Battling mental health is no easy task. I talk as someone who has watched the most important person in my life fight that battle. I was in fourth grade when I realized the severity of my mother's illness. I remember being told that she was taken to the hospital, unsure of when she would return. That day, my world was turned upside down. We all were waiting for her to "get better" but soon came to realize that mental health is not only a battle, but a war. I distinctly remember a family member saying "Shouldn't she be better already?" At the time, I got choked up and didn't respond, but my answer would have been no. It's not something that goes away just with medication and therapy, if only it were that easy. I am fortunate to say that she did bounce back, although not fully. Mental illness took a part of her that may never return. This experience with mental health, although indirect, has impacted my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world. I consider myself to be a more empathetic person, because I can recognize that everyone has something they're dealing with, that they may not be able to say aloud due to stigma surrounding it. I strive to become a college graduate not only to futher my education, but to make my mother proud. I am able to form relationships, where people feel comfortable talking to me about their struggles, knowing that I will not judge. I would say this experience with mental health has made me who I am today.

Murder Mystery is one of the most popular book genres, but have you ever heard of one with a teenage girl as the main character? If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, that book would be "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson. Although the title leads people to believe this book follows a murderer, it is quite the opposite. In the story, Pippa Fitz-Amobi, a young woman in her last year of high school, decides to take on a murder case as her Senior Capstone project. Despite the case having been solved for years, Pippa has a hunch that the real perpetrator is still out there. Her life is put at risk as she gets closer and closer to discovering the truth. At one point, Pippa began to receive threatening messages, almost causing her to terminate the entire investigation. Pippa's story is extraordinary in the way that even when she faces unimaginable challenges, nothing keeps her from her mission. She finds the real perpetrator and puts him behind bars, clearing the name of the wrongly accused man in the process. Although her story is a bit of an extreme example, I believe the world needs a reminder that when the determination is there, almost anything is possible. Like Pippa, I strive to accomplish my goals in spite of the obstacles in my way. If everyone in the world were to read this thrilling murder mystery novel, there is a chance that they would be inspired to do the same.