going to enjoy being an interpreter one day. Even with all the challenges I still had a lot of fun, and I can't wait to do more interpreting like this. There was about 18 to 20 deaf (medically) and/or Deaf (cultural) people who came to watch, so I was a bit nervous. However they gave me such encouraging feedback that I'm more sure that an interpreting career is the path God intended for me. I'm excited to use my interpreting abilities to serve others in the future.

There's this beautiful thing we Catholics have called Adoration. Basically it's just you sitting in front of the blessed sacrament, and just spending time with Jesus in a beautiful quiet place. It's a wonderful time for self reflection and healing. I try to go once a week (key word try; life is busy and I'm human after all), since just sitting in Adoration can be such a healing experience, and has helped me through many stressful weeks. There's not just one specific point in my life that my faith in Jesus has helped me. How do you describe how oxygen has helped you in life? How your immune system has saved your life countless times? What about the millions of cells that make up your body and coordinate its functions? Jesus helping me, or anyone whether they always realize it or not, through life is just a basic, yet wonderful fact of life. But within this fact there is a beautiful divine depth. The more you ponder this depth, the more you realize the beauty of his love, and the more He'll lighten your life. My faith is constantly helping me to keep going, even when things look bad. If I trust in the Lord, and try my best, then somehow things will get better. I'm the kind of person you'd call an optimist, and this is due in a large part to my faith. I can be happy and optimistic in saddening times because I know that it's all part of God's plan. I know that He understands and knows everything I am going through, and that he genuinely cares. I know that someday all this suffering and pain will end, and everything will be perfectly as he intended. I know to some this sounds crazy, after all how can someone have so much faith in something that sounds so contradictory to the world? It seems impossible in our fallen imperfect world, but through God anything is possible. My faith isn't blind, but based upon the many small miracles in my life, and the many greater miracles throughout history. From Eucharistic miracles to the right song at the right time, God is not dead, he's truly alive and moving today. While it is impossible to ever fully repay what He has done for me (and everyone really), I can still try my best to show his love to others. Whether that be through my career, or through my every day actions, there are many opportunities to do so. Why don't you also try to do something extra kind for someone else tomorrow, create "holy moments" as Matthew Kelly calls these beautiful times of choosing God's will in his book of the same name. You might be surprised by the results.

The person who has given me more than I can ever repay is Jesus. I know it's a bit cliche, but it's also true. Of course my parents have given me so much and I am grateful for everything they have done for me, but Jesus literally died just so I could have a chance of eternal life with him, and so much more. There's not just one specific point in my life that he has helped me. How do you describe how oxygen helps you live? How do you explain how your immune system has saved your life countless times? Jesus helping me, or anyone whether they always realize it or not, through life is just a fact of life. But within this fact there is a beautiful divine depth. While I can never repay the Lord for everything he has blessed me with, I can still pay it forward by following his example. I can show his kindness to others. I can tell other people about what he has done for them, and how much he loves them, no matter what. And I can do countless other seemingly small things. One of the things Jesus calls us to do is to serve others, and that's what I plan to do with my career. I love learning languages; I have been blessed with not only the interest to learn different languages, but also the grace to pick up new languages relatively quickly. In the future I plan on becoming an interpreter. This career won't only let me use my language skills, but it will also allow me to serve others in their communication needs. An interpreter is merely the facilitator for conversation, and is only there to serve the communication needs of the people present. I can use these experiences not only to make a living, but also to show Christ's love to others, even if it's in some small ordinary seeming way. He has a way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. While it is impossible to ever fully repay what He has done for me (and everyone really), I can still try my best to show his love to others. Whether that be through my career, or through my every day actions, there are many opportunities to do so. Why don't you also try to do something extra kind for someone else tomorrow, create a "holy moment" as Matthew Kelly puts it in his book of the same name. You might be surprised by the results.

I love playing tennis, and I have been playing since 7th grade. But the thing about tennis is that only one person can win a tennis tournament (or one doubles team if it's a doubles bracket), which means everyone else loses. However playing a sport isn't just about winning or losing, it's about having fun and learning something from it. My tennis coach is always reminding us that tennis is a mental sport as much as it is a physical one. It takes a lot of control and focus to track and hit the ball to where you want it to go. If you get too confident when you're up, then you'll stop taking the match as seriously and not give it your all, possibly costing you the match. If you're too hard on yourself when you're down, then you're not going to play your best and you're only going to end up more upset with yourself. The trick is to get out of your head and focus on the match. Despite losing more matches than I win, I haven't let that discourage me too much. When I'm down that only makes me more determined to enjoy the match. I've come to realize that you only truly lose if you let your opponent get in your head and you don't enjoy the game. Thus I put on a smile of genuine friendliness, and act as if I can hardly tell I'm losing. Sometimes it upsets my opponents and causes them to make mistakes. Sometimes it confuses them. But most of the time it makes the match more enjoyable for the both of us (or the four of us if it's doubles). Almost all the girls on my team have told me that I'm really fun to play against after a challenge match, and so have some of my opponents in tournaments. Most of the time this compliment comes after I lose the match, but it reminds me that even when I lose when I desperately want to win, the most important part is having fun. It's nice to see that my determination to continue playing my best until the end can brighten someone else's day with a fun game, and reminder of why we enjoy this sport. Who knows, maybe they need it more than I do. Through these experiences tennis has taught me to stay positive, even when things look bad, and has given me training in not being too hard on myself, even when I'm double bageled (0-6, 0-6). I'm not going to be perfectly successful in every endeavor, and it's not the end of the world. As long as I try my best and don't beat myself up about it too much things will work out. I could eek out a win from an almost certain loss (I've done it before in a tennis match, and I've almost done it on many other occasions), I could have a positive impact on someone else's day, or I could just enjoy this wonderful sport. All it takes is learning to focus on the positives and the task at hand, rather than my own shortcomings and things outside of my control. Tennis is a lifetime sport that has taught me a lot these past six years. From how to handle and play well in extreme temperatures (freezing cold, way past heat regulations(115 degrees!), too windy to fly a kite, let alone play district matches), to how to stay positive and kind even when losing. I'm excited to see what new adventures and lessons I will experience as I continue playing.

I play tennis at my high school, and the thing about tennis is that you lose a lot. At least that's been my experience. After all, only one person can win a tennis tournament (or one doubles team if it's a doubles bracket), which means everyone else loses. I'm not exceptionally skilled at tennis myself, and therefore I don't win a whole lot. However playing a sport isn't just about winning or losing, it's about having fun and learning something from it. My tennis coach is always reminding us that tennis is a mental sport as much as it is a physical one. It takes a lot of control and focus to track the ball and hit the ball to where you want it to go. If you get too confident when you're up, then you'll stop taking the match as seriously and not give it your all, possibly costing you the match. If you're too hard on yourself when you're down, then you're not going to play your best and you're only going to end up more upset with yourself. The trick is to get out of your head and focus on the match. Despite losing more matches than I win, I haven't let that discourage me too much. When I'm down that only makes me more determined to enjoy the match. I've come to realize that you only truly lose if you let your opponent get in your head and you don't enjoy the match. Thus I put on a smile of genuine friendliness, and act as if I can hardly tell I'm losing. Sometimes it upsets my opponents and causes them to make mistakes. Sometimes it confuses them. But most of the time it makes the match more enjoyable for the both of us (or the four of us if it's doubles). Almost all the girls on my team have told me that I'm really fun to play against after a challenge match, and so have some of my opponents in tournaments. Most of the time this compliment comes after I lose the match, but it reminds me that even when I lose when I desperately want to win, the most important part is having fun. It's nice to see that my determination to continue playing my best until the end can brighten someone else's day with a fun game, and reminder of why we enjoy this sport. Who knows, maybe they need it more than I do. Through these experiences tennis has taught me to stay positive, even when things look bad, and has given me training in not being too hard on myself even when I'm double bageled (0-6, 0-6). You're not going to be perfectly successful in every endeavor, and it's not the end of the world. As long as you try your best and don't beat yourself up about it too much things will work out. You could eek out a win from an almost certain loss (I've done it before in a tennis match, and I've almost done it on many other occasions. It's amazing what can happen if you stay positive when your opponent doesn't expect it.), you could have a positive impact on someone else's day, or you could just make your own life brighter. All it takes is learning to focus on the positives and the task at hand, rather than your own shortcomings and things outside your control.

From volunteering with the youth ministry programs, helping with Vacation Bible School, and mass coordinating, I volunteer a lot at my church. Not just for the required NHS service hours, but because I genuinely enjoy helping out where I can. Unfortunately giving a lot of my time to volunteering, on top of the general business of senior year, has made it difficult for me to find time to get a decent paying job. I say decent because I did publish some books, but even before the publishing company I published through closed I never made much money off of my books. With college fast approaching, the need for scholarships to help cover the costs increases, and therefore we are here. I plan to go to Texas Tech to study ASL/English interpreting, since I love learning languages and it's a way for me to help others with my ability. Sadly college is expensive, so that is why I am applying for this scholarship to help cover the costs of tuition. I have a bunch of younger siblings, and them being safe online is something that I worry about. I'll give them advice on how to stay safe, and remind the younger ones to ask our parents before going online for anything, but that of course only goes so far. Kids aren't the best listeners after all. I've also started playing online video games (by that I mean Roblox) with my siblings. Primarily my sister, who is the second youngest (the youngest isn't old enough to play video games yet), and therefore the most unaware of possible dangers and how to avoid/deal with them. This is not only fun quality time with my siblings, but I'm also able to be there to support my sister if anything happens. Cyber bullying is most effective when the target is isolated and has no support, so someone else being aware of what is going on is a massive step towards preventing and stopping cyber bullying. If a situation of cyber bullying does occur, it helps the victim significantly to have someone on their side who can help them see through the negative lies to the truth of the matter. Of course I am worried that I won't be around anymore when I go off for college, but I hope that I have been able to pass on enough knowledge to help my siblings stay safe on the internet.

Language is essential in human society, for without a means to communicate complex ideas, how would we ever progress as a society? How do we connect with others if we cannot communicate our feelings, hopes, and dreams? Language barriers hinder our connection with others, but they don't have to. I love learning languages, and I plan on becoming an ASL interpreter. Through this I can help facilitate other people's conversation needs. I have already taken four years of ASL, so I am quite fluent. I also have experience interpreting school musicals, the national anthem at football games, and the school announcements in the morning. However to work as an interpreter you need a license. Which makes sense, as you don't want to pay someone to just wave their arms around in gibberish; you want to make sure your words and ideas are being accurately conveyed to your fellow humans. Unfortunately the college required to aptly prepare for and take the licensing test is expensive. Now besides my enjoyment of languages, why do I want to be an ASL interpreter in the first place? Well for one it's fun, and, not to trying to toot my own horn, I've been told I'd make a great interpreter. I'm also deeply Catholic, and I want a job where I can serve others everyday. I feel like interpreting is a way for me to use my skills to do something I enjoy, while showing Christ's love to others daily in seemingly little, yet important ways.

My Catholic faith has played a huge part in my life. I don't know what I would do without God. Without the assurance that someone is always there for me, and loves me more than I could understand. Without knowing that there is a reason behind everything; that there's something more to life. Without Jesus, I would be lost. There's this beautiful thing we Catholics have called Adoration. Basically it's just you sitting in front of the blessed sacrament, and just spending time with Jesus in a beautiful quiet place. It's a wonderful time for self reflection and healing. I try to go once a week (key word try; life is busy and I'm human after all), since just sitting in Adoration can be such a healing experience, and has helped me through many stressful weeks. It has also helped me to understand God better, and what he has planned for me. One of the things Jesus calls us to do is to serve others, and that's what I plan to do with my career. I love learning languages; I have been blessed with not only the interest to learn different languages, but also the grace to pick up languages quicker than my peers. In the future I plan on becoming an interpreter. This career won't only let me use my language skills, but it will also allow me to serve others in their communication needs. An interpreter is merely the facilitator for conversation, and is only there to serve the communication needs of the people present. I can use these experiences not only to make a living, but also to show Christ's love to others, even if it's in some small ordinary seeming way. Languages aren't my only passion. I also enjoy writing, and plan to write books. I don't know how much you know about critical theory in literature, but I got curious when we were assigned to write an essay using a critical approach, and I found out Catholic literary theory is a thing. This has helped me to see how stories communicate with God and his divine plan. This approach to analyzing stories feels more real; more beautiful than the others, which focus on issues like feminism, classism, and of the psyche. This Catholic, or universal, approach to looking deeper into stories feels more intimate, and just makes sense in the reality of a divine creator like the God of the Bible. Think about it; God is so awesome in power that even writers that want nothing to do with him only help in revealing the reality of human interaction with the Divine Mystery. I want to join in spreading the good news of Jesus's teachings through my writings. My personal belief in Jesus, and his teachings preserved through millennia by the universal church, is the focal point of my life, so how can I not share? There's not just one specific point in my life that he has helped me. How do you describe how oxygen has helped you in life? How your immune system has saved your life countless times? Jesus helping me, or anyone whether they always realize it or not, through life is just a fact of life. But within this fact there is a beautiful divine depth. The more you look, the more beautiful his love becomes.

I love how, while even writing a simple essay for a school assignment, I can still find some way to be creative with my writing. There are many tricks I can use to break up the mundane repetition of my teacher having to read another essay on the same prompt. From sentence structure, to diction. From tone, to pacing. From creative response, to subtle jokes and allusions. The various tools and devices that I have learned from reading and English class, I have applied through creative writing. This seems to be the overlooked beauty of creative writing; being able to take a seemingly boring sterilized prompt such as "how does hard work lead to success", or "how does the author use literary devices to show [character name]'s view of [insert something the character has an opinion on]", and turn these prompts into a unique and interesting essay. That fun thought experiment out of the way, let's now move onto the more well known parts of creative writing. While the aforementioned creative writing in an unexpected setting is a true test of a creative writer's skills, fictional writing is where the creative writer goes to set their imagination free, and to generally have a good time. The rules of conventional writing for official tests and the like don't apply to fiction in the same way. Creative writing of fictional stories has more room to be creative, with less concern for getting poor marks for that creativity. The writer gets to focus on the story they want to tell. Storytellers can convey life and emotions through their writings. They can bring something real from something fictitious. I love how a true master of creative literature can weave a complex tale of dynamic characters, while delivering a thought provoking narrative, and providing an all around entertaining story. I hope to one day be able to reach such a level. Currently I have published 2 short chapter books through the publishing company TouchPoint Press. Unfortunately the company has had a tough time this past year, and closed down before I could publish the rest of the series. However I plan to continue the series, since there are a few people asking about the rest of the series. Personally I don't know if the books are as good as everyone claims, but I still feel like I should finish the series. I have loads of ideas for other stories, some of which I have already started. I plan to eventually publish more books, and to continue writing throughout college. Of course balancing writing with school, and life in general is easier said than done. However by setting writing goals for myself, and setting aside some time each week to write a bit, then writing will become more manageable.

The Princess Bride is an example of a good book-to-film adaptation. The movie captures the heart of the book, that being an epic story shared between a child and his grandfather, perfectly. All the actors do a good job of capturing the characters true to the book, and bring them to life in a fun way. Of course some really interesting parts of the book were cut out or summarized, but that's always going to be the case with a film adaptation, and it's what makes it rewarding to go and read the book for yourself. The important part is that the overall feel and message stayed the same. In fact the movie does a better job of highlighting the relationship between the grandfather and the boy than the book. This is due to the book being written from the perspective of the boy grown up. Therefore the writing feels more distant from the boy's feelings at the time his grandfather was reading to him, and gives more of a feeling of nostalgia. The movie takes out the whole narration of the boy when he's older, so in the movie instead of a reflection on the past, we see the past as it was. This increases the emotional impact of the scenes between the boy and his grandfather, and the audience is better able to connect with the boy. The movie also brought the story to life in such a way that is so quotable, it has thus permeated pop culture to this day. A feat that would have been inconceivable without a well made film to bring attention to this amazing story. Plus the movie really leaned into the comedic elements from the book, while still highlighting the nostalgic reminiscing that the narrator of the book conveys. You really feel a connection to the boy, and thus the emotional impact of the "as you wish" from the grandfather hits you right in the feelings. It also helps that the actors' acting was all on point, and really good overall. The only things I wish they had included in the movie was Fezzik and Inigo's journey to the bottom level of the pit of despair, and the part where they tortured Westley before the machine was ready for testing. The former is just cool traps and trials for the two friends, while the latter highlights how much Westley truly loves Buttercup, as thinking about her allows him to not feel the pain of the torture until the machine is used. The former wouldn't have been too difficult to adapt to a movie, so it was likely removed due to time and/or budget constraints. However the latter would be more challenging to translate into a movie, even if it is a really interesting character moment. Overall The Princess Bride was masterfully adapted from the original novel, and has created an iconic movie that has influenced pop culture in inconceivable ways.