Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shut down, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. My motto is if it doesn't matter a month from now and then onward then it doesn't matter. So I just try to let go of my fears, anxiety, depression, self-consciousness, and all the other issues that try to drag me down. I do this by constantly trying to push myself and expand my comfort zone. I started off small, stop being a wallflower and go dancing. Then I moved up a little bit, trying a rollercoaster that was a little nerve-racking. After a while, I've tried so many things I need to actively search for new scary things. I've begun making friends with new people, traveling more, and pushing myself to make a new craft that I never thought I could. I even went paragliding and zip-lining. While I plan to go bungee jumping and sky diving next summer, I still want to live boldly now, so I'm reaching out to new people and putting myself out there. I'm applying for the internship I never thought I could get and reaching out to colleges to learn how to better my chances of getting accepted. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. My life experiences have helped me build a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Looking back, these moments became the foundation of my interest in how children and adults speak to each other. I found myself naturally drawn to working with kids and I easily bonded with those that struggled, as I had, to put thoughts into understandable words. One of my first experiences was in middle school working with special needs kids the same age as me. It was rewarding to translate between them and the adults they were trying to express themselves too. Eager, but terrified, to experience more of the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service trip. Within a few days, my enthusiasm to participate and learn about reforestation, build endangered elephant habitats, explore Thai culture, and feed those in need quickly quieted my fears. I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shutdown, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. The College of Charleston has the faculty and programs to help me achieve my goals. I hope to study with Ryan Milner. His research on media ethics and how online interaction matters socially, politically, and culturally is intriguing. Also of interest to me is Margaret Hagood's focus on teachers' and students' connections between their identities and developing literacies to find meaning in their own lives. I hope to one day establish my own research focused on communication that will empower children to speak comfortably with authority figures, while helping adults be more receptive.

Eager, but terrified, to experience the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service trip. I was beyond excited to volunteer, but only a few days into my trip, my health declined. I was covered in bug bites, severely dehydrated, and my body couldn’t handle the food. It was my first time being alone. I was with people I’d never met before and I was the youngest one there. Even though I was intimidated, my enthusiasm to participate and learn about reforestation, build endangered elephant habitats, explore Thai culture, and feed those in need helped me reach out and ask for help. After only a couple of days, I was back on my feet. I was soon able to help dig water holes, explore cities, plant trees, and do so much more throughout my trip. During this time, I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. That trip was the beginning of the struggles I would face for the next few years where I realized how much I struggled and learned how to reach out for help. Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shutdown, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. My life experiences have helped me build a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base as I continue my education and take on new challenges developing my skills and helping others overcome their perceived and authentic disabilities.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Looking back, these moments became the foundation of my interest in how children and adults speak to each other. I found myself naturally drawn to working with kids and I easily bonded with those that struggled, like I had, to put thoughts into understandable words. One of my first experiences was in middle school working with special needs kids the same age as me. It was rewarding to translate between them and the adults they were trying to express themselves to. Eager, but terrified, to experience more of the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service trip. Within a few days, my enthusiasm to participate and learn about reforestation, build endangered elephant habitats, explore Thai culture, and feed those in need quickly quieted my fears. I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shutdown, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Looking back, these moments became the foundation of my interest in how children and adults speak to each other. I found myself naturally drawn to working with kids and I easily bonded with those that struggled, like I had, to put thoughts into understandable words. One of my first experiences was in middle school working with special needs kids the same age as me. It was rewarding to translate between them and the adults they were trying to express themselves to. Eager, but terrified, to experience more of the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service trip. Within a few days, my enthusiasm to participate and learn about reforestation, build endangered elephant habitats, explore Thai culture, and feed those in need quickly quieted my fears. I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shutdown, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. I hope to one day establish my own research focused on communication that will empower children to speak comfortably with authority figures, while helping adults be more receptive. My life experiences have helped me build a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base as I continue my education and take on new challenges developing my skills and helping others overcome their perceived and authentic disabilities.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Looking back, these moments became the foundation of my interest in how children and adults speak to each other. I found myself naturally drawn to working with kids and I easily bonded with those that struggled, like I had, to put thoughts into understandable words. One of my first experiences was in middle school working with special needs kids the same age as me. It was rewarding to translate between them and the adults they were trying to express themselves too. I want to help other kids learn how to express themselves from an early age. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. I hope to one day establish my own research focused on communication that will empower children to speak comfortably with authority figures, while helping adults be more receptive. I've already worked with children most of my life, I've taught math to special needs kids and have been an assistant teacher to second graders. I now have a job as an after-school care teacher for elementary students. I want to major in education with a few minors to help me conduct my own research on helping adults and children more effectively communicate and understand each other, especially for adults to know how to work with children and help each individual child while still teaching a class or group. I want to teach the youth in my career skills that will help them in life that are usually dismissed, such as asking questions or teaching them about out-of-the-ordinary jobs. I want to be the person who will share with them the knowledge they truly need in life and encourage their creativity and will answer any of the questions they ask. My life experiences have helped me build a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base as I continue my education and take on new challenges developing my skills and helping others overcome their perceived and authentic disabilities.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Looking back, these moments became the foundation of my interest in how children and adults speak to each other. I found myself naturally drawn to working with kids and I easily bonded with those that struggled, like I had, to put thoughts into understandable words. One of my first experiences was in middle school working with special needs kids the same age as me. It was rewarding to translate between them and the adults they were trying to express themselves to. Eager, but terrified, to experience more of the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service trip. Within a few days, my enthusiasm to participate and learn about reforestation, build endangered elephant habitats, explore Thai culture, and feed those in need quickly quieted my fears. I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shutdown, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. I want to help other kids learn how to express themselves from an early age. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. I hope to one day establish my own research focused on communication that will empower children to speak comfortably with authority figures, while helping adults be more receptive. My life experiences have helped me build a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base as I continue my education and take on new challenges developing my skills and helping others overcome their perceived and authentic disabilities.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Looking back, these moments became the foundation of my interest in how children and adults speak to each other. I found myself naturally drawn to working with kids and I easily bonded with those that struggled, like I had, to put thoughts into understandable words. One of my first experiences was in middle school working with special needs kids the same age as me. It was rewarding to translate between them and the adults they were trying to express themselves to. Eager, but terrified, to experience more of the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service trip. Within a few days, my enthusiasm to participate and learn about reforestation, build endangered elephant habitats, explore Thai culture, and feed those in need quickly quieted my fears. I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. Three months after my first big adventure, my mother got married, and we moved from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, but eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school I found myself shutdown, unable to communicate effectively. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. My life experiences have helped me build a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base as I continue my education and take on new challenges developing my skills and helping others overcome their perceived and authentic disabilities.

I love math because it has a set of rules to follow. It may be difficult to grasp at first, but once you do it easy and the rules don’t change. Whereas other subjects, like English, have rules, but they have so many exceptions to the rules that it doesn’t make a difference. My favorite math subjects are geometry, probability, and statistics. They are subjects I will use in my everyday life or in certain jobs. Especially statistics is an incredibly useful area of math. It can predict the outcomes of so many scenarios. It helps people make informed decisions and track progress, measure performance, and analyze problems. While Probability and statistics are my favorite subject, geometry is a close second. It helps build deductive reasoning, analytical reasoning, and, most of all, problem-solving skills. Math is a great logical thinking skill that everyone should learn, even if they will not be going into a field that uses math. Math is an effective way of building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning and mental rigor. It is an important foundation for many other subjects, such as science, social studies, and even some art classes. Math is almost its own language that exercises the brain in amazing ways.

Eager to experience more of the world, at age thirteen, alone, I boarded a plane to Thailand for three weeks on a volunteer service-learning trip. Terrified, yet excited, I joined twenty other students aged thirteen to eighteen. Within a few days, my enthusiasm to learn about Thai culture, connect with my fellow travelers, and the opportunity to work with endangered elephants quickly quieted my fears. We learned about reforestation, helped build elephant habitats and explored Thai culture learning their recipes and feeding those in need. I realized how much I value helping others and hearing their stories. Future study abroad became a goal I felt certain I would obtain.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. At times heartbreaking and others uplifting, those moments became the foundation of my keen interest in navigating interpersonal communication, especially between children and adults. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities, to express myself and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Then, my mother got married, and we moved across the country from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, yet eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school, I found myself shutting down and unable to communicate effectively to my peers or the adults in my life. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside as a child acclimating to a new place, hormones, or just high school jitters. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside I felt my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied in my head. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. I suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team in Silver Hills Hospital that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. Next spring, I’ll tackle a new internship working with youth and will continue to explore the complexities of creating effective interpersonal interactions. I have built a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base with an education at the University of Pennsylvania and take on new challenges to further develop my skills so I might help others navigate the obstacles they may encounter.

Communication was not always easy for me. I was born with a speech impediment and found myself challenged at a very young age to find alternate words to replace those I was unable to correctly enunciate. At times heartbreaking and others uplifting, those moments became the foundation of my keen interest in navigating interpersonal communication, especially between children and adults. The struggle to clearly express myself continued as I grew-up. My parents separated when I was six and I found myself split between two homes. I struggled to keep up with all the personalities, to express myself and to succeed between two distinctly different methods of parenting. I am proud of how I managed in those formative days and shifted between their unique parenting and communication styles. Then, my mother got married, and we moved across the country from Utah to Connecticut. I found myself frightened and on unsteady ground, yet eager to persevere. It did not come easy. My first year in high school, I found myself shutting down and unable to communicate effectively to my peers or the adults in my life. I attempted to share with others the torment I was feeling, but my words were swept aside as a child acclimating to a new place, hormones, or just high school jitters. I put on a brave face and acted like everything was fine, but inside I felt my world was crumbling. Somehow, I made it through freshman year with little impact on my grades, but then Covid hit. The world became splintered and suddenly I was isolated with my insecurities and fears as they multiplied in my head. Struggles from my childhood bubbled to the surface. I tried to shoulder the dread and anxiety on my own, but could not. My grades suffered. I suffered. Overwhelmed, I screamed for help. I spent six weeks with an incredible team in Silver Hills Hospital that helped me develop new skills to navigate my fears and calm the storm. I went from feeling like the world was ending to discovering that obstacles are opportunities for greater success. Eager to explore my newfound strength, my grades excelled. Last year, I returned to working with children and participated in an internship as a teacher’s aide with second graders. This year I am teaching kids basic gymnastics and I continue to be fascinated by how each child thinks, feels, and responds differently to instructions. Next spring, I’ll tackle a new internship working with youth and will continue to explore the complexities of creating effective interpersonal interactions. I have built a solid foundation with tools that enable me to overcome adversity, navigate unique personalities, adventure into unknown territory and survive breakdowns in communication. I’d like to build upon this base with an education at my chosen university and take on new challenges to further develop my skills so I might help others navigate the obstacles they may encounter.

They don’t see her heart They only see her skin They never see everything she's ever been But yet they know, She will not go Anywhere she's ever been She was torn and now broken, How did she ever live Others broke her, but now she's worth more Cause some never saw everything within Now they see but don’t believe all the love she has within What’s to change if everything’s as perfect as its always been

My favorite Disney character is Tiana because she worked hard for her success. Tiana always stayed true to herself and was never spiteful of her best friend despite being from such different backgrounds and social statuses. She worked to continue her fathers dream not just for her father but because she wanted to open a bakery restaurant. She worked everyday and was exhausted but never gave up on her dream. She never used excuses or complained that she was dealt a bad set of cards and chose to work with what she had. Even when everything went wrong and she was dragged throughout the jungle with the pompous Prince Naveen she continued working towards her goal. She also helped people along the way and emphasized with others. Tiana was a true role model and actually realistic unlike other stories such as Cinderella where her and the prince fall in love after just one night. I also love Tiana because she reminds me of my mother and how they both worked hard to achieve what they now have. My mom worked year after year in pharmacy school and took the test over and over even though it was so draining to keep just barely missing the passing bar. Though she never took it out on me and continued to be there for me and be a wonderful single mother while working full time and studying for her test. Just like how Tiana worked full time while maintaining her home and contributing to her community by sharing a scone and a smile. Tiana was also incredibly grateful for the things she did have in life, such as a warm happy family and a close friend that loves her dearly. Just like how my mother came home everyday and even if everything was falling apart she found a silver lining and cared for me. Tiana was my childhood role model since she had such wonderful qualities that I later realized reminded me of my mother.

I've already worked with children most of my life, I've taught math to special needs kids and have been an assistant teacher to second graders. I now have a job as an after school care teacher for elementary students. I want to major in education with a few minors to help me conduct my own research on helping adults and children more effectively communicate and understand each other, especially for adults to know how to work with children and help each individual child while still teaching a class or group. I want to teach the youth in my career skills that will help them in life that are usually dismissed, such as asking questions or teaching them about out of the ordinary jobs. I want to be the person who will share with them the knowledge they truly need in life and encourage their creativity and will answer any of the questions they ask.

Junior year the teacher was going around the class calling on people, time sped up, my heart was racing, he was slowly getting closer to calling on me, I wasn’t ready. “Raven, tell us three things about yourself”, oh no, the dreaded question was here. How do I seem interesting but not like I’m bragging, how do I show a meaningful part of myself without getting too deep. Only a second had passed but a thousand thoughts ran through my mind, people's eyes were on me, I was sweating but I felt Ice cold, my voice was caught in my throat. Come on Raven say something, you paused for too long and you're breathing too loudly. “Hi I'm Raven, I have two dogs, I moved here from Utah, and uhhhhh I like baking”. Shoot, that's so basic and I don't actually like baking anymore. This isn’t who I want to be, I don't want to be the boring basic girl who came here from Utah. There's more to me than that, please see that there's more to me. Those moments used to be my worst nightmare, it was terrifying and while I logically knew it didn't matter, it felt like my whole world depended on it. I had just moved to Connecticut from Utah and I could be anyone I wanted to be. How did I show these people who I was, who I wanted them to see? It was hard but I asked for help and was hospitalized for a variety of reasons. After six weeks I was nowhere near perfect but I was finally on a path to recovery. Asking for help and learning to accept it changed my life and has made it much more enjoyable. Senior year the teacher was going around the class calling on people, he was getting closer to calling on me but I didn't get nervous or sweat, time didn't speed up, I was fine. “ Raven tell us three things about yourself”, only three? Well here goes nothing, “ Hi I’m Raven I’d tell you I moved here from Utah freshman year but most of you know that by now. I love to travel, I’ve been to a few different countries and have loved seeing the different cultures. I also enjoy making random crafts for friends and family in my spare time, what little I have. Finally, I want to major in Communications at _____ but don’t yet know what I'll do with my degree, I just want to learn as much as I can and then follow the path I enjoy most”.

Junior year the teacher was going around the class calling on people, time sped up, my heart was racing, he was slowly getting closer to calling on me, I wasn’t ready. “Raven, tell us three things about yourself”, oh no, the dreaded question was here. How do I seem interesting but not like I’m bragging, how do I show a meaningful part of myself without getting too deep. Only a second had passed but a thousand thoughts ran through my mind, people's eyes were on me, I was sweating but I felt Ice cold, my voice was caught in my throat. Come on Raven say something, you paused for too long and you're breathing too loudly. “Hi I'm Raven, I have two dogs, I moved here from Utah, and uhhhhh I like baking”. Shoot, that's so basic and I don't actually like baking anymore. This isn’t who I want to be, I don't want to be the boring basic girl who came here from Utah. There's more to me than that, please see that there's more to me. Those moments used to be my worst nightmare, it was terrifying and while I logically knew it didn't matter, it felt like my whole world depended on it. I had just moved to Connecticut from Utah and I could be anyone I wanted to be. How did I show these people who I was, who I wanted them to see? It was hard but I asked for help and was hospitalized for a variety of reasons. After six weeks I was nowhere near perfect but I was finally on a path to recovery. Asking for help and learning to accept it changed my life and has made it much more enjoyable. Senior year the teacher was going around the class calling on people, he was getting closer to calling on me but I didn't get nervous or sweat, time didn't speed up, I was fine. “ Raven tell us three things about yourself”, only three? Well here goes nothing, “ Hi I’m Raven I’d tell you I moved here from Utah freshman year but most of you know that by now. I love to travel, I’ve been to a few different countries and have loved seeing the different cultures. I also enjoy making random crafts for friends and family in my spare time, what little I have. Finally, I want to major in Communications at _____ but don’t yet know what I'll do with my degree, I just want to learn as much as I can and then follow the path I enjoy most”.

Knowledge is power, but I don’t really care to have power in my life and yet learning is still important to me. Learning is important to me because I enjoy it and I can help others by using my knowledge. Most people think of school as the only way to learn, or at least the most efficient way. There is such a vast amount of knowledge accessible at college and there are many benefits to learning there. Including working towards a higher degree, which often leads to a job with more benefits, higher salary, and more. As beneficial as college knowledge may be, it isn’t always the cheapest or funnest way to learn. There are so many different forms of learning, it doesn’t have to be a class lecture where all completed work is graded and put on a judge rating scale. As much as I love going to school and learning so many things all at once, I would prefer other options. I’d love to learn to dance or to learn more about the world just by listening to the news. Another way to learn is to listen to podcasts, watch documentaries, or have a discussion with a friend or anyone. Learning is important to me because it opens up so many new doors and brings me joy. Experiencing new cultures is interesting and helps me understand other people more. Practicing health care and getting certifications makes me feel helpful and like I am someone who brings something to this world. It allows me to help other people if they have a medical crisis. Learning in college, gaining credits, and climbing up the ranks would allow me to earn more money. Though money can’t buy happiness, it can definitely help pave the road there. Learning is important because it is what creates a firm foundation for whatever I want to do in life. Anything I want to do in life, learning makes it easier and keeps me interested. The more I know, the more successful I feel. Another important reason to learn is to pass that knowledge on to future generations and to apply it to my everyday life. Just knowing how to change a tire can save me hundreds of dollars, hours of my time, and any stress or domino effects that could happen from tire issues. Learning is important to me because it interests me and will do nothing but aid me later in life. I'll continue learning throughout my life by taking classes, listening to podcasts on long drives, and any other way I can slip in more knowledge every day.

My motto is if it doesn't matter a month from now and then onward then it doesn't matter. So I just try to let go of my fears, anxiety, depression, self consciousness, and all my other issues that try to drag me down. I do this by constantly trying to push myself and expand my comfort zone. I started off small, stop being a wallflower and go dance. Then I moved up a little bit, try a rollercoaster that was a little nerve racking. After a while I've tried so many things I need to actively search for new scary things. I've begun making friends with new people, traveling more, pushing myself to make a new craft that I never thought I could. I even went paragliding and zip-lining. While I plan to go bungee jumping and sky diving next summer, I still want to live boldly now, so I'm reaching out to new people and putting myself out there. I'm applying for the internship I never thought I could get and reaching out to colleges to learn how to better my chances of getting accepted.