My goal is to finish my Masters degree, get my CPA license, go to law school and become a tax attorney, all by the age of 28.

Life is tough Relationships are rough People enter into your life then soon they're gone Wake up each day waiting to find the one Going through life day by day trying to find your meaning Trying to grow like a tree, trying to keep greening Life brings us crazy moments and amazing people Life is a marathon like running the 3000m steeple Every day I wonder what my life has in store Makes decisions more stressful as I enter each door Each door provides new options with different results Feeling tied down to this life like I'm part of a cult I wake up every day thinking why me Then I see families all together as happy as can be I am trying every day to grow into the person I'm capable of being Trying to find the truth and my purpose with no rhyme or reason One day I know all my questions will be addressed Just need to keep growing and don't worry about the rest One day I'll face my death and near towards the end Hoping there's no broken relationships or things to mend I pray that I live my life to the fullest with no regrets Live, conquer, and die, and place all my bets When I die, I'll look back at the life I lived Hoping others make the most out of all that I gived

I think there is only so much knowledge you can get out of getting a high school diploma or by only receiving a Bachelors degree. I think you can only gain knowledge, information, and experience by continuing to receive more schooling. I think it also speaks to the commitment and dedication students have to achieving their goals by pursuing further education and obtaining more degrees. It takes a lot for someone around the age of 25 for example already with a career job to go back to school to get their Masters. For people like that and for people like myself, it isn't about how many more years of school I have left or how many papers I have left to write or how many exams I have left to study for. For me, more school equals more ability to gather new knowledge, equals more success, equals better work ethic and determination, and equals a greater opportunity to confirm I'm going to school for what I want to do in my career. Ultimately, it is an incredible commitment and testament to the hunger I have to accomplish these goals and get things done and achieve success. The biggest thing that I realized with getting my Masters versus the time spent in my Bachelors is the importance of pertaining information versus striving for a grade. The professors in a Masters program have emphasized the importance of learning the material because it is going to be so useful in our future versus our Bachelors degree, which set a precedent down for achieving a set grade and doing whatever we needed to do in order to receive a specific grade. I think that is something that makes getting my Masters so important. I'm in a field where it is pertinent that I don't only have an understanding of the material I'm going to school for, but that I truly know how it works and how to use the information correctly. My short-term goals involve passing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and becoming a CPA. In order to do so, I need to make sure the material I'm studying is not just studied to pass an exam, rather material I actually know how to use correctly. I want to be a CPA in part to be able to help people save money in certain areas on their taxes. I want to take material that I have studied and learned and use it in a way that helps others, but I can't do that without going to school and getting the highest education possible. Realizing the impact I can have on others is what really motivates me to go back to school, even after getting my Bachelors degree.

The universe truly is a fascinating place. Every single day I wake up and interact with my family members, friends, coworkers, customers, clients, and employees. I go to the store, the post office, restaurants, work, Church, and home, and am always interacting with new people who are all very unique and very different, all in beautiful ways. It is extremely important that we learn how to accept everyone as they are for who and what they are. One crazy thing to remember is that it is actually impossible for two people to be exactly the same. We all have our own DNA, our own appearance, and our own personality that make us who we are. I think this world has become too judgmental, too negative, and too passive aggressive. I think we need to sit back, learn to love ourselves first and foremost, and then go and give that same effort as we give to ourselves and that we would hope to receive from others. I myself can speak on behalf of so many others when I say I value being seen, recognized, and loved by others. The things people say to me impact me. The way others think about me impacts me. My day to day life carries on by the love I receive from others. The worst thing to realize is that there are some people who don't feel like they're loved. It has become a personal mission to me to make sure that I am taking time each day to recognize and love others as they are and for the unique things they say and do to make this world more special and enjoyable. My idea or concept I plan to instill within my own life and hope others can replicate is to find five opportunities each day to complement or affirm someone on something they said or did. I think if every person can do that at least once a day, even if it is to the same person, the impact it will make will be incredible. It will truly be incredible to see how just by affirming and loving others and by allowing others to feel seen heard and loved for who they are, how the world can be so much more positive and worth being a part of. I recognize I am one of 7.5 billion people, but there's no reason that just because my percentage of the population is so small means that my impact on the world needs to be small as well. If I can do something like this to change the current state of the world, I can go to bed every night recognizing I am doing something good to hopefully forever change the world.

I have never truly felt great about myself and in part that has to do with not ever eating properly. When I was eating the best I ever had was when my health was the best and I felt the most confident about myself.

My favorite Disney character is Elsa. She has the power and ability to stay comfortable in the place she's at and live with whatever is given to her in her town, but she seeks more. She goes far away from home to seek more about herself, her strengths and weaknesses, and truly seeks her purpose. I am so inspired, even though it's a Disney character, on Elsa's strength and desire to seek more. She is so brave, so strong and such an inspiration. I looked up to her when taking the same actions with my own life. I spent the entire summer in Georgia, after living my entire life in California, because I wanted to seek more purpose with my life and see more of the country than I had seen before. Like Elsa, I was able to find what I was looking for in a way that I did not expect to. I encountered some interesting, yet amazing people along the way and truly through all of it was transformed and changed. I hope a lot of kids are able to take the same points away from Elsa that I was when watching Frozen! Follow your dreams! Seek your purpose and true identity! Never be afraid to desire more and to want more! Elsa is so loving, so caring, yet so curious and wise. She's powerful, but never intends to use it to her advantage. She just wants to fit in and be like everyone else which is incredibly humbling and such a gift for kids to see. I also admire as someone with younger siblings the way she is to Anna. She cares about Anna, wants the best for her, and even when it's difficult, is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her, even if Anna doesn't realize what she's doing. Elsa is an incredible role model in many ways, which is why she's my favorite Disney character.

I have learned to love myself so much more than I ever did and learned to be proud of what I've accomplished, even if it doesn't look like much. It's hard to go into too much detail without getting too personal but I didn't ever love who I used to be. I have learned to love myself so much, even when life is hard or when I am struggling.

Taking care of yourself is so important. If you aren't living a healthy life, you're wasting your own opportunity to accomplish so many things. Good life styles create health which create good living.

I used to be completely hopeless. Being a 14-15 year old guy facing the social pressures the world wants to present us with so quickly makes life extremely stressful, challenging, and hopeless. I suffered through depression throughout all of high school and even attempted suicide. I can not act like life has just become a piece of cake since high school, but my life has truly changed. I wake up every day with a different perspective than I did before. I wake up every day knowing no matter what happens that I am loved by someone and that no matter how big or small, I will accomplish something that day. This mindset has helped me desire success, love, and happiness to a much greater extent than I ever would have recognized when I was in high school. How do you telling a suffering teenager that life will get easier or things will be solved? You can't. You just have to continue waking up every day setting your mind, body, and soul on accomplishing something that day. Find a way to grow or a way that brought you or someone else happiness. It's at that moment when you realize life may have its ups and downs, but it is truly so so worth it. We have been given such a gift and it's up to us on how we use that gift.

I love working with numbers and seeing how theories prove facts with numbers. I have always been able to cross multiply and divide in head so I love being able to do math, especially with algebra and calculus. Math is such a unique opportunity for someone to express their knowledge.

Scientist were able to revive bacteria that had been lying at the bottom of the ocean for over 100 million years. I think that is absolutely fascinating to know how long bacteria is able to stay alive. I think this is also super important for our health and safety as humans to know that things like washing our hands is super important because that bacteria we attract can stay there for very long periods. I would love to know the scientific approach that scientists had to take to revive the bacteria though because for something to be sitting at the bottom of the ocean for that long must have taken a remarkable scientific experiment to be able to revive the bacteria.

Best advice is to be yourself and be confident! Know you are loved and you are more than capable of achieving success! Pick classes that work well with the time you do the best academically and pick professors who will help you learn! Stay focused on your friendships, studies, and your mental health! You got this!!! Instagram: @__ryanelliott__ !!!