My graduation regalia is on the wall near my desk as I write this essay. Many cords, stoles, ribbons, and medals all hung up on display for me to remember how hard I worked to get here. It consists of honor thespian stole, earned for over 600 hours of work in high school theatre. Attached to it are five thespian stars, each representing an additional 100 hours of work. I've held many roles in the theatre, such as makeup designer and captain, stage manager, lead roles, lighting designer, costume crew, props crew, and spotlight operator. My choir cord is for one year of show choir and holding the club leadership positions of treasurer and librarian. I received honor cords for maintaining a 3.8 GPA. There is a cord and V-Stole for active membership in National Honor Society. I also started many clubs or participated in clubs but did not receive any regalia for them. In my junior year at another school, I began a club focused on making LGBTQ+ students feel safe and accepted on campus. I was the Social Media Chairman of the Girls Who Code Club in my junior year. When I moved schools, I was the secretary of my final school's LGBTQ club. I also have medals and ribbons from competitions; my favorite medal was when I reached the top 6 in California at the National History Day competition. I competed in the 1-person performance category; the theme for the year was Frontiers in History. I chose to research and perform about the frontier of transgender rights and how it has progressed since the beginning of time. I would have represented California nationally if I had reached the top 3. I have a ribbon for making it to the semi-finals in a DTASC competition. At this competition, I and two other actors entered the LGBTQ Playwrights category and competed against nearly 75 other schools who attended. In addition to these accomplishments, I was a tutor for underclassmen and elementary schoolers and a babysitter. Throughout this, I maintained a high GPA with AP and honors coursework. Although the final school I attended had IB courses available, I couldn't take them because I didn't have the prerequisites, and I would have needed to start them at the beginning of my junior year, and I arrived at the end of my junior year. This made my GPA and class rank look much lower than my classmates who had had those opportunities, but I still tried my best, as always. Ultimately, I was in the top 5% of my class. With all of these activities, I often got asked how I did it all. Most students are exhausted by school and so many activities. However, for me, school and clubs were my escape. They were my break from a stressful home life, and I didn't have to hide myself as I needed to where I lived. I couldn't see my friends outside of school, nor could I use the internet to talk to my online friends, so school became something I loved doing and going to. I'm also an overachiever and people pleaser. I wanted to do well because it made me feel good to do well and look good for college, but I hated feeling like my teachers were upset or disappointed in me or my work. I would use any free time to complete the work needed to prevent this from happening. In the end, I'm proud of how hard I worked. It got me into my dream school, and now I'm thriving and living life to the fullest.

I have to say, before starting college, I had never really known how to handle money. Within the foster care system, it was hard to get a job due to frequent moves, foster parents refusing to let me out of the house, and not having access to the internet. The only times I ever got money were through doing online research studies or making a few bucks tutoring classmates. Whenever I got those payments of 20-40$, I typically immediately spent it. I needed socks, shoes, food, and other things. I kept telling myself that as soon as I was in college and had a job, I would save every cent so I wouldn't go into debt. I'm in college now, so here's how it's going. I don't save every cent. I spend my money on groceries, tuition, school supplies, and things I need. I allocate 50$ each month for things that aren't necessities. Before I buy something I see as a necessity, I ask myself if I can live without it and how much it will improve my life. For example, one of these purchases was a cube shelving set. I knew I desperately needed the storage space, and while it wasn't a necessity like food or water, it would greatly improve my life. I could see no cons to it. It was reusable when moving dorms, and I could also easily store it if I didn't need it. I could also customize it and use it in so many different ways. I have some of it being used as a pantry storage and as a shelf on my desk for organization. Before buying something, I make a mental pros and cons list to ensure I'm not wasting my money. This process may have saved me from wasting money in a few cases. I'm big on makeup and love having fun creating new looks and just using my face as a canvas. And with the new TikTok shop feature, I began seeing gorgeous eyeliners in colors I'd never seen on store shelves before I asked myself the pros and cons. The pros were: it was right on my phone so I can return to it later. I'd never find this on a store shelf. The cons were I hadn't done any major looks in a bit due to being busy with school. I decided to wait a bit, and my school schedule found some rhythm. I found some time for self-care and doing makeup again in the afternoon and decided to buy myself the eyeliners. I feel like making a pros and cons list for buying non-necessities is a great lesson I've learned. It's kept me from going wild with this newfound sense of freedom and my own bank account. I'm sure I have more to learn and new ways to grow, like figuring out taxes and how to invest, but for now I'm managing my account and saving.

Many people don't like labels, but I find them empowering. When I talk about myself, I tend to use labels a lot. I am a first-generation, queer, disabled, former foster youth who has struggled with homelessness, poverty, bullying, mental health issues. But I am also a leader, activist, son, friend, student, actor, and future educator. I grew up all around southern California, staying in some not-so-nice places like San Bernadino and Hemet but also in peaceful areas such as Idyllwild and Redlands, where I am currently attending college. I'm studying various subjects, including theatre, music, dance, education, psychology, Race and Ethnic Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and piano. I am creating my degree at the University of Redlands rather than following a pre-determined path. I plan to use my degree and knowledge to go to underprivileged schools in California to build and bolster their arts programs. I want to show the youth in these schools that they can make it out and be more than people say they are. I remember being told by foster parents, "I bet a year after we kick you out (at 18), you'll either be dead in a ditch or wishing you were." Many youth coming from low socioeconomic situations grow up with the idea that they can never be more than they are at that moment. And I want to show them they can and are worthy of helping themselves. My way of doing this is to bring in the arts. The arts profoundly impact grades, attendance rates, youth incarceration rates, and amount of students receiving disciplinary action. The arts give students projects to be proud of, bring students together toward a common goal, and teach them about hard work and teamwork. They also showcase students' talents and different ways of thinking not used in Common Core. It's also been proven that students with low socioeconomic status in the arts have dropout rates of 4%, which is 5x less than students not in the arts. But just getting these students to see their graduation date isn't just what the arts can do. Students engaged in the arts are twice as likely to go to college. Besides being a teacher, I want to be a foster parent. Growing up in the foster system and seeing how much it failed me and other youth has inspired me to want to make a difference. I want to be the foster parent I needed as a teenager. I plan to foster almost exclusively teens and siblings. Siblings in foster care are often separated due to how many siblings there are or the ages of some of the siblings. I was separated from my sisters, and I know how much it hurts. I want to foster teens and give them the tools they need to succeed. Teenagers are seen as problematic to deal with and "too big of a problem." When I was in foster care, no one took the time to teach me things like how to grocery shop on a budget, how to meal plan, how to hunt for an apartment, how to file taxes, and much more that I still have to teach myself. I want to set the youth I work with up for success. I know that I will make a significant impact on the youth around me in the future. Using college and my degree as a stepping stone, I will make my impact on youth through the arts and fostering.

Many people don't like labels, but I find them empowering. When I talk about myself, I tend to use labels a lot. I am a first-generation, queer, disabled, former foster youth who has struggled with homelessness, poverty, bullying, mental health issues. But I am also a leader, activist, son, friend, student, actor, and future educator. I have dreams of becoming a theatre teacher in southern California and bringing the arts to schools whose programs are very small or non-existent. To my friends, I'm funny, loyal, smart, and a big hugger. To speak in terms of other labels, I am also someone who struggles with anxiety, depression, disordered eating, C-PTSD, and self-harm. I don't let most people see the side of me that struggles with these. My family is the only people I allow to see this side of me. While they may not be the family I was born with, they are the ones who care and are there when I need them. My family has been some of my biggest supporters in life. They are the ones who tell me it doesn't matter if my scars are showing or that I look amazing when I'm scrutinizing myself in the mirror. They encourage me to eat and remind me that food is fuel. They've helped me go from sobbing in my closet, terrified of leaving the house, to dressed in my sparkly teal show choir uniform, ready to perform. But even with their support, getting out of bed is still a struggle each morning. I can never get enough sleep, even with good sleep habits and doing everything right. And by the time I get out of bed and out to class or work, I'm already struggling to prevent myself from having an anxiety attack. This continues the whole day and only gets worse. Sometimes, I lock myself in a bathroom stall, trying to calm down, and typically, I only manage to calm down slightly. Besides the anxiety, dealing with depression makes it hard to pay attention, find the energy to do school work, or concentrate on anything. And when my depression gets especially bad, I struggle to keep myself safe in terms of harming myself or worse. I've struggled with depression since before 6th grade when I started cutting, and since then, I've been hospitalized multiple times. I think something that has hindered my ability to "get better" has been how mental health is handled in foster care. When I returned from the hospital, or someone discovered I had self-harmed instantly, 15 people had to know about it; it was talked about in a sensitive manner like "How can we help you get better?" It was seen as "Gross; you need to fix it." On top of that, I was never allowed to shut a door behind me, even to the bathroom. I never had any privacy, and as a growing teenager, not having an ounce of privacy hurt more than it helped. Another thing that hindered my ability to do better was the frequent switching of therapists I had to do in the foster system. Luckily, I've been seeing the same therapist for a year now. I think I'm doing better; I recently almost hit a 200-day streak without self-harming. And I've been attempt free for a few months. I think getting out of the foster system has helped greatly as well, finally being able to control my life a little more and create a safe space in my dorm. While I still struggle with my mental health I'm doing better then ever before.

Many people don't like labels, but I find them empowering. When I talk about myself, I tend to use labels a lot. I am a first-generation, queer, disabled, former foster youth who has struggled with homelessness, poverty, bullying, mental health issues. But I am also a leader, activist, son, friend, student, actor, and future educator. I grew up all around southern California, staying in some not-so-nice places like San Bernadino and Hemet but also in peaceful places such as Idyllwild and Redlands, where I am currently attending college. I'm studying various subjects, including theatre, music, dance, education, psychology, Race and Ethnic Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and piano. I am creating my degree at the University of Redlands rather than following a pre-determined path. I plan to use my degree and knowledge to go to underprivileged schools in California to build and bolster their arts programs. I want to show the youth in these schools that they can make it out and be more than people say they are. I remember being told by foster parents, "I bet a year after we kick you out (at 18), you'll either be dead in a ditch or wishing you were." Many youth coming from low socioeconomic situations grow up with the idea that they can never be more than they are at that moment. And I want to show them they can and are worthy of helping themselves. My way of doing this is to bring in the arts. The arts profoundly impact grades, attendance rates, youth incarceration rates, and amount of students receiving disciplinary action. The arts give students projects to be proud of, bring students together toward a common goal, and teach them about hard work and teamwork. They also showcase students' talents and different ways of thinking that are not used in common core. It's also been proven that students with low socioeconomic status in the arts have drop out rates of 4%, that is 5x less than students not in the arts. But just getting these students to see their graduation date isn't just what the arts can do. Students who are engaged in the arts are twice as likely to go to college. Besides being a teacher I want to be a foster parent. Growing up in the foster system and seeing how much it failed me and other youth has inspired me to want to make a difference. I want to be the foster parent I needed as a teenager. My plan is to foster almost exclusively teens and siblings. Siblings in foster care are often separated due to howmany siblings there are or ages of some of the sibling. I was separated from my sisters and know how much it hurts. I want to foster teens and give the tools they will need to be successful. Teenagers are seen as hard to deal with and "too big of a problem." When I was in foster care no one took the time to teach me things like this is how to grocery shop on a budget, how to meal plan, how to hunt for an apartment, how to file taxes and much more that I still have to teach myself. I want to set the youth I work with up for the success. I know that I will make a huge impact on the youth around me in the future, using college and my degree as a stepping stone I will make my impact on youth through the arts and fostering.

I still remember when I found out how much about our world we didn't know about. "95% of the ocean is still unexplored!" It was 9th grade, and a peer was doing a presentation on why she wanted to be a marine biologist. To this day, I am still astounded by the fact that we hardly know anything about the planet we live on! My imaginative brain thought about all the wild and crazy life that could be found in the places we haven't explored yet, maybe fish with feathers or animals that ate rocks. While those are silly ideas, they might not have been far from the truth. The reality is we don't know what's down there at all. A perfect example of the saying, "You don't know what you don't know." But more seriously, if we live here on Earth, why don't we know everything about it? There could be invaluable resources, dangers that threaten life as we know it, and beauty beyond our imaginations and right below our noses, and we have no clue about it! This same idea can be expanded when thinking larger: what don't we know about our universe? What if there's another planet like Earth that we could live on that would ease the stress we put on our current Earth? Or what if there are threats that we don't know about? I'm not a big reader of science fiction, but it seems probable that there's life out there. It may be smarter than us and watching us, or it may wonder if we exist. I think it's incredibly important for humanity to go out and get to know the unknown. But at the same time, we must have rules and morals when exploring. I love being in the outdoors, hiking, camping, and being in the water. When you're an experienced outdoors person, you typically follow the seven rules of "Leave No Trace." These rules are: Respect the Wildlife, "Pack it In, Pack it Out", Travel on Durable Surfaces, Plan and Prepare, Leave What You Find, Minimize Your Impacts, and Be Considerate of Others. If we applied these principles to exploration, we would be able to get lots of important data and learn so much about our world, universe, and the life within them while also not causing harm or disrupting their natural habitat and behaviors. These seven rules cover any situation you may ever come across when exploring. For example, Plan and prepare: This principle emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the challenges and risks of the environment you are entering. In space exploration, careful planning and preparation are critical to ensuring the safety of astronauts and the mission's success. And if you have a mission to photograph a planet or test the water salinity levels, you only do that. You wouldn't be prepared to explore a cave system or to test rock composition, and trying to do more on a mission when you are only equipped to handle certain activities means possibly wasting the resources needed to keep the crew safe. Another aspect of Leave No Trace is Respect for Wildlife. When exploring the unknown, you don't know how the wildlife will react to you, how to protect yourself from it, or how many are still alive to learn about. If we observe the wildlife and do nothing to harm or threaten it, we can do the necessary research about it before diving deeper. The aspect of "Leave What You Find" can be applied to ensuring that we are not cross-contaminating environments, and if we must, take a sustainable amount so that the environment can survive without the amount we have taken. This is easy when thinking about rock sampling but gets tricky when thinking about animal and plant life. In these situations, it's best to take the minimal amount needed to research and take sustainable amounts. "Pack It In, Pack It Out" is extremely important and essentially means don't leave a foreign substance in an environment that won't know how to handle it. This means everything, including all materials and equipment, must go when leaving a planet after research. This keeps these environments exactly as they were when found. And the same applies when exploring new parts of the ocean. The most important aspect of Leave No Trace to use when exploring the unknown is Minimize Your Impacts. This is an overarching ideal to be used in all situations; the plants, animals, and environment you are entering were all there before you; you're walking into their home. In the same way, you wouldn't go to a stranger's house and move in for a few days then leave the place a wreck, don't do that to the environments you encounter. You may think that the same rules and principles we use on Earth, and in the world we currently know about cannot apply to places we don't know about but these rules are very generalized and can be applied in many situations, making them extremely useful for exploring the unknown. For all these reasons when exploring the unknown, we should follow the rules of Leave No Trace

Growing up through foster care, abusive homes, bullying and being low income was a thing but easy. However, I was able to find second home in the theatre, a home that took me as I was and found a place for me. It allowed me to feel useful, wanted, and talented. In my first production, a parody of Sleeping Beauty including Elvis Presley, I played Beauty's loveable sidekick, a sweet puppy who is always wanting to play. I didn't realize it at the time but that first production lead me to realize that I loved theatre. I later took on roles such as the Genie in Aladdin, Highschool Girl in Tracks, Leopold in Luchadora!, and lead roles in several self or group written plays that were preformed for audiences and competitions. When I'm not on stage I'm working behind the scenes, being useful in multiple departments. I've been a lighting designer and light board operator, spotlight operator, sound board operator, stage manager, and makeup captain. Some of these roles such as lighting designer, stage manager, light board operator and makeup captain I've held multiple times. My favorite role I've held is being stage manager for The Addams Family Musical at my school. I've also been apart of props crew, makeup crew, and costume crew without holding any leadership positions. All of these roles allowed me to build skills in the theatre arts, skills that I will one day use in the real world and in college. This last year I've grown tremendously as an actor and technician. This is all thanks to my current theatre director who I will call Mrs. R. When I first transferred to this school in the last quarter of my junior year, I was put into her general theatre class. When I discussed wanting to join a production she suggested putting me into one of her "real" theatre classes. The general theatre class was for students looking to fulfill their arts credit but not interested in acting or tech. She had just moved to this school and the theatre department was filled with a small group of individuals and the department's goal for the year was just to get by. I was moved to the technical class and immediately started taking on jobs, first a spotlight operator for a musical then a lighting designer for a dance performance and more. I was excited and wanted to do everything I could. Mrs. R could see that I loved theatre with my whole heart, and she supported me. She kept allowing me to be a sponge and soak up the experiences. When it came time to apply to colleges I sought her advice on what programs were the best fit for me. Knowing my passion to do anything and everything theatre she suggested the Johnston Program at the University of Redlands. This program allowed me to build my own major and take classes from any department I wanted without restrictions to major. I could pursue acting, technical theatre, dancing, and singing to grow my craft and learn skills to help my future students. It was the perfect fit for me. Mrs. R gave me a place in her theatre, allowed me to grow my craft, and connected me with a way to grow my craft even more, she's pushed me and helped me more than words can say.

My dream future self is a confident, comforting, theatre teacher and foster parent who has taken his struggles and used them as fuel in his fight for a better life, I will have taken everything I've learned to help my students and foster children and relate to them on a level that I have needed my whole life.

Something that has stayed consistent throughout my life has been inconsistency. I remember from the time I was a child I was constantly moving homes with my parents and in and out of foster care. Inconsistency of "Will I have a bed to sleep in tonight" and "Where will my next meal come from" "Will I see my parents or a social worker picking me up from school?" I feel my foundation on growing up with little has led me to choose community service. Originally it started from living in a foster home that participated in a weekly food pantry service at a local church. Weekly I'd spend 3-5 hours moving boxes and bags of food from tables to cars and counting how many families we had helped, sometimes reaching 139. Because of this, I realized how much joy volunteering brought me and I made a commitment to always put others before myself and do my best to be a light to everyone. I created an art piece that I have hanging in my room to remind and inspire me to keep going. A few weeks after working in the food pantry, I started volunteering at the Sunday School Daycare, as an assistant daycare teacher. The head teacher let me take charge and was my supervisor and mentor. I taught young children from 3-7 bible stories, created activities to encourage their fine and gross motor skills to grow, created silly songs, dances, and rhymes to learn new concepts, and supervised them in the classroom and on the playground during free time. Teaching these students was my pride and joy, I learned to communicate with parents about what their child learned, dietary restrictions to memorize for snack time, and how to incorporate a child's abilities into our lesson whether the child could run walk or crawl. Leaving those children behind when I moved foster homes was one of the saddest memories I have. Many of them asked me not to leave and to live in the classroom. I know I made an impact on those children. A few weeks after I was able to call my past foster parents and found many of the students missed me dearly and asked if I would ever come back. I have not stopped my work of helping others since leaving that point in my life, since then I make it my goal to help day to day in my classes. While sophomore year I could not do this due to Covid-19, I began tutoring students online through Zoom and then in person. In my junior year, I would assist multiple teachers daily in handing out worksheets and materials, running errands around the school, answering the class phone, and more. Because of this my Spanish 1 teacher last year nominated me for a committee of student leaders to run an all-day long workshop on our campus to break down our social barriers and learn that we all have similar stories uniting us together. This year I continue to tutor and am my Spanish 2 teacher's assistant, I correct student work days when I am done with my own and assist my peers when they need assistance. When she has a substitute I teach the class the worksheet she has left for us and complete the same activities. I know I've made a difference in the lives of the individuals I've helped. From the food pantry to tutoring and assisting my teachers I've seen the fruits of my labor in smiles, hugs, and excited phone calls from students acing quizzes or getting into their dream colleges.

I take a deep breath and step out from the masking curtain, applause explodes from the audience in front of me. My best friend and I link hands with the 3 other members of our cast and take a bow. As the curtains close in front of us I feel myself being pulled into a group hug, all of us crying. After a few minutes as we attempt to pull each other together we walk as a group into the dressing room, crying along the way. As we enter we see a basket of small bags of candies and handwritten notes for each of us and our crew. Slowly crew members trickle in and give hugs telling us how amazing the show was and how it was the best one yet. As we get out of costume and hang them up a quiet prideful energy hangs in the room. We gather on stage for one final picture before we slowly begin leaving, hugs and tears mingled with 'goodbye's and 'see you later's. Over the past few months, these people have become my family, we've formed bonds and memories that will last forever, and we will always remember this. These memories but also the power that theatre holds are some of the reasons I'm passionate about theatre. Theatre has the power to spotlight stories that otherwise might not be told. But more than anything theatre has the power to get people thinking. When I performed in Tracks by Peter Tarsi, we challenged our audience to think about what happens when we die. The play starts with several characters from all walks of life arriving at a subway station. However, they soon find that they all believe they are from different places such as Italy and New York. They quickly decipher that the train will lead them to their final destination, or as Tarsi calls it: "up or down". The way Tarsi gives none of his characters' names in this production allows the audience to be able to place themselves in the play and wonder how they would react in the same situation. Everyone can see themselves in some way in each of the characters, seeing their virtues and vices at the same time. As the play progresses and the stakes heighten and the audience decides for themselves if they would rather take the risk of getting on the train and it possibly taking them "down" or if they'd want to remain in this place between life and death forever. This play is by far my favorite that I've worked on. Throughout the production I found myself learning more and more about myself and my views, and learning about the views of others around me. It also taught me to not waste my life running towards a goal as my character did and to remember to rest because you never know when your life will end. It's a message I need to remind myself of as I am nearly constantly working towards getting into a good college, keeping near straight A's, and applying for scholarships.

Some people may go through their life without ever facing adversity, while others face it daily. I've faced different forms of adversity throughout my life. Having spent my entire high school career in foster care has been one of the most difficult hardships I've come against. Since the end of 8th grade, when I first entered foster care, I have attended 6 different schools. I was constantly moving around, having to learn new rules, and learning to live with new people. My life felt like a fragile, unstable tower of broken blocks that with one gentle breeze would topple over. Slowly, I've learned to flow with these constant changes and do my best despite my challenges. From nearly failing my sophomore year, I now have straight A's. This is because I learned to ground myself wherever I was, and despite knowing I may only be there for a month, attempting to get involved as best I can. I feel that people often forget just how important social interaction and feeling wanted is in our daily lives. Being in foster care makes this especially difficult, moving from place to place and always being "the new kid". In my first 2 years of both high school and foster care, the only activity I participated in was theatre, and this was cut short by the pandemic. During Covid-19, I moved again and was left almost completely alone until junior year. When school started back up, in person this time, I joined clubs and gained leadership positions in some of them, I embedded myself in our campus culture and was much happier. Despite moving to yet another high school for my senior year, I have still joined many clubs and hold executive positions for many of them. Foster care is not a hardship one can overcome, but rather one that someone has to learn to live with. Despite foster care, I've learned to thrive and live life to the fullest. Some people may say overcoming adversity is reaching the top of the mountain and planting your flag claiming, "I did it". But my overcoming adversity is learning to live with my hardships and thrive. From my experiences I've learned to hold on to things I hold dear and let people know how much they mean to me because I know and understand how quickly life can change. I've learned that things can change in an instant and I don't want to be left wishing I had told someone something, wishing I had apologized, wishing I had hung out more with someone. Today I am an individual who doesn't hold back, I tell my friends and family often that I love and care about them.

I remember the first time I was told that I couldn't do something because I was born a girl. It was recess in 3rd grade and I wanted to run in a race. This is where my definition of feminism sprouts from, feminism is questioning gender inequality and working towards equal rights, pay, and privileges. It's proving that women can do anything a man can do and fighting for women who are oppressed in other parts of the world. The following year, in 2014, Malala Yousafzai earned the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for girls rights to education in Pakistan. My teacher brought it up to us as a way to see how lucky we were to gain an education without fear in America, and to see Malala's strength. Over the years she's become one of my role models, a symbol of bravery and feminism despite fear. I've collected books about her and hang quotes from her in my room. Her influence on me has been monumental and a guiding influence as I stand up against misogyny in school and online. Boys stare in disbelief when I say I've earned 3 certifications in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. In coding classes I've been scoffed at when taking on major projects and told "You don't really think you're going to be able to do ALL THAT do you? You'll probably get stuck a few lines in and go watch a makeup tutorial." The disbelief of many men when I tell them my STEM achievements is repulsive. Unfortunately I also see the effects of misogyny rubbing of on many of my female peers. Some believe they simply can't do something because "it's for boys". That's why in my junior year within my GirlsWhoCode club we put together a webpage and game for the elementary school students in our district to teach about important female figures in STEM who had incredible achievements in male dominated fields. I was the Public Relations Chairman and Project Manager for this project and managed to connect us with 21 local elementary school classes. The students would study each figure in a page we created about her and then answer questions about the activists and earn points. When the game was complete and all activists studied and quizzes they received a final score with a fun animation created by our Treasurer. Some classes gave out candy for certain scores while some teachers turned it into an even larger project to research and write a report on each figure and attempt to improve their scores. Classes from 3rd grade to 6th grade participated we amassed around 500 plays. I continue my work as a feminist be showing the intersectionality of feminism and being an LGBTQ person by founding an Equality Club in my junior year, unfortunately I have moved from that school due to foster care however I now work in my new schools Gay Straight Alliance to contribute by empowering my local community to achieve high and believe in themselves. I tutor students in SAT prep, classwork, and college prep and encourage students that they can do whatever they put they're mind to. One of the girls I've tutored has gotten into her dream school, I was one of the first people she called and we both cheered over her achievement, I told her "I knew you could do it, I never doubted you for a moment." I know I've made an influence on one person, and I hope I continue to make a difference in the lives of others and like Malala become a symbol of feminism.

I remember one of the first plays I acted in, I remember the excitement of the classroom that we used as a dressing room as children aged from kindergarten to sixth grade put on makeup and adjusted their costumes and I remember the applause on our opening night, and how it seemed to fill my whole being. Ever since that first play I have been in love with theater and the performing arts. I participated in a range of 2 to 4 please our musicals per year since then, not including show choir performances vocal concerts and performances of scene work since third grade. And from my first show I've grown not only as an actor but as a person I've learned to write plays, I've learned to memorize lines and blocking quickly and I've learned to operate sound and light boards for backstage. I've learned the ends and outs of the performing arts from tech to performing I can do it all. In a recommendation letter for the college I will be attending in the fall my current theater director called me a quadruple threat, I can sing, act, dance, and work technical theater. I'm told I'm an asset to our theater Department and that I will go far in the performing arts buissness. My plan is to become a theater teacher and to give students the same home that theater has given me all these years. Even as I was moved around the state, through foster care, and seemed to be lost, theater provided a home for me and a place where I knew I would be accepted. With a theater degree I'll be able to offer the same home and place of acceptance to students. I'll be able to teach them not only about a play that we are performing but themselves as they see themselves in the characters and grow with the characters in the piece. We can learn about different life experiences through theater and ask ourselves questions that encourage deep thought. With a theater degree I can bring all of this and more to the community of students that I will teach. I can bring a sense of home and community and belonging. I can encourage students to find themselves when they feel lost, and we can break down barriers that divide us.

Having spent my entire high school career in foster care has been one of the most difficult hardships I've ever faced. Since the end of 8th grade, when I first entered foster care, I have attended 6 different schools. I was constantly moving around, having to learn new rules, and learning to live with new people. My life felt like a fragile, unstable tower of broken blocks that with one gentle breeze would topple over. Slowly, I've learned to flow with these constant changes and do my best despite my challenges. From nearly failing my sophomore year, I now have straight A's. This is because I learned to ground myself wherever I was, and despite knowing I may only be there for a month, attempting to get involved as best I can. I feel that people often forget just how important social interaction and feeling wanted is in our daily lives. Being in foster care makes this especially difficult, moving from place to place and always being "the new kid". In my first 2 years of both high school and foster care, the only activity I participated in was theatre, and this was cut short by the pandemic. During Covid-19, I moved again and was left almost completely alone until junior year. When school started back up, in person this time, I joined clubs and gained leadership positions in some of them, I embedded myself in our campus culture and was much happier. Despite moving to yet another high school for my senior year, I have still joined many clubs and hold executive positions for many of them. Foster care is not a hardship one can overcome, but rather one that someone has to learn to live with. Despite fostercare I've learned to thrive and live life to the fullest. From my experiences I've learned to hold on to things I hold dear and let people know how much they mean to me because I know and understand how quickly life can change. I've learned that things can change in an instant and I don't want to be left wishing I had told someone something, wishing I had apologized, wishing I had hung out more with someone. The impact in my relationships is that I tell people what I truly think, tell my friends how much I appreciate them, try to hang out as much as I can, and spend what little time together we have, to the fullest.

Hello! I'm Ruins! I'm 17 and going to be graduating this year! While I'm tremendously excited, I'm also a bit anxious and sad to leave my friends and family but confident I'm prepared. One of the things I'll miss most are all my extra curriculars, I'm involved in so many extracurriculars that when I ask my friends to hang out they remark with, "When?! You don't have any time!", and we both laugh knowing the scheduling would be extremely difficult. Im a secretary in the Theatre and Gay-Straight Alliance clubs, a treasurer in the Choir Club, and the librarian of the 5 different choirs at my school! I'm also involved in Link Crew (mentoring incoming freshmen), National Honor Society, and in Book Club! Outside of school, I'm a tutor and an ambassador for the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) and Big Future! More importantly, I'm a big brother/uncle to my little cousins who I live with. Because I am currently being fostered by my grandmother, (and a result am a foster sibling to my aunt) I take on both roles and have earned the title of "CuzUncle" I enjoy watching, playing, and teaching my cousins whenever I find some free time. Another thing I greatly enjoy is giving back to my community. I am the creator of an Instagram page I and blog giving helpful tips for preparing for college. In the past I enjoyed volunteering at a food drive for 3 hours/week however due to foster care I am no longer in an area where I can do that. I also used to volunteer in a church nursery for 1 hour/week. Participating in extracurriculars and volunteering are some of my favorite activities. In Gay Straight Alliance I can advocate for my fellow LGBTQ youth on campus, in theatre I can perform and teach important life lessons, and in Choir I can sing my heart out. While I'm sad to leave these activities and friends I've made in them, I can't wait for this new chapter in my life. I want I plan to pursue a degree at the University of Redlands through the Johnston program! With the program, I can build my own degree and study a bit outside of my major to broaden my knowledge and better prepare me for a job within my self-determined major. In my future career as a theatre teacher, I want my classroom to be a safe space for students and I want students to know that the second they walk into my classroom they can put down their heavy baggage, and be appreciated for who they are. You may ask: "Why theatre? Why not a math or science teacher?" The answer is I've found family and home in theatre, something that's been difficult for me to find in foster care. For the past 4 years of my life I've been out of my parent's home I've been moved around almost constantly. I've never gotten to really stay at a school and build a life for myself until this year. Between being separated from my sisters, battles with my mental health, and getting accustomed to new living situations, life hasn't seemed to cut me any slack. However, through everything it has been my goal to not become just another statistic, that statistic being that half of foster youth graduate high school and only 3% graduate college. I want to show others in my situation and in similar ones that they don't have to be defined by their situation and that they can work their way out.

I take a deep breath and step out from the masking curtain, applauses explodes from the audience in front of me. My best friend and I link hands with the 3 other members of our cast and take a bow. As the curtains closed in front of us I feel myself getting pulled into a group hug, all of us crying. After a few minutes as we attempt to pull each other together we walk as a group into the dressing room, crying along the way. As we enter we see a basket of small bags of candies and handwritten notes for each of us and our crew. Slowly crew members trickle in and give hugs telling us how amazing the show was and how it was the best one yet. As we get out of costume and hang them up a quiet prideful energy hangs in the room. We gather on stage for one final picture before we slowly begin leaving, hugs and tears mingled with 'goodbye's and 'see you later's. Over the past few months, these people have become my family, we've formed bonds and memories that will last forever, and we will always remember this. These memories but also the power that theatre holds are some of the reasons I'm passionate about theatre. Theatre has the power to spotlight stories that otherwise might not be told. But more than anything theatre has the power to get people thinking. When I performed in Tracks by Peter Tarsi, we challenged our audience to think about what happens when we die. The play starts with several characters from all walks of life arriving at a subway station. They soon decipher that the train will lead them to their final destination, or as Tarsi calls it: "up or down". Tarsi gives none of his characters' names in this production which allows the audience to be able to place themselves in the play and wonder how they would react in the same situation. Everyone can see themselves in some way in each of the characters, seeing their virtues and vices at the same time. As the play progresses stakes heighten the audience has to decide for themselves if they would rather take the risk of getting on the train and it possibly taking them "down" or if they'd want to remain in this place between life and death forever. Theatre also tells powerful stories and struggles that need a spotlight and gets audiences to think about some of life's toughest questions and learn about themselves and others. For some, it even teaches life lessons. Theatre is a force to be reckoned with and will never die as people keep creating new stories that evolve for the coming generations. That's why I love theatre because of its power to change people's points of view and teach them. It's because of my love of theatre that leads me to want to teach it, working with youth and theatre are some of the things I love most. Sharing my love of theatre and teaching young adults to use this powerful method of storytelling to invoke thought and change is an honor. More than that I want my classroom to be a safe space for all students no matter their race, gender, or sexuality. I want to be a teacher that they can trust and depend on. I want my classroom to be a place that promotes growth and acceptance. That's why I am passionate about theatre and why I want to share my love with the next generation of actors, filmakers, and playwrights.

I take a deep breath and step out from the masking curtain, applauses explodes from the audience in front of me. My best friend and I link hands with the 3 other members of our cast and take a bow. As the curtains closed in front of us I feel myself getting pulled into a group hug, all of us crying. After a few minutes as we attempt to pull each other together we walk as a group into the dressing room, crying along the way. As we enter we see a basket of small bags of candies and handwritten notes for each of us and our crew. Slowly crew members trickle in and give hugs telling us how amazing the show was and how it was the best one yet. As we get out of costume and hang them up a quiet prideful energy hangs in the room. We gather on stage for one final picture before we slowly begin leaving, hugs and tears mingled with 'goodbye's and 'see you later's. Over the past few months, these people have become my family, we've formed bonds and memories that will last forever, and we will always remember this. These memories but also the power that theatre holds are some of the reasons I'm passionate about theatre. Theatre has the power to spotlight stories that otherwise might not be told. But more than anything theatre has the power to get people thinking. When I performed in Tracks by Peter Tarsi, we challenged our audience to think about what happens when we die. The play starts with several characters from all walks of life arriving at a subway station. However, they soon find that they all believe they are from different places such as Italy and New York. They quickly decipher that the train will lead them to their final destination, or as Tarsi calls it: "up or down". The way Tarsi gives none of his characters' names in this production allows the audience to be able to place themselves in the play and wonder how they would react in the same situation. Everyone can see themselves in some way in each of the characters, seeing their virtues and vices at the same time. As the play progresses and the stakes heighten the audience has to decide for themselves if they would rather take the risk of getting on the train and it possibly taking them "down" or if they'd want to remain in this place between life and death forever. It's the way that theatre gets an audience to dive deep into themselves and learn more about themselves that makes theatre such a powerful force. And more than that theatre allows us to teach others stories that may otherwise be lost. When performing in Luchadora! by Alvaro Saar Rios we told the story of a young girl named Lupita who defied gender norms and not only competed with men but beat them. But this story didn't just tell the story of her family's struggle as migrant workers and many other characters in the play who struggle with gender roles and immigrant life. Theatre tells powerful stories and struggles that need to be spotlighted and gets audiences to think about some of lifes toughest questions and learn about themselves and others. For some, it even teaches life lessons. Theatre is a force to be reckoned with and will never die as people keep creating new stories that evolve for the coming generations. That is why I love theatre because of its power to change people's points of view and teach them.

Yes I was and still am in the foster care system 3 days before my school's production of The Wizard of Oz I was taken from my home and placed in an emergency foster home with my 2 younger sisters. I was supposed to be playing the part of Toto, Dorthy's lovable dog sidekick. An understudy went on in my place. That was my 8th-grade year, and I'm a senior now. It's been 4 years that I've been in foster care and I'll likely age out without any financial support. I've been through over 10 case workers and 8 foster homes. I've seen my share of abuse and neglect through my birth parents and foster parents. Anytime I seem to get settled in a place my life is thrown up into the air again and I'm left scrambling to find my footing. The worst of these was during Christmas of my sophomore year when my foster parent kicked me out, but not my sisters, separating us. If I could go back and change one thing I would find a way to stay with them, now there's a rift between us that seems irreparable. It's my struggles through foster care that urge me to become the foster parent I needed. Someone who would take me in, listen to me, and instead of ignoring my trauma and history, help to heal me and support me as I grew to be an adult. I want to help the next generation as a foster parent and as a teacher. My end goal as a theatre teacher is to have a classroom that is a safe space for students and inspires students to be anything they dream of. I want students to know that the second they walk into my classroom they can put down their heavy baggage of home issues, and relationship troubles and be appreciated for who they are. Between being separated from my sisters, battles with my mental health, and getting accustomed to new living situations, life hasn't seemed to cut me any slack. However, through everything it has been my goal to not become just another statistic, that statistic being that half of foster youth graduate high school and only 3% graduate college. I want to show others in my situation and in similar ones that they don't have to be defined by their situation and that they can work their way out.

My father always said, "Why should I help you? Learn to do it on your own". And for a while, I believed him. That asking for help made a person weak and less than others. But after volunteering at a food drive for a year through the pandemic, and receiving help from that same food drive, I realized that it's not weak to ask and receive help, and asking for help shows more strength than trying to power my way through. A few months before Covid-19 I went into foster care, this was the first time I learned that asking for help didn't make a person weak. My sisters and I had been abused physically and emotionally and neglected for years before CPS saved us. We hadn't asked for help but we were still receiving it and while it felt foreign we were grateful to finally be safe and taken care of. No one looked down on us for needing help and we were welcomed with open arms. In my freshman year of high school and I had been volunteering at a local food drive through a church for some time and had grown accustomed to the network of family and friends who all supported each other through the volunteer group. Whenever someone was sick or hurt people would sign up to take soups and check in on them throughout the week and ensure they were doing alright. Everyone was eager to help each other and while it took some time to understand soon I would beg my foster parents to let me make soup and take it over to sick friends in the group. I wanted to help others so badly that I would seek out people in school in need of tutoring, friendship, or anything they may need. Then Covid-19 hit, and as people lost jobs and couldn't afford food we saw our numbers rise from 60-80 families weekly receiving food to 130-150. I worked hard every Thursday, knowing these people might not be receiving any other food than what we give them. Prior to Covid-19, I understood it wasn't weak for a person to ask for help but I still felt that it didn't apply to me. My sister could ask for help with her math homework but if I did I felt as if I was weak, I would want to scream and yell all the mean things my father had told me over the years as a way to punish myself for asking for help. But as I saw so many people who didn't need help before flocking to us in need of support I realized truly that there was no shame in needing help for anyone, and that included me. Volunteering helped me realize that asking for help didn't show weakness, it showed strength in humility and knowing that you can't do everything on your own. An important part of my story is foster care. Currently, due to foster care, I will be on my own the day I turn 18, I'll be in charge of my own housing, food, clothing, and everything. That's why I need this scholarship. Paying for college is a huge boulder blocking my path in life. I work as hard as I can; saving, applying for scholarships and working, but winning this scholarship would make climbing that boulder easier.

My heart is racing, I'm in tears and gasping for breath as I attempt to control the anxiety that engulfs me. It's an anxiety attack and not the first. They're common for me when dealing with money. Growing up lower middle class my parents often didn't have money for necessities such as food and clothing. I remember going years without a new pair of shoes simply because we didn't have the money to go out and get new things, rent and food were more important. Our financial situation left me with intense anxiety around money, even spending a few dollars on bread can throw me into an attack. It's times like these and when I'm in the depths of depression that I listen to the song "Tomorrow" from Annie. From when I was little it's been able to put a smile on my face and calm me down. It reminds me that while my problems and worries seem huge right now things will be better tomorrow and my problems won't seem to tower over me as they do at that moment. Growing up I was able to find a version of myself in Annie, and now even more so. Annie being a poor orphan girl who is abused by her caretaker had a story all too familiar. Both of us being poor and abused by our caretakers, I later entered foster care making me feel closer to Annie and making her message resonate more with me; Keep your head up things will be better tomorrow

Hello! I'm Ruins! I'm 17 and going to be graduating this year! While I'm tremendously excited, I'm also a bit anxious and sad to leave high school. I'm involved in so many extracurriculars I can't even count them on both hands! I'm a secretary in the Theatre and Gay-Straight Alliance clubs, a treasurer in the Choir Club, and the librarian of the 5 different choirs at my school! I'm also involved in Link Crew (who are mentors to incoming freshmen), the National Honor Society, and in Book Club! Outside of school, I'm a tutor and an ambassador for the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) and Big Future! More importantly, I'm a big brother/uncle to my little cousins who I live with. I enjoy watching, playing, and teaching them whenever I find some free time. Another thing I greatly enjoy is giving back to my community. I am the creator of an Instagram page and blog giving weekly helpful tips for applying for scholarships and colleges, choosing a school, knowing the differences between schools, and preparing for a college or vocational school. Remember that tutoring I mentioned earlier? That's another example of my volunteer service! Currently, I tutor 7 other students in subjects such as Math, Spanish, History, and Web Design! I also enjoyed volunteering at a food drive for 3 hours a week when I could however due to foster care I am no longer in an area where I can do that. I also used to volunteer in a church nursery for an hour a week. Participating in extracurriculars and volunteering are some of my favorite activities. In Gay Straight Alliance I can advocate for my fellow LGBTQ youth on campus, in theatre I can perform and teach important life lessons, in Choir I can sing my heart out. And through these activities, I've made some very good friends. And although we are sad to part ways, my friends and I plan to keep in contact as we all explore this next chapter of life. My end goal is to become a theatre teacher whose classroom is a safe space for students and inspires students to be anything they dream of. I want students to know that the second they walk into my classroom they can put down their heavy baggage of home issues, and relationship troubles and be appreciated for who they are. In my classroom, I want I plan to pursue a degree at the University of Redlands through the Johnston program! With the program, I can build my own degree and study a bit outside of my major to broaden my knowledge and better prepare me for a job within my self-determined major. You may ask: "Why theatre?" The answer is I've found family and home in theatre, something that's been difficult for me to find in foster care. For the past 4 years of my life I've been out of my parent's home I've been moved around almost constantly. I've never gotten to really stay at a school and build a life for myself until this year. Between being separated from my sisters, battles with my mental health, and getting accustomed to new living situations, life hasn't seemed to cut me any slack. However, through everything it has been my goal to not become just another statistic, that statistic being that half of foster youth graduate high school and only 3% graduate college. I want to show others in my situation and in similar ones that they don't have to be defined by their situation and that they can work their way out.

Throughout my life, I haven't had much control over what foods I was allowed to eat or what health choices I could make. However, now that I am in an environment where I can make healthy choices for myself, I can see the effects. I went from feeling constantly exhausted, feeling irritable, depressed, and never wanting to exercise to having energy, feeling great, and loving to dance, work out, and do yoga. Past foster parents I lived with, didn't value healthy eating. They often didn't want to cook so I would make microwaveable ramen, burritos, and other quick meals. During these periods of my life, I noticed I was very often depressed, irritable, and constantly exhausted. Now I live in a place where healthy eating is encouraged and there's always fruit and vegetables available to snack on. I'm much happier and enjoy the healthy options. There's nothing like getting home after a long day of school and extracurriculars and having dinner with some refreshing watermelon as dessert! Now that I am eating healthier I'm happier, less irritable, and have more energy to do the things I love such as theatre and coding. Another healthy choice I have begun making is spending more time off-line and in the present. I hang out with friends and family and play games with my little cousins. We enjoy playing tag, dancing, and doing makeup together. As a result of my newfound healthy lifestyle, I have more energy and I feel great! My grades have also improved from B's and C's to straight A's.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a very commonly used proverb that describes how healthy eating can help prevent illness and needing to visit the doctor. While healthy eating can't entirely prevent illness, it has many more benefits than keeping illness at bay. Healthy eating can aid in dopamine production by supplying your body with more Vitamin D. Other foods like mushrooms, salmon, turkey potatoes and rice can supply your body with important vitamins such as B5 and B6. Vitamins D, B5, and B6 are all essential in the production of dopamine. We also know that it's important to eat healthily to prevent illness. Being ill can greatly affect one's mental health. Being isolated and not feeling well to participate in hobbies and events can lead to irritability and depressive mood swings. I've noticed many of these changes personally. Past foster parents I lived with, didn't value healthy eating. Commonly they wouldn't want to cook so I would make microwaveable ramen, burritos, and other quick meals. During these periods of my life, I noticed I was very often depressed, irritable, and constantly exhausted. Now I live in a place where healthy eating is encouraged and there's always fruit and vegetables available to snack on. I'm much happier and enjoy the healthy options. There's nothing like getting home after a long day of school and extracurriculars and having dinner with some refreshing watermelon as dessert! Now that I am eating healthier I'm happier, less irritable, and have more energy to do the things I love such as theatre and coding. My grades have also improved from B's and C's to straight A's. Healthy eating is incredibly important for many reasons, both physically and mentally. It keeps our bodies working as they should and our brains producing the chemicals we need to stay happy.

Have you ever taken a few minutes to simply sit and listen to the sounds of a forest? Completely unplug from modern-day life and sit with mother nature and say hello to her firsthand? It's an experience I was blessed with as a child growing up in the Southern California Mountains. This moment of being wholly surrounded, almost engulfed by nature is one of the most beautiful sensations that is incomparable to that of looking at the scenery through a screen or photograph. You can't feel the gentle breeze on your neck through a photograph or the sun on your face from a video. It's simply not possible. I appreciate nature by telling others of its beauty and doing my part to protect it. I do this by cutting down on my plastic usage and recycling. I currently carry a silicone straw that I attempt to use in place of a plastic straw whenever possible and soon want to try eco-bricking. I want to grow my own garden and donate any extra to families in need through shelters and food drives. I also want to teach my own children one day the beauty of nature and how we can give back to mother earth in thanks for all of the life and treasures she gives us. The earth is a gift to us and it is one we should protect and cherish because it is the only one we have.

Have you ever been inside all day, maybe in the gym working out, and you walk outside and feel the cool air around you against ur face? Have you ever gone to the beach and been caressed by the warm rays of sunshine? It’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it? And I don’t want to lose those feelings. It would make it all the less wonderful for that cool air to be too polluted to breathe or for the beach, you sit on to be littered with trash. That's why I try to be as eco-friendly as possible. But I don’t just throw my trash away, I do everything step I can to be environmentally friendly. My family and I recycle often and I commonly use old glass bottles, plastic juice containers, shoe boxes, and old deli meat containers for art projects or storage space in my bedroom. We reuse our plastic bags to go to the store and never buy new bags. Around our house we have many plants both indoors and outdoors, this year Im growing bee-friendly flowers such as lavender and strawberries. I also have planted cactus and succulents that do not need a large amount of water to thrive. On my computer, I use Ecosia, an internet browser that uses its profits to plant trees. During the school day, I ensure my friends and I throw our trash away in the proper bins and while I’m walking around campus if I see trash in the planters I take it out and find a nearby bin to put it in. I care about my planet deeply and am always making a conscious effort to be eco-friendly because our planet is the only one we have and it deserves to be taken care of. I currently carry a silicone straw that I attempt to use in place of a plastic straw whenever possible and soon want to try eco-bricking. I want to grow my own garden and donate any extra to families in need through shelters and food drives. I also want to teach my own children one day the beauty of nature and how we can give back to mother earth in thanks for all of the life and treasures she gives us. The earth is a gift to us and it is one we should protect and cherish because it is the only one we have. It's an experience I was blessed with as a child growing up in the Southern California Mountains. In my opinion, the best way to promote this beauty everywhere is to promote and use entirely sustainable products, from energy to hairbrushes we need to stop using chemicals and products that damage our air, poison our waterways, and curse the land. The earth is precious and you can't see all its beauty in a photograph.

When you've seen your friends bruised and bloody from hate crimes. When you've heard your little sister's voice shake in fear of your parents finding out she likes a girl. When you've cried over the laws being passed in Florida, directly harming trans youth, you'll understand why I say that what we need most in this world, is tolerance. Tolerance for differences in race, gender, and sexuality. This extends further. To every difference, we see in our society. From religion to the way we act and dress differently. Every time we see a difference between ourselves and the world we shouldn't look down on it, we should celebrate it. If you look at a painting, they use many colors, not just white. A painting done in just white would be no painting at all. Life shouldn't be like this. Life should be like music, so full of different sounds and melodies and words each one different. Music has many genres and all of them are equally loved.

Technology is an extensive topic. It's everything from a paleolithic handaxe to a smartwatch. We've come a long way since the paleolithic era of cave drawing and stone tools, but in my opinion, our greatest feat in technology is the light bulb. While reviewing this essay with my friends and family, they gave me a quizzical look. "A lightbulb? Seriously?" one said. "You're not gonna say: The internet? A computer?!" And to this, I simply smiled and told them to read the rest. While a light bub does just "light up a space", it's not its purpose that inspires me. It's the meaning and the philosophy one can gain from seeing the lightbulb in a different "light" that inspires me. In a world of darkness and despair. There are lightbulbs, people who see the good, who help, and who create change for the better. To me, a lightbulb is more than an object, it's a message to be the light in a dark world, it inspires me to be better and improve the world we live in. The lightbulb was also a leader in its time for the future. Computers themselves operate on a lightbulb-like principle known as binary. This is a collection of symbols that signal "on", (electrical signal present), or "off", (no signal present). While simple, it gave way to the world of technology as we know it, you're probably reading this on a laptop, PC, or mobile phone. All this would have not been possible had the light bulb not paved the way.

My asthma has prevented me from many things, including sports, and high P.E. grades, it even attracted unwelcome attention from my peers. Another important struggle of asthma is asthma attacks. I'm fairly forgetful, and by that I mean I'm constantly forgetting things. Everything from glasses to my phone to my I.D. is constantly being left behind at home when I need it. In my freshman year, I forgot my inhaler, now this was typical of me however this was a day in P.E. where we were expected to not only swim but complete a certain number of laps in a certain time frame. I didn't know my limits at the time and was among the average rank of the class when I utilized my inhaler. Without it, I was usually the last to finish. On this particular day I continued swimming like I usually would attempting to beat the people around me however around my 4th lap I realized I couldn't breathe. I pushed my body towards the closest ledge but I couldn't make it, my lungs and entire body were burning. If it weren't for my teacher who jumped in to save me and then called the school nurse, I don't know what could have happened. Since then I've been scared of testing my limits and seeing how far I can push myself, with or without my inhaler. I set small fitness goals such as exercising for 20 minutes but typically lean towards workouts centered on strength rather than cardio training. Setting goals has helped me achieve many things like my high GPA or to pass AP exams. But I also have long-term goals set, goals that aren't for helping me but are for helping other people. One of these goals is to be a teacher. I want to make a difference in the lives of children. I want kids who believed they were nothing and could never go far to begin believing in themselves and their abilities and wanting to reach for the stars, not because it would make me or their parents happy but because that is what they want. There's a quote from Josh Shipp that beautifully illustrates my mission in teaching. It claims, “Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” This quote rings true for me thanks to my Spanish teacher in my junior year and the same impact she had on me is the impact I want to have on the youth of tomorrow. I believe every child is worth having faith in, no matter how “troubled” or how much they may “act up”. Because every child only needs one adult who cares and has access to the proper information to help them to succeed. This goal may seem silly, un-obtainable, or even too good to be true to some but it's very important to me and is one of the main motivators I have for completing my academic, physical and mental goals.

Being a mentor is one of the most fulfilling jobs one can have. Through mentorship, you can change lives and have a long-lasting effect on those you mentor. Although I was never officially mentoring someone until this year, when I joined my school’s mentorship program, I always took on a sort of mentor role. Through foster care, I’ve been placed with many younger children and have always made it my mission to instill in them love, kindness, gentleness, and an understanding of others. And in school, I would always act as a mentor to underclassmen, even in middle and elementary school. But mentoring is about more than just giving advice to those who look up to you. It’s about leading a life worth looking up to, it’s about helping those you are mentoring and it’s about being there for them when they need you. The third of these is my main priority in mentorship, in my opinion, why would you listen to advice from someone if they are not there when you need them the most? I want those I mentor to feel cared for and like they can go to me with anything and feel like they were listened to and that someone cared about them. Some people can receive this when they go home, but many cannot talk about their problems. And that's where I want to help. One of my former mentees did not live in a home situation that was safe for them, I became their outlet and when they needed me most, I was there for them. It’s my goal for everyone to feel appreciated, and wanted, and to pass that on to everyone they meet.

Change is difficult, and it’s even more difficult to create lasting change. While I do not know if my change will be lasting, I do know that I have created change. In my campus culture, I have created inclusivity and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ members of our student body. In my junior year, I was the first president and driving force behind creating my school's Equality Club. This club served as a meeting place during lunch for its members to feel accepted for who they are and for the club as a whole to bring awareness to the school on our community. We also started a campaign to highlight LGBTQ+ icons who have outstanding accomplishments in our modern day such as Marsha P. Johnson, a black drag queen who stood for trans rights. We created posters to explain different genders and sexualities to our peers and had announcements t encourage everyone to come to meetings. While I do not know how long of an impact this change had, I do know that I created change. I know that for at least one year, I impacted the lives of my peers and created a positive environment for us to grow and learn in. I hope that the club continues past my time there and continues to help the school promote inclusivity and acceptance but even if it doesn’t, I know that during my time there, I created change, and above all, I helped others.

What is bravery? Is it chasing your dreams? No, that's ambition. Is it falling, dusting yourself off, and trying again? No, that's perseverance. Or is it facing your fears despite them? Yes. That is bravery. It can be defined as jumping into the ocean from a tall cliffside or giving a speech in front of your class and while these acts show bravery these acts are inconsistent. You won't jump into the ocean every day nor does one give speeches daily. But bravery in the face of exclusionism and promoting diversity in a world of like-mindedness is constant, never fading, and, above all, essential to our society. But it’s our world of like-mindedness that makes diversity and standing out an act of bravery. People are hateful and even a danger towards those that are unlike them. We see this hate in the Black Lives Matter protests where innocent people who peacefully stood up for their beliefs were met with violence. I have experienced this hate first hand. My city is not open to queer people, and certainly not alternative, or "goth" people. And these are the exact reasons that being my genuine self is an act of bravery. I face bullying and harassment for being myself on a daily basis, however, I persist because I will not allow them to win, and I will stand for what is right. Diversity is the color of the world and a blank canvas isn't as appealing as one painted in every color, in fact, it's quite boring. If everyone were the exact same life would be bland and meaningless. Those who wish for this carbon-copy style of life show no bravery. Those who attach our differences show the least bravery, these people do not fight for equality, because they are scared of diversity.

For a long time money has been a source of great anxiety for me, growing up, my family didn’t have a lot. Even basic necessities were scarce. There were long stretches where the only topic my parents seemed to discuss was how much we didn't have, At times, clothing was simply not in the budget for my parents. By 8th grade year, I couldn't go through a week without needing to re-wear clothes. At a very young age, I was aware of our financial situation and would save coins in the hopes it would help my parents. Now, being older, I realize money and finances should not be something a child worries about because it’s the parent's or guardian's responsibility to provide for any children in their care. When this also becomes the worry of the child it affects them throughout their life. I worry about using too much water during showers or how much food I’m eating in order to save money due to my backstory. I have begun learning tips to manage my finances efficiently and decrease my anxiety about handling cash. An example of a strategy I use is waiting before I buy any item that is not an absolute necessity. Recently my laptop charger broke, I count this as a necessity because I use it daily. I have waited to order items like clothing because while clothing is a necessity, I will not wear that particular article daily. I have found that strategy particularly useful. I also ask a trusted adult when making a financial decision, whether it be buying an item or other decisions. Another strategy I have found useful is the envelope method, this utilizes labeled envelopes with the monthly expenses listed on each and the amount needed to pay off the bill or expense labeled. While I do not have bills for water or groceries I use this method to get in the habit and use it for my Spotify subscription. Money is still an aspect of life that I find difficult to manage but slowly I am learning and becoming confident in my ability to manage money. I plan to continue to learn more about how to manage my finances. I don't want my future children to grow up as I did, worrying about money and if they will have enough clothes or food to make it through the week. I know it's every parent's dream for their children to want for nothing but at the very least, my children will have a loving, financially-stable home to grow up in.

Prior to my asthma diagnosis, my middle school P.E. class required us to run 1 mile a week. I was always among the last to finish, I thought I was simply out of shape but while I was running, or walking because my body could not run any longer, I could catch my breath or take in full breath. My lungs felt as if a cloud was trapped inside them and I couldn’t seem to get a complete breath. In between middle school and high school I entered foster care and my foster parents allowed me to get examined for asthma, and unsurprisingly to me at that point, I was diagnosed with asthma. My freshman year I was enrolled in a P.E. Swim class where we swam laps in the pools for essentially the whole period. One day I forgot my inhaler and mid way through my laps for the day I felt my chest begin tightening and nearly drowned if not for the actions of my teacher. I stopped mid way in my laps barely above water and she jumped in to save me. She brang me to the ledge where I held on as she got out of the pull and called for the nurse on the radio. That was my first asthma attack and it terrified me yet, at the same time I also love to exercise. But from that point forward I always made sure I was within my limits. I have many dreams but one of them is to be a teacher, I am struggling to chose between teaching history or teaching children with special needs. But there is one thing I know for sure; I want to make a difference in the lives of children. I want kids who believed they were nothing and could never go far to begin believing in themselves and their abilities and wanting to reach for the stars, not because it would make me or their parents happy but because that is what they want. Theres a quote from Josh Shipp that beautifully illustrates my mission in teaching. It claims, “Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” This quote rings true for me thanks to my Spanish teacher in my junior year and the same impact she had on me is the impact I want to have on the youth of tomorrow. I believe every child is worth having faith in, no matter how “troubled” or how much they may “act up”. Because every child only needs one adult who cares and has access to the proper information to help them to succeed.

“When purchasing something think of it as purchasing it with time, not in how many dollars but in how many hours it costs”, this is the advice given to me by a good friend, who is now, at the age of 19 making 6 figures, so clearly this method works. But what does this mean? For simplicity, all taxes will not be taken into consideration and all numbers will not accurately represent real-world prices. Hypothetically, say you make $10/hour. With a maximum of 40 hours a week. Thus meaning the maximum you can make per week is $400. Your monthly expenses take about 75% of your income leaving you with $400 a month for leisure and investing. Perhaps you use 100% of your leftover leisure cash every month. Now, you want to afford a new car but the cost is $5,000 and way out of your budget it seems. However, I'll show you how to obtain the $5,000 needed without taking on extra shifts. If you cut back on your leisure expenses by half leaving you with 50$ a week it will cost you 100 hours to buy the car. In the end, you have bought a new car in 2.5 weeks thanks to smart spending and thinking of purchases in time. Using hours as a method of creating goals makes it easier to obtain because instead of placing a number as your goal without knowing how long it will take to reach, you have an exact date on which you know your goal will be met. By using this I have healthier spending habits and I feel less anxious about my ability to balance my money. I recommend this method to anyone who handles money no matter how long they've been working.

Have you ever been inside all day, maybe in the gym working out, and you walk outside and feel the cool air around you against ur face? Have you ever gone to the beach and been caressed by the warm rays of sunshine? It’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it? And I don’t want to lose those feelings. It would make it all the less wonderful for that cool air to be too polluted to breathe or for the beach, you sit on to be littered with trash. That's why I try to be as eco-friendly as possible. But I don’t just throw my trash away, I do everything step I can to be environmentally friendly. My family and I recycle often and I commonly use old glass bottles, plastic juice containers, shoe boxes, and old deli meat containers for art projects or storage space in my bedroom. We reuse our plastic bags to go to the store and never buy new bags. Around our house we have many plants both indoors and outdoors, this year Im growing bee-friendly flowers such as lavender and strawberries. I also have planted cactus and succulents that do not need a large amount of water to thrive. On my computer, I use Ecosia, an internet browser that uses its profits to plant trees. During the school day, I ensure my friends and I throw our trash away in the proper bins and while I’m walking around campus if I see trash in the planters I take it out and find a nearby bin to put it in. I care about my planet deeply and am always making a conscious effort to be eco-friendly because our planet is the only one we have and it deserves to be taken care of.

From the outside, I’m a happy teenager who is never without a smile and always laughing or making a joke. I have former classmates who say they miss how I could light up a room and make our mutual classes fun and joyful. But only a few friends know my background. I come from a history of a low-income family, foster care, bullying, and abuse, and I still struggle with my mental health. But despite my background, I want to go to college and make a difference. I’ve been dreaming of college as my way out of poverty and misery since 5th grade and this hope has kept me afloat for years. No matter what battle I was facing, I was doing it because one day I would go to college and live a life full of love and joy. This hope has been my guiding light, a beacon of positivity that allows me to laugh and smile because when I am at school or with friends I can forget my past and focus on the future, how one day everything will be better. Because optimism is not focusing on all the sorrow and pain in my past, it's focusing on the positivity of the future. Being optimistic has taught me that as long as you have hope you can get through anything. I have also learned that by having optimism you can achieve more. I’m motivated to succeed and do well in school because of my optimism for the future I take on challenges because I’m positive in my ability to do difficult things. If I hadn’t had the optimism I've had up until this point I don’t believe I would be applying for scholarships and colleges. I credit part of my success to having hope and optimism.

You don’t need to scroll for long on any social media platform to see a number of comments on a user’s post viciously stating; “That outfit makes you look fat”, or “Wow I bet he can’t even do a push-up! What a wimp. ” These kinds of comments are the exact things that engulf the youth of today. It's a disease affecting the future of our country and its effects are horrendous. Adults and teens alike are doing just about anything to fix what they feel is wrong. But everyone is beautiful no matter their differences. Our differences make us stronger because the kid who may not be strong may be gifted in another way. A way to stop such comments and hate towards each other is by starting programs that teach exactly that. I personally have dreamed of starting one but have never been financially able to. These programs would have resources in every form possible and on all platforms including Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, and even in-person resources such as going to schools and events and giving out pamphlets or presenting the beauty in everyone. These programs would teach people there is strength in our differences and that where one person has a weakness, another person's strength is there to support them. My goal with these programs would make them accessible to everyone and these programs to be resources for people of all ages because all it takes is for the program to start for people to begin with hurtful comments again. I want to make a difference this is my real plan for the future; to create programs to promote kindness, love, and acceptance for everyone and teach that everyone has weaknesses but our weaknesses do not matter if we have people who can support us.

“When purchasing something think of it as purchasing it with time, not in how many dollars but in how many hours it costs”, this is the advice given to me by a good friend, who is now, at 19 making a steady 6 figures, so clearly this method works. But what does this mean? For simplicity, all taxes will not be taken into consideration and all numbers will not accurately represent real-world rates and purchases. Hypothetically, say you make $10/hour with a maximum of 40 hours a week. Meaning the maximum you can make per week is $400. Your monthly expenses take about 75% of your income leaving you with $400 a month for leisure and investing. Perhaps you use 100% of your leftover leisure cash every month. Now, you want to afford a new car but the cost is $5,000 and way out of your budget it seems. However, I'll show you how to obtain the $5,000 needed without taking on extra shifts. If you cut back on your leisure expenses by half leaving you with 50$ a week it will cost you 100 hours to buy the car. In the end, you have bought a new car in 2.5 weeks thanks to smart spending and thinking of purchases in time. Using hours as a method of creating goals makes it easier to obtain because instead of placing a number as your goal without knowing how long it will take to reach, you have an exact date on which you know your goal will be met. By using this I have healthier spending habits and I feel less anxious about my ability to balance my money. I recommend this method to anyone who handles money no matter how long they've been working.

Have you ever taken a few minutes to simply sit and listen to the sounds of a forest? Completely unplug from modern-day life and sit with mother nature and say hello to her firsthand? It's an experience I was blessed with as a child growing up in the Southern California Mountains. This moment of being wholly surrounded, almost engulfed by nature is one of the most beautiful sensations that is incomparable to that of looking at the scenery through a screen or photograph. You can't feel the gentle breeze on your neck through a photograph or the sun on your face from a video. It's simply not possible. And these things, these small collections of sensations are what I love about nature. To me, nature is life, what would we do without sunshine, rain, or the plants that recycle the very air we breathe? Nature is the most beautiful thing in the world to me and nothing comes close to the awe it gives me. I appreciate nature by telling others of its beauty and doing my part to protect it. I do this by cutting down my plastic usage and recycling. I currently carry a silicone straw that I attempt to use in place of a plastic straw whenever possible and soon want to try eco-bricking. I want to grow my own garden and donate any extra to families in need through shelters and food drives. I also want to teach my own children one day the beauty of nature and how we can give back to mother earth in thanks for all of the life and treasures she gives us. The earth is a gift to us and it is one we should protect and cherish because it is the only one we have.

It has been my dream ever since I was young to become a teacher. I have memories of playing teacher with my younger siblings and making homework and assignments and even giving them recess time, and while over the years I have varied between wanting to teach English, Math, or History, I have finally settled on teaching history. But I don't want to simply teach history, I want to be the kind of teacher that students go to when they have a problem. I want my students to know I care about them and feel comfortable around me and know that my classroom is a safe place for them no matter their race, backstory, income level, or how others view them. There is a quote from Josh Shipp that I one day aspire to model, Josh says that "Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story." And I want to be that caring adult for at least 1 student. I don't want to simply tell students about history and have them know the information long enough to pass the next test. I want to make a difference in their lives and inspire them. I know my goals may seem lofty to some but I have a love for helping people and care for people deeply. I know in my heart and soul that I will make a difference. To me, whether the difference is small or large does not matter because making a difference is what counts and even the smallest drop of water creates ripples in the grand scheme of things. I want to make a difference one smile at a time because even a smile can turn a person's day around.

Finding the proper set of study strategies can be hard, like a complex equation with unknown variables and conditions, but after years of trial and error, I've found what works best for me. I've found that setting out dates and times to study doesn't help me, due to my ever-changing schedule and varying levels of homework studying it's difficult to stay consistent. What I've found to work best is doing a large portion of studying when I am busy with household chores like cleaning and on days I'm not running errands. I have an erasable to-do list that I have hung on my wall where I write everything I need to do in a given day, while this includes cleaning it also includes studying such as completing mini-quizzes, listening, or watching explanation videos and explaining the topic out loud. The latter two of these I can do while cleaning which is convenient because my mind is occupied with two activities and helps my brain to retain. Another factor I use to help me retain information is to take mini-quizzes in environments similar to that I will be recalling in the knowledge in, this is scientifically proven to increase knowledge retention. An example would be if I am to take the test in a brightly lit room with no noise it's a bad idea to study in a park near children because these environments are highly different. My last study strategy is to not take notes following a formula I do not find useful, notes are for my learning and therefore should follow a formula I know and understand. I personally enjoy the roman numeral strategy and not cornell notes because I cannot understand them. This varies from person to person so it is important for everyone to find their fit.

I've been in and out of foster care, a few months after I was born I was taken to live with my grandparents for about a year then given back to my parents, then in kindergarten and 1st grade, they had me again. I don't remember any of this but after 1st grade, I was with my parents again. For a long time, I was with my parents but, it was a home, it was all I knew so I thought it was fine but it wasn't I suffered through 14 years of physical and verbal abuse including daily degradation, beatings, and anything to instill fear and a sense of worthlessness within me. During those years I lived to protect my younger siblings from the beatings and often consoled them. This consoling became a common tool around the 4th grade as my parents had frequent violent fights with each other. It was more than words, it was fists knives, firewood, guns, and anything they could find. In my 8th grade year, a week before summer break 3 officers and 2 social workers knocked on the door my sisters and I were getting ready for bed and had no clue what we could take. I'm not ashamed to say one of the first items I packed was a stuffed animal, after being in survival mode I was still a child in a soon-to-be highschoolers body, my mind hadn't grown due to years of abuse. Next, I packed what little clothes I had, I didn't realize what they were saying at the time but when the social workers' faces turned to pity when I said I was all packed in a matter of minutes it was because they saw how little I and my sisters had. We drove for 3 hours to a large beautiful house, it freaked me out as we pulled up, big houses that don't look like the low-income community I was used freaked me out back then, and they still do. That was the first of 6 foster homes I have been in since I was taken, many homes I've been in have also been physically or verbally abusive. Some tried to force their religion on me and some just didn't want me. In my sophomore year, I lived with my 2 siblings and a woman who I will call Crystal. Crystal hated me, she hated how I was done being pushed around and refused to be spoken to as if I was nothing. And she hated how I would report everything to my social worker. But she loved my sisters, after all, they were young and little and she could play with them still. Around Christmas time my entire world went south, 2 days before Christmas she told me she was kicking me out and a social worker would come to get me, that social worker didn't come until far after the new year but the foster mom intended for that. She refused to allow me to participate in her holiday party, she handed my donated gifts to my sisters and forced me to watch. I had to sit in our room hearing them laughing and singing. When the new year came I was separated from my sisters. She now has legal guardianship over them and refuses to let me see them. It's been 2 years since I've seen my sisters and I'm still trying all I can to even have one visit but all my work is in vain, the sisters I grew up protecting might as well be oceans away.

Persistence is a word I know well by now. Every day of my life I have needed to be persistent to stay afloat. I know it sounds cliche but it's true. I was born to a low-income family, although I'm just a junior I've been to 14 different schools due to 2 factors, 1. My parents were unable to keep a living accommodation because of their income and 2. Foster care. These 2 things have affected me my whole life. Before I was put "in the system" as many kids in foster care call it. Every day was an act of persistence to attempt to do homework as I suffered verbal abuse and physical abuse at the hands of my parents and siblings. I was the family scapegoat, I do not blame my siblings however, that's what they were taught to do. Once I got out of their house and into the system, I was constantly being moved around. I've always been unwanted and I've come to accept that. About every 6 months now I move. I never get to stay in one place for long. But the constant moving and meeting new people, and learning new rules wherever I go is also an act of persistence. I'm always learning what is expected of me, it never stays the same. Life is ever-changing and a constant hurricane in which I'm attempting to rise above. Now I am above the hurricane, at least nearly. I now live with my grandmother, I am loved and safe. It's strange to me that someone could love me but, I'm once again beginning to get used to it. This is my last move. This is my forever home. I have a home. I have a family. And I am finally safe. That is persistence.