As a person who struggles with their mental health and has dealt with anxiety since the age of five, I know how hard it can be to take care of yourself. I've tried everything from talk therapy to medication to vitamin supplements and essential oil. While I have seen success with some of these methods, I find that small things can truly make a big difference in my mental health. Meditation was first introduced to me by my psychotherapist father when I was seven or eight, and in all honesty, I didn't understand it for a long time. But as I have grown older, I understand what it can do for your body and mind. What I have struggled with the most in my life in relation to anxiety is calming down when pressure is high. The basis of meditation is taking deep breaths to bring you back to the moment. At any time, you can stop what you're doing (or not) and take a moment to center yourself. The tool is available at any time, which makes it more effective than a lot of other methods. You can even take this a step farther and close your eyes to clear your mind as you do this. When I meditate, I find peace and calm. I can escape my worries and bring myself back down to reality. When I can clear my head, I can do other things to calm myself down and take care of myself, like watching a movie.

As a person who struggles with their mental health and has dealt with anxiety since the age of five, I know how hard it can be to cope. I've tried everything from talk therapy to medication to vitamin supplements and essential oil. While I have seen success with some of these methods, I find that small things can truly make a big difference. Meditation was first introduced to me by my psychotherapist father when I was seven or eight, and in all honesty, I didn't understand it for a long time. But as I have grown older, I understand what it can do for your body and mind. What I have struggled with the most in my life in relation to anxiety is calming down when pressure is high. The basis of meditation is taking deep breaths to bring you back to the moment. At any time, you can stop what you're doing (or not) and take a moment to center yourself. The tool is available at any time, which makes it effective. You can even take this a step farther and close your eyes to clear your mind as you do this. Oftentimes, people need to have a solution to deal with their mental health in the moment, not at a set time. Meditation can be used at any time or in any place so somebody can calm down. And the more you meditate, the more clear your mind can be, which can help better someone's mental health.

I think the meaning of life is love. People feel value when they are loved or when they love someone else, and since it is such an innate emotion, I think it is what we are supposed to find in life. We are drawn to things we are good at, things we like - it's the same thing with people, we're drawn to people we like. Love is a natural human instinct. I try to achieve finding and show love whenever possible. I look for the good qualities in people, even those I don't like, and I try to make sure that I show the people I love and care about how I feel about them. I try to be good and act out of love and not a negative emotion whenever possible. If the world was more focused on love, I think we as humans would be more satisfied, more at peace, and less prone to conflict. When you have love, it can change how you feel. It will make you happier (I know it does for me), and seeing others find love can spawn joy too.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. I felt I didn’t have any friends, and that I couldn’t showcase my talents even though I wanted to. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. I had heard about it the year before, but I didn’t think I was ready for it then. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I hesitantly put my name on the list of people interested and got to work figuring out what I could present at the competition. Immediately, it stuck out to me- playwriting. I had written scripts before, but never for the stage. Thankfully, I had a lot of practice on stage as an actor, so I could picture it all pretty well. My idea seemed so random, but my optimism spoke up again- “give it a try.” I got to work, and within a few weeks, I had 25 pages of a script completed. When the day of our district festival came around, my judging slot was the last for my troupe, and it couldn’t come fast enough. Optimism told me to wait it out, and not listen to the anxiety knocking down my door. Finally, 5:00 rolled around, and my troupe-mates and I were in a classroom waiting for my adjudication. The judges called me to the front of the room and asked a few questions. I couldn’t believe how excited they were to see me- one of them said she had been waiting to talk to me about my play all day. The other thing that finally gave me the affirmation I had been looking for was that they understood the story for what it was. I knew my interview went well, but I still hadn’t the faintest idea of what was to come next. An hour later, our troupe director gathered us at the tent to hear our scores. He started with the lowest of the day, working his way to the highest. As we reached the “good” and “excellent” score sections, I was wondering when my name would jump out. My name was the last on the list, my play scoring a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior.” Later, we also found out I won the Critic’s Choice Award. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. It isn’t always easy to be optimistic, but I know now that it’s the right way to go.

In the future, I don't know quite what I want to do. But I know that no matter what, I want to be writing. Writing is what I have the greatest passion for and what I am majoring in for college. Without writing, I wouldn't be able to manage my overactive mind or anxiety, and in my free time, I write to clear my head. Writing as a career feels like the only viable option to me. In terms of a specific career, I want to use college as an exploratory period to find out what type of writing I am the best at, and what I enjoy doing the most. Through middle and high school, I have tried many different types of writing, and I hope to find out what I like through the college degree earning process.

As a good student, I think people expect you to have either crazy methods to study or photographic memory. Me, being a normal individual, has neither of those, so I had to figure out what worked for me along the way. I am a student that learns by listening and writing, so that comes into play with my studying methods often. If I have to memorize something or have a lot to learn, I will read my notes out loud and record myself saying them so I can listen to them while I drive to school or in the shower. This helps me learn the information better and faster. I also often re-do my notes and write them over on paper to get them better embedded in my memory. When studying for a test, I like to make a study guide to have all the information I need in front of me. Sometimes I ask teachers to clarify what I need to know so I don't go overboard, but to me, going a little overboard can never hurt. If I don't understand a topic, I try to learn by researching it a little or watching a tutorial on YouTube. If that doesn't work, I try to talk it out with someone to see if they can help. Even if they can't, they'll be able to help me narrow down my questions. I will admit, I do use Photomath for some help on math homework. While it probably isn't the greatest tool to use because it gives you the answer straight away, it also shows you the steps to learn how to solve the problem. Lastly, all I can say is to put in the effort. If you don't put in effort, you won't improve.

One day, I was sitting on my couch, rewatching D2: The Mighty Ducks. You may find yourself wondering what a seventeen-year-old girl was doing rewatching a children's movie, but I'm thankful I did. Toward the end of the movie, the team is in a locker room huddle with their Coach, who encourages them not to sink to the dirty playing of the other team in the last period. His specific words were "if I sink to their level, I've lost more than my knee" (knee relating to an injury he had). I remember having to pause the TV at that very moment and think for a while. At that time, I was dealing with a difficult teacher at school - and by difficult, I mean emotionally manipulative. I am a very emotional person, so I always felt like they were trying to get the best of me. What I took away from this quote was that if I stooped as low as their behavior was, if I didn't play fair or nice just as I always was, I'd lose my pride. It made me realize that this situation, in the grand scheme of life, was temporary and that giving this adult the attention and reactions they want would only be hurting me. I couldn't let them affect me so much that they took away who I was and what I believed. When I pressed the play button on my remote that day, I knew my mindset had changed. I knew exactly the attitude I needed to have and what I needed to do to cope with and combat the situation. And I guess I have a children's movie to thank for that.

As a Florida student, especially one living in a conservative area of the state as a more liberal person, it can be hard to feel accepted and like you have a voice. In school, my opinion is almost always the opposite opinion of others, and I don't usually feel strong enough to defend myself about it. But that all changed when I wrote an article on the don't say gay bill. When I first heard about the bill, I knew that this was going to be the start of more major issues in our state if it got passed, and I wanted people to see what my opinion was. As a writer for my school newspaper, I have managed to find a voice, but I wasn't one for writing about my opinions. I almost didn't do it, but I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about it, so I decided to write it whether it would be published or not. And it was. And while some of the feedback hasn't been to my liking and vice-versa, it has been okay. I have found my voice, and now I am strong enough to say anything I want. I'm not really afraid anymore because I realized a lot of people have shallow beliefs they can't or don't defend.

If I had $1,000, I would be one step closer to committing to my dream school, the University of Massachusetts: Boston. Though I have gotten into the institution and been given a scholarship of $20,000 a year, that doesn't take away from the fact that the school would cost $50,000 for me to attend. Besides the $5,000 I could have for loans each year (which obviously no one wants to have), I am still $25,000 away from being able to really attend the school. I live in a family where I am very lucky to have parents and grandparents who have been saving money for my college tuition my whole life. And while that has grown to a decent sum, it's not enough to cover the remaining $25,000. Another part of the problem is that the FAFSA calculated we could pay more than is actually reasonable for us, so colleges aren't offering as much for aid. If I had this $1,000, maybe, just maybe, I could make it.

Since I was a little kid, I have enjoyed taking on leadership roles to help other people. These roles consistently push me to be better and help me grow. I have the power to make changes that are important, and I often have to take my own initiative to do so. As President of my school's Thespian Society, I get to propose a lot of my own ideas for events to draw membership and local attention. For my school's newspaper, I get to mentor other (often younger) writers and help them to grow their work. I get to be a part of bigger decisions and larger works through the Editorial Board. Working on the Morning Announcements Crew has allowed me to be closely mentored by my principal, as well as help to make changes around the school. Seeing her lead the school and handle difficult situations has inspired me to think of the greater good. Being a good leader requires thinking of people outside yourself. For the yearbook, I have to help others learn to manage their time and meet deadlines. In working and volunteering with kids at Brain Balance and The Naples Players, I had to grow my social skills and take ownership of my actions and be in charge of theirs. I realized my actions had a lot of influence and could change somebody's perspective. Through every activity I participate in, whether I have a leadership role or not, I act as if I do when appropriate. Mentoring others is one of the greatest joys I get, so that is what I get the most meaning from.

I think the meaning of life is love. People feel value when they are loved or when they love someone else, and since it is such an innate emotion, I think it is what we are supposed to find in life. We are drawn to things we are good at, things we like - it's the same thing with people, we're drawn to people we like. Love is a natural human instinct. I try to achieve finding and show love whenever possible. I look for the good qualities in people, even those I don't like, and I try to make sure that I show the people I love and care about how I feel about them. I try to be good and act out of love and not a negative emotion whenever possible. If the world was more focused on love, I think we as humans would be more satisfied, more at peace, and less prone to conflict. When you have love, it can change how you feel. It will make you happier (I know it does for me), and seeing others find love can spawn joy too.

As a person who struggles with their mental health and has dealt with anxiety since the age of five, I know how hard it can be to take care of yourself. I've tried everything from talk therapy to medication to vitamin supplements and essential oil. While I have seen success with some of these methods, I find that small things can truly make a big difference in my mental health. Meditation was first introduced to me by my psychotherapist father when I was seven or eight, and in all honesty, I didn't understand it for a long time. But as I have grown older, I understand what it can do for your body and mind. What I have struggled with the most in my life in relation to anxiety is calming down when pressure is high. The basis of meditation is taking deep breaths to bring you back to the moment. At any time, you can stop what you're doing (or not) and take a moment to center yourself. The tool is available at any time, which makes it more effective than a lot of other methods. You can even take this a step farther and close your eyes to clear your mind as you do this. When I meditate, I find peace and calm. I can escape my worries and bring myself back down to reality. When I can clear my head, I can do other things to calm myself down and take care of myself, like watching a movie.

In a crab’s lifespan, an individual hermit crab may adopt 30 shells as its home at various times and stages of growth. Even as a human, I know I have adopted many shells and connected with others through my collection of shells. Some of my time is spent in my writing shell. I imagine it is made of endless scraps of lined paper, scribbled over with black ink pens, constantly being renovated with new pieces of information and ideas. I often sit, writing in a purple notebook with cursive handwriting flowing from my pen like magic - sometimes I let my mind go on about my feelings while other times I travel to another world of creativity, cultivating my next tale. I do this for hours, and it’s my only shell where I am at peace. Every once in a while, I have a shell that changes - a shell of interest. Right now, it’s a 1980s shell made of acid-washed denim and probably has a VCR and cassette tapes of Bruce Springsteen playing inside. In there, I’m the girl with a perm and Reebok Classics, the girl who watches old footage of MTV in her spare time. My mind is constantly at work, especially with learning, so this is the appropriate place for me to do that - to immerse myself in the culture of a time I never lived in. I hope to avoid college debt by choosing a school where I have received a merit scholarship and that is relatively within reach of what my parents and I can pay. I don't want to have more debt than the 5,000 in loans that I am eligible for each year, but ideally, I would want much less. Recently, we asked one of my top schools for more money, and they are considering it now. I have also applied to over sixty scholarships (local and national) in hopes of getting money to put toward my education. Through the last few years, my family has helped me make the right steps to prepare for college both academically and financially, but we will still need a little push to make my dream a reality.

Since I was a little kid, I have enjoyed taking on leadership roles to help other people. These roles consistently push me to be better and help me grow. I have the power to make changes that are important, and I often have to take my own initiative to do so. As President of my school's Thespian Society, I get to propose a lot of my own ideas for events to draw membership and local attention. For my school's newspaper, I get to mentor other (often younger) writers and help them to grow their work. I get to be a part of bigger decisions and larger works by the Editorial Board. Working on the Announcements Crew has allowed me to grow a closer bond with my principal so I can be mentored by her, as well as help to make changes around the school. For the yearbook, I have to help others learn to manage their time and meet deadlines. While working with kids at Brain Balance and The Naples Players, I had to grow my social skills and take ownership of my actions and be in charge of theirs. I realized my actions had a lot of influence and could change somebody's perspective. Through every activity I participate in, whether I have a leadership role or not, I act as if I do when appropriate. Mentoring others is one of the greatest joys I get, so that is what I get the most meaning from.

While there are many problems in this world, one sticks out to me - a lack of kindness. We live in a world where kindness is ignored and people have moved on from using it as a tactic. My remedy: "be kind." It's just two words, but those words can make all the difference. In telling someone to "be kind," you're encouraging them to do better. You hope your words will inspire better behavior, better actions, further solidarity with the other 7 billion inhabitants of the planet. In physically being kind, you have the power to make a difference in someone's life. One action can skew a person's mindset or behavior, so in acting kind, you're more likely to have a positive effect. In reminding yourself to be kind, you can realize to go easier on yourself, or you can change your mindset to influence others. Being kind is something the world seriously needs. We go into situations lacking heart and empathy for others when sometimes that can make all the difference. If we maintain a mindset for helping others and behaving kindly, we can get a lot farther in the major issues we face worldwide.

It is easy to feel lost in the sea of my fellow 7 billion inhabitants of the planet earth. It is hard to feel empowered to be who you are and stand for what you believe in when you feel so minuscule in the grand scheme of things. But I think everybody has an outlet that makes them realize their place in the world is valuable and that they, as an individual, has a purpose for change or impact. As an aspiring writer, I find my voice in my work. When I write for my school newspaper, I can speak on the topics I care about and find like-minded readers and writers in the process, no matter how obscure or weird by societal standards it is. When I write for a stage performance, I can make a statement about a topic that matters to me, and help others to see it in a whole new way. I have learned my words have power. The Outsiders, while a common read, manages to speak to me even five years beyond reading it. I can relate to the characters despite our variances in gender and status in society, and it opened my eyes to how others live. The whole motif of "staying gold," or keeping young, was something I needed to hear at a time in my life when everybody and everything seems to tell you to grow up. It encouraged me to stay the person I was through that process and to not let society try to mold me into something I am not. In my career and for the rest of my life, I want to keep leaving a positive impact behind me. Like steps on a shoreline, I don't mind if I inevitably melt away from memory, I just want to be known and understood at one time. I want others to know they aren't alone in this journey, and that there are different ways to see situations we face every day. I want to be empathetic enough to understand the problems of others. And I think if I keep writing and continue to bring my pre-existing honesty into my work, I may just succeed.

"Be kind." It's not even a sentence, it's just two words. But those words can make all the difference. In telling someone to "be kind," you're encouraging them to do better. You hope your words will inspire better behavior, better actions, further solidarity with the other 7 billion inhabitants of the planet. In physically being kind, you have the power to make a difference in someone's life. One action can skew a person's mindset or behavior, so in acting kind, you're more likely to have a positive effect. In reminding yourself to be kind, you can realize to go easier on yourself, or you can change your mindset to influence others. Being kind is something the world seriously needs. We go into situations lacking heart and empathy for others when sometimes that can make all the difference. If we maintain a mindset for helping others and behaving kindly, we can get a lot farther in the major issues we face worldwide.

It is easy to feel lost in the sea of my fellow 7 billion inhabitants of the planet earth. It is hard to feel empowered to be who you are and stand for what you believe in when you feel so minuscule in the grand scheme of things. But I think everybody has an outlet that makes them realize their place in the world is valuable and that they, as an individual, has a purpose for change or impact. As an aspiring writer, I find my voice in my work. When I write for my school newspaper, I can speak on the topics I care about and find like-minded readers and writers in the process. When I write for a stage performance, I can make a statement about a topic that matters to me, and help others to see it in a whole new way. In my career and for the rest of my life, I want to keep leaving a positive impact behind me. Like steps on a shoreline, I don't mind if I inevitably melt away from memory, I just want to be known and understood at one time. I want others to know they aren't alone in this journey, and that there are different ways to see situations we face every day. And I think if I keep writing and continue to bring my pre-existing honesty into my work, I may just succeed.

1. I deserve this scholarship because I have all the money in the world and the worst grades. That's the reason you're looking for, right? Wait, I have to be smart or have a good reason? Those aren't good reasons? 2. My academic and career goals are to pursue absolutely nothing. I hope to spend the rest of my life on my couch and squat in my parent's basement. 3. The other day, I was walking down my street on the way home from walking the dog. Right in front of us, there was a giant pile of dog poop, left by my neighbor. Now, I have a wiener dog, so he's very short, which meant this was going to be pretty bad. Thankfully, I picked him up and stepped over the steaming pile, and the crisis was avoided.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I submitted an original play for adjudication at the competition, and my name was the last to be announced - it scored a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior" and won the Critic’s Choice Award. I remember smiling so hard it hurt as I was called on stage to accept my trophy. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me (from both my conscience and my friends), I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. I believe that by being optimistic, you can have the greatest positive effect on the world, and I aim to bring that to my desired career as a writer. Through college, I hope to be involved in activities that can help me have a positive influence on my campus community. I think prioritizing this aspect of mental health is important, so I would be interested in joining activities or events where I can promote this. As for myself, I hope to surround myself with good people and stay close to those that are already good in my life, like my family and friends, both to get positive support and return the favor they have given me. Through the adversity of anxiety I have faced, I have found the good in my life through myself and others, and I want others to grow to understand that in their own lives just as I have.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I submitted an original play for adjudication at the competition, and my name was the last to be announced - it scored a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior" and won the Critic’s Choice Award. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. I believe that by being optimistic, you can have the greatest positive effect on the world, and I aim to bring that to my desired career as a writer.

I was in the eighth grade, sitting in an English class at a new school when my teacher introduced a book I had read before, which I now love (though I didn't then). I had already read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton in my previous school year, but it took reading it a second time to truly find the meaning and love the story. The Outsiders, while a common read, manages to speak to me even five years beyond reading it. I can relate to the characters despite our variances in gender and status in society, and it opened my eyes to how others live. The whole motif of "staying gold," or keeping young, was something I needed to hear at a time in my life where everybody and everything seems to tell you to grow up. It encouraged me to stay the person I was through that process and to not let society try to mold me into something I am not. Also, as a female teenage writer, I am highly inspired by S.E. Hinton's talent at her age and often joke with my family that I wish I was like her by now. I dream of being published and writing for young people, and that is exactly what she did despite the odds of her success being against her purely because of her gender and socio-economic status. I guess what I had to learn in reading the book a second time is that sometimes, a book you read in school is boring. But other times, perhaps rarely, you can discover a book that can change your life.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I submitted an original play for adjudication at the competition, and my name was the last to be announced - it scored a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior" and won the Critic’s Choice Award. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. I believe that by being optimistic, you can have the greatest positive effect on the world, and I aim to bring that to my desired career as a writer.

In the future, I don't know quite what I want to do. But I know that no matter what, I want to be writing. Writing is what I have the greatest passion for and what I am majoring in for college. Without writing, I wouldn't be able to manage my overactive mind or anxiety, and in my free time, I write to clear my head. Writing as a career feels like the only viable option to me. In terms of a specific career, I want to use college as an exploratory period to find out what type of writing I am the best at, and what I enjoy doing the most. Through middle and high school, I have tried many different types of writing, and I hope to find out what I like through the college degree earning process.

I think of the things that fuel my life like little Keurig pods of coffee. One of these pods is an anxiety blend. I use this conglomeration of fear and worry to motivate myself even if it scares me. While my anxiety allows me to refuse procrastination, it can also make me sick sometimes. Maybe it isn't the best-tasting blend, but it's pretty strong. I drink my writing blend the most. I often sit writing in a purple notebook with cursive handwriting flowing from my pen like magic - sometimes I let my mind go on about my feelings while other times I travel to another world of creativity, cultivating my next tale. I use this to plan and to grow my skills for my career hopes. Every once in a while, I have a pod that changes - sometimes I want a new flavor. Right now, it’s a 1980s flavor - a really classic coffee. My mind is constantly at work, especially with learning, so this is an appropriate way for me to do that - to immerse myself in the culture of a time I never lived in. I research different aspects of the topic and apply them to what I'm learning and my goals. It makes things fun when I put this twist on it. How many Keurig pods do you use as fuel?

One day, I was sitting on my couch, rewatching D2: The Mighty Ducks. You may find yourself wondering what a seventeen-year-old girl was doing rewatching a children's movie, but I'm thankful I did. Toward the end of the movie, the team is in a locker room huddle with their Coach, who encourages them not to sink to the dirty playing of the other team in the last period. His specific words were "if I sink to their level, I've lost more than my knee" (knee relating to an injury he had). I remember having to pause the TV at that very moment and think for a while. At that time, I was dealing with a difficult teacher at school - and by difficult, I mean emotionally manipulative. I am a very emotional person, so I always felt like they were trying to get the best of me. What I took away from this quote was that if I stooped as low as their behavior was, if I didn't play fair or nice just as I always was, I'd lose my pride. It made me realize that this situation, in the grand scheme of life, was temporary and that giving this adult the attention and reactions they want would only be hurting me. I couldn't let them affect me so much that they took away who I was and what I believed. When I pressed the play button on my remote that day, I knew my mindset had changed. I knew exactly the attitude I needed to have and what I needed to do to cope with and combat the situation. And I guess I have a children's movie to thank for that.

I think the meaning of life is love. People feel value when they are loved or when they love someone else, and since it is such an innate emotion, I think it is what we are supposed to find in life. We are drawn to things we are good at, things we like - it's the same thing with people, we're drawn to people we like. Love is a natural human instinct. I try to achieve finding and show love whenever possible. I look for the good qualities in people, even those I don't like, and I try to make sure that I show the people I love and care about how I feel about them. I try to be good and act out of love and not a negative emotion whenever possible. If the world was more focused on love, I think we as humans would be more satisfied, more at peace, and less prone to conflict.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I submitted an original play for adjudication at the competition, and my name was the last to be announced - it scored a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior" and won the Critic’s Choice Award. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. I believe that by being optimistic, you can have the greatest positive effect on the world, and I aim to bring that to my desired career as a writer.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I submitted an original play for adjudication at the competition, and my name was the last to be announced - it scored a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior" and won the Critic’s Choice Award. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. If I was an influential figure in our society, the main thing I would stand for would be spreading optimism through whatever I find myself doing, and leading with kindness.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed everything was starting to go downhill. I felt I didn’t have any friends, and that I couldn’t showcase my talents even though I wanted to. Writing has always been my passion, but I never felt like my work was good enough to be seen by other people. I remember I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. I had heard about it the year before, but I didn’t think I was ready for it then. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you give it a try? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. I hesitantly put my name on the list of people interested and got to work figuring out what I could present at the competition. Immediately, it stuck out to me- playwriting. I had written scripts before, but never for the stage. Thankfully, I had a lot of practice on stage as an actor, so I could picture it all pretty well. My idea seemed so random, but my optimism spoke up again- “give it a try.” I got to work, and within a few weeks, I had 25 pages of a script completed. When the day of our district festival came around, my judging slot was the last for my troupe, and it couldn’t come fast enough. Optimism told me to wait it out, and not listen to the anxiety knocking down my door. Finally, 5:00 rolled around, and my troupe-mates and I were in a classroom waiting for my adjudication. The judges called me to the front of the room and asked a few questions. I couldn’t believe how excited they were to see me- one of them said she had been waiting to talk to me about my play all day. The other thing that finally gave me the affirmation I had been looking for was that they understood the story for what it was. I knew my interview went well, but I still hadn’t the faintest idea of what was to come next. An hour later, our troupe director gathered us at the tent to hear our scores. He started with the lowest of the day, working his way to the highest. As we reached the “good” and “excellent” score sections, I was wondering when my name would jump out. My name was the last on the list, my play scoring a 29.5 out of 30 points, or “superior.” Later, we also found out I won the Critic’s Choice Award. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in winning that award. I didn’t realize that recognition was a goal of mine, but it was optimism that helped me reach it. It isn’t always easy to be optimistic, but I know now that it’s the right way to go.

As a good student, I think people expect you to have either crazy methods to study or photographic memory. Me, being a normal individual, has neither of those, so I had to figure out what worked for me along the way. I am a student that learns by listening and writing, so that comes into play with my studying methods often. If I have to memorize something or have a lot to learn, I will read my notes out loud and record myself saying them so I can listen to them while I drive to school or in the shower. This helps me learn the information better and faster. I also often re-do my notes and write them over on paper to get them better embedded in my memory. When studying for a test, I like to make a study guide to have all the information I need in front of me. Sometimes I ask teachers to clarify what I need to know so I don't go overboard, but to me, going a little overboard can never hurt. If I don't understand a topic, I try to learn by researching it a little or watching a tutorial on YouTube. If that doesn't work, I try to talk it out with someone to see if they can help. Even if they can't, they'll be able to help me narrow down my questions. I will admit, I do use Photomath for some help on math homework. While it probably isn't the greatest tool to use because it gives you the answer straight away, it also shows you the steps to learn how to solve the problem. Lastly, all I can say is to put in the effort. If you don't put in effort, you won't improve.

It may sound strange, but I often think of myself as a hermit crab - I have "shells" I put on for different reasons. Some of my time is spent in a shell of anxiety. Inside, I wallow in my worries. More of my time is spent in my writing shell. I write in a purple notebook with handwriting flowing like magic - I travel to another world of creativity, cultivating my next tale. Once in a while, I have a shell of interest. Right now, it’s a 1980s shell that probably has cassette tapes of Bruce Springsteen playing inside. Like a hermit crab, my shells help form my identity.

At the age of five, my parents could sense something wasn't right about me. I attended afternoon kindergarten and every day my stomach was in knots while I waited. I was terrified of being late and terrified to ask my teacher to use the bathroom in class. At six, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ever since I have been on and off various medications. Despite my mental illness, I believe that it has been an unspoken gift to me. While it holds me back often and highly affects my life, it has made me into a better, more sensitive, kind person. I have had to persevere through a lot more than some others because of it, and now I am stronger. I am so thankful to have a father who just happens to be a mental health counselor. If I didn't have the signs in me recognized at a young age, I would have had to struggle alone for years. Because of this, I believe everybody should have access to mental health care, regardless of socio-economic status, and individuals should be more educated and screened. Mental health treatment saves lives and is necessary for the survival and quality of life of many people. I also believe a lot of people can be mentally ill without people being able to tell, so we can't necessarily judge someone's actions by their behavior if we don't know the whole story. Just because someone seems a little different or strange doesn't mean it's their fault, or that they're any less of a nice person. I've always been afraid of being seen as an overly anxious person - afraid of the stigma of labeling myself as a person with anxiety - and while I hope to overcome that someday, I think the world needs to change too. A lot of my relationships are affected by my anxiety. I have a hard time reaching out to friends because I overthink every text or conversation, and I get nervous to ask teachers questions or for clarification because I don't want to seem "stupid" or "imperfect." Even with my parents and siblings, my anxiety comes between us. We often live in a battle between me claiming I'm right out of anxiety and projection, and my parents trying to reason with me. At the end of the day, they always love me and I try to apologize, but I can't help but feel like I put an unnecessary burden on them. Due to my anxiety, I don't enjoy working in social settings. I can handle working in a school environment, but I'm not a huge fan of group projects, especially where your partners don't pull their own weight. Because of this, I want to become a writer. While I don't know what form of writing I want to pursue just yet, a lot of these career paths involve writing alone or collaborating with a small group of like-minded people. This kind of environment works better with my work style and ethic. Without my mental illness, I don't think I would have strong beliefs about mental health care, my relationships wouldn't feel as strong and meaningful, and I may not have selected a career that I love as much as I do writing. While my anxiety may limit me and define me in some ways, it is not all of who I am, and I aim to be more than its bitter words and self-doubt.

At the age of five, my parents could sense something wasn't right about me. I attended afternoon kindergarten and every day my stomach was in knots while I waited. I was terrified of being late and terrified to ask my teacher to use the bathroom in class. At six, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ever since I have been on and off various medications. Despite my mental illness, I believe that it has been an unspoken gift to me. While it holds me back often and highly affects my life, it has made me into a better, more sensitive, kind person. I have had to persevere through a lot more than some others because of it, and now I am stronger. Little things that some people may never give a thought to dominate my mind. In turn, this has made me a very detail-oriented person who can work well on a lot of different things. I have a fear of failure, so it has stopped me from preventable ones. I am so thankful to have a father who just happens to be a mental health counselor. If I didn't have the signs in me recognized at a young age, I would have had to struggle alone for years. Because of this, I believe everybody should have access to mental health care, regardless of socio-economic status, and individuals should be more educated and screened. Mental health treatment saves lives and is necessary for the survival and quality of life of many people. I also believe a lot of people can be mentally ill without people being able to tell, so we can't necessarily judge someone's actions by their behavior if we don't know the whole story. Just because someone seems a little different or strange doesn't mean it's their fault, or that they're any less of a nice person. A lot of my relationships are affected by my anxiety. I have a hard time reaching out to friends because I overthink every text or conversation, and I get nervous to ask teachers questions or for clarification because I don't want to seem "stupid" or "imperfect." Even with my parents and siblings, my anxiety comes between us. We often live in a battle between me claiming I'm right out of anxiety and projection, and my parents trying to reason with me. At the end of the day, they always love me and I try to apologize, but I can't help but feel like I put an unnecessary burden on them. Due to my anxiety, I don't enjoy working in social settings. I can handle working in a school environment, but I'm not a huge fan of group projects, especially where your partners don't pull their own weight. Because of this, I want to become a writer. While I don't know what form of writing I want to pursue just yet, a lot of these career paths involve writing alone or collaborating with a small group of like-minded people. This kind of environment works better with my work style and ethic. Without my mental illness, I don't think I would have strong beliefs about mental health care, my relationships wouldn't feel as strong and meaningful, and I may not have selected a career that I love as much as I do writing. While my anxiety may limit me and define me in some ways, it is not all of who I am, and I aim to be more than its bitter words and self-doubt.

At the age of five, my parents could sense something wasn't right about me. I attended afternoon kindergarten and every day my stomach was in knots while I waited. I was terrified of being late and terrified to ask my teacher to use the bathroom in class. At six, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ever since I have been on and off various medications. Despite my mental illness, I believe that it has been an unspoken gift to me. While it holds me back often and highly affects my life, it has made me into a better, more sensitive, kind person. I have had to persevere through a lot more than some others because of it, and now I am stronger. Little things that some people may never give a thought to dominate my mind. In turn, this has made me a very detail-oriented person who can work well on a lot of different things. I have a fear of failure, so it has stopped me from preventable ones. I am so thankful to have a father who just happens to be a mental health counselor. If I didn't have the signs in me recognized at a young age, I would have had to struggle alone for years. Because of this, I believe everybody should have access to mental health care, regardless of socio-economic status, and individuals should be more educated and screened. Mental health treatment saves lives and is necessary for the survival and quality of life of many people. A lot of my relationships are affected by my anxiety. I have a hard time reaching out to friends because I overthink every text or conversation, and I get nervous to ask teachers questions or for clarification because I don't want to seem "stupid" or "imperfect." Even with my parents and siblings, my anxiety comes between us. We often live in a battle between me claiming I'm right out of anxiety and projection, and my parents trying to reason with me. At the end of the day, they always love me and I try to apologize, but I can't help but feel like I put an unnecessary burden on them. Due to my anxiety, I don't enjoy working in social settings. I can handle working in a school environment, but I'm not a huge fan of group projects, especially where your partners don't pull their own weight. Because of this, I want to become a writer. While I don't know what form of writing I want to pursue just yet, a lot of these career paths involve writing alone or collaborating with a small group of like-minded people. This kind of environment works better with my work style and ethic. Without my mental illness, I don't think I would have strong beliefs about mental health care, my relationships wouldn't feel as strong and meaningful, and I may not have selected a career that I love as much as I do writing. While my anxiety may limit me and define me in some ways, it is not all of who I am, and I aim to be more than its bitter words and self-doubt.

As a person who struggles with their mental health and has dealt with anxiety since the age of five, I know how hard it can be to cope. I've tried everything from talk therapy to medication to vitamin supplements and essential oil. While I have seen success with some of these methods, I find that small things can truly make a big difference. Meditation was first introduced to me by my psychotherapist father when I was seven or eight, and in all honesty, I didn't understand it for a long time. But as I have grown older, I understand what it can do for your body and mind. What I have struggled with the most in my life in relation to anxiety is calming down when pressure is high. The basis of meditation is taking deep breaths to bring you back to the moment. At any time, you can stop what you're doing (or not) and take a moment to center yourself. The tool is available at any time, which makes it effective. You can even take this a step farther and close your eyes to clear your mind as you do this. Oftentimes, people need to have a solution to deal with their mental health in the moment, not at a set time. Meditation can be used at any time or in any place so somebody can calm down. And the more you meditate, the more clear your mind can be, which can help better someone's mental health.

I was in the eighth grade, sitting in an English class at a new school when my teacher introduced a book I had read before, which I now love (though I didn't then). I had already read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton in my previous school year, but it took reading it a second time to truly find the meaning and love the story. The Outsiders, while a common read, manages to speak to me even five years beyond reading it. I can relate to the characters despite our variances in gender and status in society, and it opened my eyes to how others live. The whole motif of "staying gold," or keeping young, was something I needed to hear at a time in my life where everybody and everything seems to tell you to grow up. It encouraged me to stay the person I was through that process and to not let society try to mold me into something I am not. Also, as a female teenage writer, I am highly inspired by S.E. Hinton's talent at her age and often joke with my family that I wish I was like her by now. I dream of being published and writing for young people, and that is exactly what she did despite the odds of her success being against her purely because of her gender and socio-economic status. I guess what I had to learn in reading the book a second time is that sometimes, a book you read in school is boring. But other times, perhaps rarely, you can discover a book that can change your life.

In a crab’s lifespan, an individual hermit crab may adopt 30 shells as its home at various times and stages of growth. Even as a human, I know I have adopted many shells and connected with others through my collection of shells. Some of my time is spent in my writing shell. I imagine it is made of endless scraps of lined paper, scribbled over with black ink pens, constantly being renovated with new pieces of information and ideas. I often sit, writing in a purple notebook with cursive handwriting flowing from my pen like magic - sometimes I let my mind go on about my feelings while other times I travel to another world of creativity, cultivating my next tale. I do this for hours, and it’s my only shell where I am at peace. Every once in a while, I have a shell that changes - a shell of interest. Right now, it’s a 1980s shell made of acid-washed denim and probably has a VCR and cassette tapes of Bruce Springsteen playing inside. In there, I’m the girl with a perm and Reebok Classics, the girl who watches old footage of MTV in her spare time. My mind is constantly at work, especially with learning, so this is the appropriate place for me to do that - to immerse myself in the culture of a time I never lived in.

In a crab’s lifespan, an individual hermit crab may adopt 30 shells as its home at various times and stages of growth. Even as a human, I know I have adopted many shells and connected with others through my collection of shells. Every once in a while, I have a shell that changes - a shell of interest. Right now, it’s a 1980s shell made of acid-washed denim and probably has a VCR and cassette tapes of Bruce Springsteen playing inside. In there, I’m the girl with a perm and Reebok Classics, the girl who watches old footage of MTV in her spare time. I know to some this may seem like a weird hobby, or not even quite a hobby at all, but it takes up a significant portion of different aspects of my life. My mind is constantly at work, especially with learning, so this is the appropriate way for me to do that - to immerse myself in the culture of a time I never lived in. I research, I listen to music and watch movies, and sometimes I even try to live my life the way people once did. As an individual with anxiety, having a shell for escapism - to leave my worries behind and take on something else - is highly beneficial. Immersing myself in another time with a different, less stressful mindset is important to help me decompress, and it also helps me gain a greater perspective on the world we live in. I understand now how fast things can change, how we can accept and overcome challenges and differences, and how taking lessons from the past can help us improve as a society and world. Having a pursuit of all things '80s has made me feel a greater passion toward humanity and innovation for the future - returning to a society of positivity and good interaction rather than the negativity we live with now.

For a writer, the impact a piece of writing holds can be the most important element of their craft. When you read, you take in the words of others and find a meaning which has the potential to change your life. Because of this, writing has the ability to make positive changes in the world. Certain works of literature have been shown to hold a lot of power. The Outsiders, a book written by a teenager about gang conflict in her hometown, has made a positive impact on a societal and personal scale. In her hometown, the conflict lessened in tension while still keeping the pride of individual groups. In society, her work has been read in classrooms around the world and has influenced many students to understand people for more than their stereotypes or place in society. I think one of the greatest injustices is being misunderstood, and writing has the power to change that. Other writing can hold negative power. Works like manifestos can create uprisings that may seem good but have bitter consequences. Regardless of whether the power of writing is inherently good or bad, it has the ability to change and open people's minds. We live in a world where people are suddenly set in their ways, and while some follow truth, others run from it and create their own. Writing has always set the truth straight in the way humans can't - by ignoring the fallacies speaking and tone inherently hold and laying down the facts as they can be proven or stated factually. Like any other form of art, meaning and impact are not necessarily inherent. People can take different interpretations of it. I think that people search for and pick out the good in the art without trying to. I know I have seen that in my own work - while I don't always write with a positive message in mind, my friends and family see a positive meaning in it anyway.

This article, Absolute Zero, while being one of many I have written, was the first to push me out of my comfort zone. The piece was inspired by the struggle of myself and my friends attempting to get a writing award called "Best of SNO" for our school newspaper's website. I had been driven to writer's block for weeks, trying desperately to come up with something good enough to meet the standard that had been set for me. Finally, I decided to write out how I felt to break the block, and it worked. I made this article to send a message to SNO. I wanted them to know that getting this award would mean a lot to our school and was pushing all of us into too tight of a box just to please them. Writing this article in the first place was very uncharacteristic of me. I hate writing about controversial topics because I have such a fear people will be upset with me. But because this issue had troubled me so much, I knew this battle was the right one to pick. While it didn't win us our desired award, it did grow my confidence to a whole new level and showed us that doing things right - doing things their way - wasn't always the best way. In the future, I want to keep writing and growing to be who I am destined to be. I want to be stronger, and the more I write pieces like this, the closer I am to that.

It is easy to feel lost in the sea of my fellow 7 billion inhabitants of the planet earth. It is hard to feel empowered to be who you are and stand for what you believe in when you feel so minuscule in the grand scheme of things. But I think everybody has an outlet that makes them realize their place in the world is valuable and that they, as an individual, has a purpose for change or impact. As an aspiring writer, I find my voice in my work. When I write for my school newspaper, I can speak on the topics I care about and find like-minded readers and writers in the process. When I write for a stage performance, I can make a statement about a topic that matters to me, and help others to see it in a whole new way. In my career and for the rest of my life, I want to keep leaving a positive impact behind me. Like steps on a shoreline, I don't mind if I inevitably melt away from memory, I just want to be known and understood at one time. I want others to know they aren't alone in this journey, and that there are different ways to see situations we face every day. And I think if I keep writing and continue to bring my pre-existing honesty into my work, I may just succeed.

Last year, my anxiety was starting to weigh me down. I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder from a young age, so I knew to expect ups and downs in my life, but last year it seemed things were getting worse. I was at a meeting for my school’s Thespian Society, a group I hadn’t felt I fit in with when the district-level competition was announced. It was like a voice deep in my conscious said “why don’t you try it? What’s the worst that could happen?” I knew that the voice wasn’t my anxiety, but that was as far as I could identify it. I now know it was the first words of my newfound friend, optimism. So I got to work, and within a few weeks, I had 25 pages of a script completed for the playwriting category. When the day of our district festival came around, I was sick to my stomach with fear - most of it was for the outcome of my little passion project. Optimism told me to wait it out, and not listen to the anxiety knocking down my door. An hour after my adjudication, our troupe director gathered us to hear our scores. As he went through the list, I waited for my name more intently. My play was the last, scoring 29.5 out of 30 points. Optimism spoke once more, just to say an “I told you so.” If I had let my anxiety weigh me down and shut out the optimism that was trying to shine through to me, I wouldn’t have had a breakthrough in getting a high score. Optimism helped me to reach a goal I didn't know I had. It isn’t easy to be optimistic, but I know now that it’s the right way to go.

It is easy to feel lost in the sea of my fellow 7 billion inhabitants of the planet earth. It is hard to feel empowered to be who you are and stand for what you believe in when you feel so minuscule in the grand scheme of things. But I think everybody has an outlet that makes them realize their place in the world is valuable and that they, as an individual, has a purpose for change or impact. As an aspiring writer, I find my voice in my work. When I write for my school newspaper, I can speak on the topics I care about and find like-minded readers and writers in the process. When I write for a stage performance, I can make a statement about a topic that matters to me, and help others to see it in a whole new way. In my career and for the rest of my life, I want to keep leaving a positive impact behind me. Like steps on a shoreline, I don't mind if I inevitably melt away from memory, I just want to be known and understood at one time. I want others to know they aren't alone in this journey, and that there are different ways to see situations we face every day. And I think if I keep writing and continue to bring my pre-existing honesty into my work, I may just succeed.