Everyone wanted to be in Gryffindor. I mean, it represents bravery and courage and the main characters, who were shown as the story's heroes. I am guilty of that too, always thinking I could be like Hermione, a strong, independent, outcast who showed everyone what she was capable of. But as I became more aware of who I am and what I stand for, I quickly realized that I was not a Hermione and definitely not a Gryffindor. In fact, I knew that I didn't belong to just one house, I fit into two, Hufflepuff and Slytherin (or Slytherpuff). Hufflepuff was an obvious one, I am known as the mom, by everyone I know or meet. I always make sure people are supported and getting the help that they need. I am also known to always have snacks on me (frequently, fruit snacks) and will offer them to anyone, and will eat them myself like a true Hufflepuff who loves food. If I am aware of someone struggling or dealing with a terrible situation, I will always reach out, letting them know that they have someone, for whatever they need, to rant or to cry to, to run and get them snacks or self-care items, but always to make sure no one feels alone. The loyalty, caring and giving, and love for food are what made me feel like a true Hufflepuff but it never fully described who I was. It took me a while to accept that I hold Slytherin characteristics, as they were always known as the villains of the story and I was darn sure I did not want to be a villain. But, when I finally accepted that I had ‘villain’ traits, I realized that they were not bad traits to have. For one, I would say I am ambitious. I am a first-generation student, going through college essentially alone while wanting to make my family proud of all my hard work. I always aim for my best, putting in the extra effort to accomplish assigned tasks. During my realization, a trait that I didn't have just yet was self-confidence. When I was younger, I lacked confidence, ridiculed for my insecurities of never feeling good enough, especially when compared to others around me. I could never stand up for myself either, always simply accepting what others wanted. But that changed when I left college, believing that if I wanted or needed something, I would have to do it myself. Over time, my insecurities lessened and I became a confident person, believing in myself and my abilities to achieve anything I set my mind to. Now look at me, soon to graduate college with a BA in Archaeology, with two study abroad, an internship, and volunteer experience that will help me get into my desired field. Oddly, having something that I can fit who I am into, without feeling like I'm settling into one category, has given me the power to grow and take on a very strange world, much like the world of Harry Potter and Co.

Knowing that someone is dying and the time they have left is unknown is a strange place to be. It's a constant wondering if today will be the day the phone rings and you hear the words that a person you love has passed. You go about your life, as there's no control over when it will happen, simply waiting until it does. This is what I went through while my Great Grandma was dying. We learned that she had accepted that her time was coming back in June of 2022. It hit hard, that someone I had grown up with my entire life, and have so many memories with, wasn't going to be around anymore. The last day I saw her was August 12th. That was the day I said goodbye and told her that I love her and that she is the reason I am getting a higher education. That she is a major part of my life, and will always be. She is absolutely the reason that I am in college, pursuing a degree in archaeology. She would tell us stories about her travels and taking the high schoolers that she taught all over the world, showing us the trinkets she brought back and the booklets of historical sites. I was in love with these stories, and what inspired my love of history. As my parents never pressured me to go to college, I truly believed it wasn't in the cards for me. My great grandma showed me otherwise, that I can do anything and that I am worthy to do it. The call came in on December 10th, my mother telling me that my great grandma had died. My eyes filled with tears quickly, as the realization hit that she was no longer here with me, that I wouldn't get to hear the words ‘I love you’ again from her, never see her again, never get to hug her again. Even while I am writing this, I have tears in my eyes. My one goal when I got accepted into college was to have my great-grandmother, the reason I am at school, see me graduate, and walk across the stage with my degree. That’s all I wanted. My focus is still the same, graduate with my degree, and make her proud. Now, all I am asking is that she still sees me walk across the stage. She always loved butterflies, I hope to see a butterfly that day, then I will know that she is there, proud of what I accomplished. I am going to make her proud for the rest of my life, having a career that I love, all in her name and memory. I will make her proud, I know I will.

I was in middle school when I got diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The timing of the diagnoses was terrible, but finally knowing the reasons behind the four broken ankles in two years and the desire to constantly sleep was, not to be dramatic, life-changing. The relief of not feeling sick 24/7 and getting back to the sports and hobbies that I love provided me with a new, happier outlook on life. However, it is not to say that the diagnosis was all sunshine and rainbows. I developed panic attacks when going out to eat with large crowds, as I wasn't able to control the situation and a feeling of being an outcast. Not only was I the only person in my family to have it, but also the only person at my school. I was completely alone, creating some unwelcomed emotions. But as time went on, I worked on those feelings, met others that also have Celiac Disease, and learned how to speak up for myself. I am fortunate that my desired career path didn't take an extreme hit and that I can achieve my dream, to be an osteoarchaeologist. An archaeologist travels all over the world for sites, to analyze finds and create theories, all of which I am still fully able to do. The only change is where I can go, as the question of what I can safely eat is important. Thankfully, gluten-free options are more readily available, as well as people become more aware of Celiac Disease and how to provide for those who have it. I was lucky to attend a field school in Orkney, Scotland this summer. However, I did find it slightly difficult to eat there, not only because of the limited options but sharing a kitchen with seven other people proved to be difficult, in terms of educating them on it and cleaning up after themselves. Regardless of where I go, food will always be on my mind, things I can have, and the panic of getting sick, but it is just another thing I will have to grow to learn and handle. Paying for college is already hard as is, the sheer cost makes me anxious, and when you add on the additional cost of gluten-free food, anywhere from 82% to 242% more expensive, my pockets hurt. This scholarship will help cover part of my tuition and school fees and in turn, reduce the amount of stress on having enough money for food, which funny enough, I need to survive. It will also help my parents financially, as the less debt, I come out of school with, the more money I can give back to them for providing me with everything I have needed, especially for supplying foods that cost them more.

It took me until the end of my freshman year of college to realize that archaeology was a STEM degree. Not sure why it took me four years, even after learning and using GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) and RADAR 7, a GPR processing software. But now I know that I, a woman, am taking the path to gain a STEM degree and join a powerful group of other women and female-identifying STEM professionals. I have a great love for archaeology, especially osteoarchaeology. The bones of the deceased can provide an ample amount of information about how they lived, possible jobs and workload based on stress fractures and wear to the bones, diseases such as tuberculosis, and diet by analyzing the number of vitamins and chemicals in the bone marrow. It truly fascinates me and brings this feeling of excitement and motivation anytime I talk about it. This is one of the reasons I want to gain a STEM degree in archaeology. The processes of archaeology and excavations as a whole also excite me. As of writing this, I have had the pleasure of taking part in an excavation, Ness of Brodgar, in Orkney, Scotland, that is currently excavating a series of structures related to the Neolithic, from around 3000 BC. It is hard, growling work, with a wide range of weather conditions, windy, rainy, sunny, and humid. But I know, just based on how I feel every time I step into the trench, that this is where I want to belong. Along with perfecting my troweling skills (not really) and learning how to plan and fill out context and sample sheets, I got to experience a new skill and gain a new interest in geometrics, or GIS (Geographical Informational Systems). One of the fantastic workers at the site, Jem, allowed me to shadow in on how to use a Leica, a mobile technology that allows for remote mapping of finds at the site. Just being able to talk about mapping and GIS and how it can provide not only a larger understanding of the site but also a smaller more detailed understanding. I loved learning more about this subject and being able to talk, in a very nerdy fashion might I add, about how truly amazing GIS is. I cannot believe what I am learning and experiencing at this site; it is showing me that I am on the right path for me. There are two obstacles that I have so far experienced, one being the cost of this career path, there is little funding for excavation and research, and the other being the limited available jobs, especially in osteoarchaeology. The lack of funding mainly comes from my archaeology professor and his number of complaints about the lack of money that the field offers in terms of research and excavations. I am also aware that this is a common joke in the archaeology community… fun times I know. The other is one that I have been told by several archaeologists, that osteoarchaeology is an incredibly competitive field. I would say it's a niche field of archaeology, as it is not relevant to all sites or understanding of a site. Luckily for me, an obstacle that isn't common for me in this STEM field is the dominance of men. Archaeology is relatively balanced when it comes to gender, and for that, I am grateful for it.

My dog once ran straight into a lawn mower. No, really she did. We threw her ball, and she turned around so fast and hard that she didn't see the parked, nonmoving lawn mower and ran head first into it. But that did not deter her from going after the ball, as she regrouped pretty quickly and ran towards the ball. That is by far my favorite memory of my dog, Mazie. Mazie was by far the best dog I could have grown up with. She was a Christmas dog, as my mom likes to say, and as a three-year-old, it was the best present ever (and honestly still is). Mazie brought so much joy to my life, memories of swimming together in the Mississippi river and having to pull her out of the water because she would not get out, seeing her bubble gum pink nose from the snow, and running around looking for the perfect Christmas tree. She would also get lost in the snow, as she was a yellow lab but had lighter fur, so there were times that we got scared that she ran away, when in reality she was just camouflaged in the snow. I can say with a lot of confidence that my childhood would have been boring without her. She sadly passed in 2017 at the age of 13, it was her time, and as much as I didn't want to let her go, it was the right thing to do. That dog brought me comfort in hard times and showed me love when I left unloved. Without her, I believe my life would be a lot harder, I would be in a different mental state. She changed my life, and I had no clue until she passed how much she impacted me. Now that I am an adult, I see the importance of having a pet in your life, and it is my goal to adopt a dog once I am financially stable too. Mazie, I love you and will always miss you.

My parents never pushed me and my siblings to get a higher education or continue taking classes after high school, and I respected that decision. However, it was my great grandma who persuaded me to attend college and get a BA. With her stories about her experiences teaching English to high schoolers and her many travel stories, it was my great grandma that inspired me to attend college and, inadvertently, influenced my decision to get my bachelor's degree in Archaeology. Without her, I would have no clue as to where I would be in my life, probably still stuck at home instead of experiencing other parts of the world. My childhood was fun, filled with adventures and learning, growing as a person, and forming my ideals. I learned a lot about myself and never felt pressure from my parents to be something or to do something I didn't want to do. And part of that was never being told I had to go to college, with the main reasoning for that was neither of my parents attended college. However, for most of my life, I can remember my great grandma sharing stories about her life, mainly about her teaching and the trips that she took, including the souvenirs she had brought back. I was also fascinated by her trips, the places she saw, and the history she learned. But it wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that my love of her stories clicked with my love of history, creating my future to attend college and gain a degree in archaeology. My great grandma is, without a doubt, my biggest influence in life. While I was applying to schools for undergraduate, I wrote an application essay about my great grandma, and how, without her, I would most likely be leading a different path. During that essay, my hope and desire for my great grandma to watch me walk across the stage, knowing that she is the main reason for me walking that day, grew. However, the sad reality is that will not be the case. As of writing this, in mid-July, my great grandma is on hospice care and has stopped taking her medications, accepting that it is her time to go. Her goal is to live till her 86th birthday in September and then await death. I have two years left of my undergrad and it hurts to not have her there. But I know that she will always be there, watching me accomplish my dreams, walking across the stage, knowing that she is proud of me and that is motivation enough.

My favorite scientific discovery is from the site of Tell Abraq and Umar, of two female skeletons that were fully articulated in a tomb of cremated remains, by Dr. Lesley Gergoricka of the University of South Alabama. Not only is this site impactful in understanding the social structures of societies during the Umm an-Nar period, but it was led by the first team of all women in the Middle East. Having fully articulated skeletons left in a burial site provided several theories and insights into societal structures, but it also allowed for Isotope testing of Stroteum and Oxygen of the molars, aiding in its beneficial use in the field of archaeology. The two female skeletons, after the isotope testing, provided data that one was local and the other was non-local. This showed that the societies that they resided in, were accepting outsiders, mainly to avoid interbreeding. They also provided more data since both were disabled. One suffered from paralysis, relying on one side of her body, and the other had polio, one of the earliest cases, that left her weak and needing of constant attention. The results of this site proved the use of isotope testing in archaeological settings, but also the standing of disabled women in Umm an-Nar society. I love this site as it grows my interest in bio and osteoarchaeology and also gives me confidence, that as a woman in this field, I am not limited to what and where I can study.

1. Why do you deserve this scholarship? The History Channel show Ancient Aliens has a total of 18 seasons and has about 168 episodes. It DEFINITELY discusses different subjects and brings in LEGIT experts to discuss how aliens have built and impacted human life. 2. What are your academic and/or career goals? Once, while discussing my interests with my boyfriend, I said the lovely thing of “I don’t want to rearrange furniture, I want to find dead people”. How that didn’t end my relationship with my boyfriend is beyond me but I’m serious, I want to find dead people… and maybe talk to them, we’ll see. 3. Tell me about a time you’ve overcome an obstacle. My sister's elementary school once put on a show, what about, who knows. But, she had to sing a song with the line “ I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way”. She sang that line repeatedly for a month, the fact that I didn't kill her shows I have restraint and patients.

I’ve always struggled with school, especially studying for tests, causing a lot of anxiety and stress. However, once I got into college, something clicked and I finally grasped how to study. The good ol’ try and true method of flashcards have been very helpful in term heavy classes such as environmental science and human anatomy. The other similar method of studying that I've utilized is drawing different objects and labeling. Being able to hand draw the shape of something, such as bones, and labeling by hand helps me visualize the object and everything associated with it. Using this strategy in my art history classes and human anatomy has increased my recall and test scores. The last method I use is reading over my notes, making highlights on important things, and then writing everything down that I remembered from that review. This solidifies information while giving me a better understanding of what I need to review more on the second pass. As I continue in my college journey, I am continuing to learn new studying techniques and methods that work for me.

The most inspirational book I’ve read would be The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I read this book in my AP Literature and Composition class, where it quickly became one of my favorites, even to this day. I even bought my own copy after reading it because I loved it so much and wanted the ability to read it whenever I wanted to. The story of a woman, Edna Pontellier, a mother, and wife, coming to terms that she is not happy with her life, starting to explore the things she's been shut out to, finally learning why the crazy lady who has been shunned by society is the freest out of them all. This aspect of the book is what has inspired me to be confident in trying new things and exploring to learn more about myself and who I am. I don’t agree with everything in the book, mainly the leaving the children behind and the ending (not gonna spoil it for you), but the main message of finding yourself is something I've taken into my life, saying yes to new experiences and learning about all the people around me.

It came to me like a breath of fresh air, the realization that the past is in the past and that it shouldn’t affect the present or the future. The pandemic was a wake-up call, informing me that there is so much more to life than the negatives of the past, which I was seeing control my family and influence their decisions. This mindset is one that I keep with me and remind myself, whenever I am struggling, that I have a whole life ahead of me and I should focus on the unknowns of the future. I first saw the pandemic as a negative in my life, losing my senior year of high school, the fear of getting sick, the fear of losing a loved one. And don’t get me wrong, it surely is a stressful and fearful time, but how I got past the negative emotions constantly controlling me, was to think of the present and the future and take it day by day. I am grateful for the pandemic as it allowed me to grow and learn more about myself and my abilities to overcome.

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” Vincent Van Gogh. The comfort of the four walls that surrounded me, the warmth of my bed, the safety of the house. I lived my life with the notion that never leaving the house was safer than experiencing anything new. I realized as I grew up that I needed to go out and see what has been created around me, make memories that will last me a lifetime, and leave the house’s comfort to grow. My friends were the driving force, taking me to go to coffee shops, movies, art festivals, showing me a life outside of my walls. I have learned from them the joys of going out and the memories that come from it, and I am ever so grateful for them. I now have the confidence and drive to do things with others and to experience things by myself that I wouldn't have even thought of if I didn’t leave my comfort zone. This Van Gogh quote is a reminder to get out and explore, make mistakes, and continue to have courage in anything that I do.

I started hating the person I was back in the fifth grade, only wearing yoga pants and sweatshirts with my hair in a ponytail. I would not even put on a dress for my 5th-grade graduation because of how disgusted I was with how I looked. My hatred only grew during middle school when I started to compare myself to my friends and how they looked and acted. Those thoughts led me to develop depression and anxiety, and what controlled my every thought and action. It wasn’t until later in high school that I was finally able to work on accepting myself. I was always the bigger kid in any class, who stood out in any group picture like a sore thumb. But being the bigger kid never had an impact on me until I reached fifth grade, when my closest friends at that time were tiny, half of my size. Throughout middle school, those friends remained tiny and perfect, while I only got bigger and uglier. I would be the one standing behind others, trying to hide what I looked like, avoiding being in pictures and always being the one taking them. I constantly thought, “why can’t I be skinny?” and “why can’t I be more like them?” comparing myself to people who are completely different from me. Those thoughts were like being stabbed over and over again, with no end, leading to me contemplating and attempting suicide. Middle school was the worst years of my life, but now, I look at them with the knowledge that those events and thoughts allowed me to grow and become more accepting of who I am. I am now grateful for the experience that I have gone through, they have allowed me to be aware that I am capable of love, from myself and from others, as well as my ability to change healthily. Today, I have accepted that I am who I am and not everyone will like me but that doesn’t mean that no one will ever like me. I have an amazing small group of friends that enjoy my company and appreciate me for who I am. I have also learned at I might not like everything about me and, if it truly bothers me, there might be a healthy and safe way to change. For instance, I am not the biggest fan of my body. I sometimes look at myself and wish I looked different. I know now that excising and eating well can not only help the way I look but also make me feel better and stronger, both physically and mentally. I am still working on acceptance of myself, but I know I have made great strides in self-love and that it has only benefited me in the process.

Like the majority of people, I have experienced more fear than I have in all of my life, fear that I might lose the ones I love or even lose myself. But besides the extreme amounts of fear, I have learned positives about myself that I wasn’t aware of until the pandemic. I have learned that I can adapt to whatever circumstances or situations that come my way and that I can persevere through any challenge that may occur. When the pandemic first hit in March, fear was what controlled me and my family's actions, causing us to never leave the house, sanitize all groceries and mail, and keep our friends and family out. That fear controlled me until later in April, when I found that I felt better about the situation when I stopped looking at the past and started living in the present and for the future. I would focus on finishing high school on a positive note and plan for my college courses and the start of achieving my dream of becoming an archaeologist. Even looking at the positives of the future and the present, I never turned a blind eye towards the fact that we are living in a pandemic and that things are going to be forever changed, which is daunting to think about. Even with that thought, I know that I am doing my part to help and that it is better for me to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. This has led to me learning perseverance and what I am capable of overcoming. Perseverance isn’t the only thing that I have learned about myself over this past year. I have also learned that I can adapt to whatever situation comes my way. I haven’t experienced a lot of change in my life, with the biggest change being diagnosed with celiac disease and having to change my diet for the rest of my life, but besides that, my life has stayed relatively the same, so I never had to learn how to be adaptive. Going through this pandemic taught me how to understand situations and learn the best ways to adapt. I started the pandemic watching extreme amounts of tv and spending hours on TikTok and playing The Sims, not exactly a joyous and healthy day to day life. I knew there was more than that to life, so I planned to change it. I started doing daily walks, going to the tennis courts with my sister, and reading more than sitting on my phone, trying to spend my time improving myself and finding new hobbies. After I changed my daily routine, I became less depressed, and my overall outlook on life improved. The pandemic has changed life as we know it, whether for good or bad. For me, I see the pandemic as a positive impact on my life, as it has allowed me to learn how to adapt to any situation and persevere even when things get difficult. The pandemic will have an impact on everything that we once knew, but for me, it changed my outlook on life for the better.

I will never forget the moment I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where the body doesn’t recognize gluten (wheat, barley, and rye) as a form of energy but as a harmful virus or bacteria, causing a multitude of issues from brittle bones to a weakened immune system. Celiac Disease isn’t a life-threatening issue, it’s not something that one can die from, but if it goes undiagnosed, it makes daily life more difficult than it already is. Since getting diagnosed, I have faced my fair share of obstacles but from those challenges, I have learned more about who I am and what I can achieve. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 7th grade, during the time in one’s life with the most change and that can impact someone's life forever. I found that it wasn’t changing my diet and what I would eat for the rest of my life to be the hardest thing but the fact that this diagnosis would make me stand out when all I wanted to do was fit in. I was the only person in my middle school that had this, making me more of an outcast than I already was. At this time, not only was I dealing with having Celiac Disease, but I was also dealing with not knowing how to read and having tutors in math and reading, which made it easy for me to compare myself to others who could do and eat all the things that I couldn’t. I was already behind my friends in school, and this diagnosis made me feel as though I would never catch up or be like them. I wished every day and every night that it would go away and that I would wake up a normal person, but that never happened. Instead, I developed anxiety, the anxiety of looking weird or getting sick because no one knew what Celiac Disease was or how to treat someone with it. I battled anxiety and insecure feelings through 11th grade (and some to this day) when I was finally able to accept that I have this disease and that I was alone in that way but that it does not make me weird, instead, it is a part of me and has allowed me to grow. Although I struggled with having this disease, I have grown and learned so much from it. I have learned that the things that make me different, ultimately make me and that it is not something that sets me back but pushes me forward. Learning this has allowed me to grow as a person and to focus on my future rather than feeling bad that I am different than others. I am now grateful to have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and have gone through those challenging times because without it, I would still be comparing myself to others, feeling weird and an outcast, and looking at the world as an evil place that I don’t belong in.