Spending my childhood and then moving to LaPine, Oregon for my middle school and high school career was detrimental to the person I am today. LaPine is the best community of kind people who are willing to support us at any time of the day, whether it's volunteering for our school's football fundraiser or coming to support our senior sunrise; the community of LaPine will be there with open arms. This small community has shaped my life goals and motivated me to push myself. Spending many years in LaPine the community has offered me a blend of natural beauty and close-knit community bonds. By being the social coordinator of LaPine High leadership, I have gotten even closer to faces around the town and have been able to connect and help people within the city. Being surrounded by nature has fueled my ambitions of working with wildlife and finding a career where I can spend the majority of my time outside. My appreciation for nature has grown with my time here. Living in LaPine has fueled my passion for environmental conservation and science. The sense of community within LaPine is unmatched. Everyone knows each other, and neighbors become family. Moving here I automatically formed connections with others. This environment provided me with a sense of belonging, and being a part of something bigger than myself. Through community events, local gatherings, and the sense of support LaPine has provided, I learned the value of forming connections with others and the impact of making people feel seen. My time at LaPine High School has been valuable and played a huge role in my personal growth and in shaping my goals. The schools might not have a lot of resources with the low budget our school has, but the teachers and staff have been nothing but nurturing, dedicated, and committed to helping me grow and find my passions. In this homey school, I discovered the importance of pushing yourself, and goal setting to pursue future academic goals. LaPine has also provided me with the peace of living in a rural area, stressing the importance of being authentic, and simple, and becoming resilient when faced with challenges. I also learned how hard-working people can be and the importance of a strong work ethic. Witnessing community members go through hard times and being resilient through the darkness has inspired me to tackle problems I have had in my life. It also taught me the importance of being there for your loved ones and having their back. As I look back on my years living in LaPine, I have learned the importance of community support and how it shaped my character. Being in this small town has influenced my goals that I am determined to achieve in the future. The close connection with my community members, and the natural beauty surrounding me has helped me push myself with my commitment to conservation. LaPine has provided me with a desire to one day give back to a community that has done so much for me. The family-like connections of LaPine have positively impacted my social skills. My future goals consist of building and nurturing communities and bringing a sense of LaPine to anywhere I go. This sense of belonging that LaPine has given me will be instilled within me for my whole life. I aspire to be a person that always impacts the well-being of her community just like the people of LaPine did. In conclusion, the small community of LaPine is more than just a place for me, it's the people and places that I love.

Ocean conservation is extremely vital to the overall wellness of our Earth but still is threatened by pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Helping the ocean is a passion for me that motivates me to pursue a degree in marine biology. Growing up by the beaches of Southern California, I have always been drawn to the beauty of the marine life in the ocean. Being at the beach the majority of my childhood, provided me with an experience that grew my love for the ocean and my commitment to be in a field where I could positively contribute as an adult. As I learned more about the harm that the ocean is experiencing, I was more committed to becoming part of the solution. As my school career went along, I became motivated to become a marine biologist and found myself researching content about the ocean, marine life, and how to become a successful biologist. Courses such as the natural resource science class at my high school further motivated me to pursue a science career. Through hands-on experience at the Sea Turtle Camp in Costa Rica that I am attending this summer, I plan to learn about turtle hatchlings and the complex ocean they call home. With this experience, I'll be able to help solve problems that the ocean is facing. Research furthered my understanding of the ocean and made me even more excited to pursue this career. Throughout high school, I have always found myself actively participating in labs and research projects. These experiences opened my eyes to more ways I could benefit from becoming a marine biologist. Spreading awareness is a vital step to improving the state of our oceans. As a future marine biologist, I am committed to spreading knowledge to the best of my ability. As a leadership student at LaPine High, I have organized several activities to promote the spread of information about our oceans and what we could do as a student body to help. I plan to take advantage of my small community and many resources to help support the sense of environmental knowledge within my town. In the future, I plan to make a dominant impact in the marine biology field. I would like to cover issues such as coral reef decline, plastic pollution, and the effects of climate change. With this, I hope to educate individuals on how they can help the management of our oceans. I also want to advocate for policies that promote lasting change. In conclusion, my aspirations of becoming a marine biologist are rooted in my deep passion for protecting our oceans. With education, research, and community support my goal is to spread the importance of saving these important ecosystems. I know the journey ahead will have some challenges, but my love for the conservation of the ocean motivates me every day and inspires me to make a positive impact on the broad task of conserving our oceans for the future.